Denniston

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Denniston is a small settlement in the northwestern South Island of New Zealand in the West Coast region. It is located on the small Mount Rochfort Plateau in the Papahaua Ranges 600 metres above sea level, 18 kilometres north east from Westport.

Today, Denniston is little more than a ghost town, with a population of less than 50. During the early years of the 20th century, its population was close to 2000, due to the large coal mine close to the town.

The town's main claim to fame was its mine railway, the infamous Denniston Incline.

Opened in 1879 and running until the mid 1960s, the Incline was gravity operated, with full loads of coal descending returning empty wagons to the plateau. It fell 510 metres in just 1.7 kilometres, down grades which at times were over 1:1.30. Understandably, the system led to many accidents, frequently with loss of life.