Talk:Rail transport in New Zealand

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[edit] Rapahoe Branch and the proposed Canterbury Interior Main Line

I was wondering if any other Wikipedians knowledgeable about Kiwi railways and/or with good resources on Kiwi railway history would be able to help me write an article on the proposed Canterbury Interior Main Line. I think it warrants an article, as it was a quite significant 19th century proposal and a portion of it was actually completed, so I've made a bit of a start on it, but I really don't know a whole lot about it. None of my railway books tell me a whole lot, though I once saw an old map with a proposed route for the line on the 'net ... can't find it now.

If anyone knows any more or has a book with some information, please help me out!

On a similar note, would anyone be able to help expand the Rapahoe Branch article? It's terribly short right now as, out of the contents of all of my books, I have just one paragraph on the line! I've heard it may be closed now (only the portion to Runanga still open?), but I haven't verified that. If someone can confirm the status of the line, that'd be great! - Axver 11:14, 30 July 2006 (UTC)

I wonder if you might be referring to a map held in the Weka Pass Railway Archives that was published in The Great Northern and fully titled as "Middle Island Sketch Plan of the various Routes for the East and West Coast Railway"? It shows, amongst other proposals, the northern portion of the Canterbury Interior Line. I have also identified some files held at Archives New Zealand Christchurch Office that may hold information on various portions of the Canterbury Interior Line proposal.
As for the Rapahoe Branch, it was last mentioned in the New Zealand Gazette on 1996-08-29 when its official name was listed as "Rapahoe Industrial Line From Greymouth to Rapahoe". I'd have thought that if it were officially closed, that a notice to that effect would appear in the gazette. -- Matthew25187 11:50, 1 December 2007 (UTC)
Yeah, I have a scanned copy of that map on my computer. There is also a map of the South Island from Steel Roads of New Zealand that shows the full planned route between Sheffield and Temuka, but unfortunately not in any substantial detail. I hope the files you've identified prove useful - I'm honestly quite fascinated by this line and find it the most interesting out of all of NZ's proposed routes.
As for Rapahoe, that matter seems quite confusing. There is a reference in the current Wikipedia article about how its terminus was brought slightly back in 2004, but unfortunately the article is no longer accessible (I remember reading it when it was online, though). What I do know from relevant NZ railway message groups is that the line is currently open but inactive, awaiting the resumption of production from the mine it currently serves. - Axver (talk) 05:22, 8 December 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Long distance passenger train template

I've recently created a template for long distance passenger trains in NZ at {{NZR Passenger}} and I was wondering if anyone here could help expand it and add articles for historical passenger trains. Please see my notes at Template talk:NZR Passenger, which has a link to my incomplete list of Kiwi long distance passenger trains that I know operated but don't have sufficient data to write about myself. Cheers. - Axver 01:08, 10 August 2006 (UTC)

Good work, although I think the problem is that for the most part, very few passenger services were ever named. --Lholden 04:42, 10 August 2006 (UTC)
I figure "Opua Express" or "Wairarapa Mail" sufficiently qualify as names. The lack of names does make things a bit hard. I'd like it if articles could at least be added on the Main Trunk expresses (especially the Scenic Daylight and South Island Limited) and some of the more notable provincial services. - Axver 09:40, 10 August 2006 (UTC)

[edit] WikiProject proposal and naming conventions

Hi folks, I have two issues to discuss.

1. I wonder if it would be worthwhile to have a WikiProject for New Zealand's railways. I've noticed there is a Wikipedia:WikiProject UK Railways, and although there aren't all too many of us working on NZ railway articles, I feel New Zealand has some of the most comprehensive railway coverage on Wikipedia (compare the level of depth we have to the level of depth for Queensland!), and it would be beneficial to co-ordinate our activities and maybe get some more people on board. Such a project may help to co-ordinate activities to get maps/diagrams for railway lines, technical information for locomotives, photos of both lines and locomotives, and so on. If enough people support this idea, I will establish the project.

2. We need to standardise names of expresses. At the moment, most but not all trains are at "name (train)", such as Bay Express (train). However, I think this might actually be unnecessary except in cases where it is required for disambiguation, namely the Overlander, Northerner, and Southerner. I was about to go ahead and change all the other services simply to name, without the (train) addition, but I thought I would put it to the rest of you first in case there are objections. - Axver 00:55, 12 October 2006 (UTC)

Hi Axver:
1. I think there was a NZR Wikiproject created some time ago, but it was deleted due to a lack of members (I wasn't a member of Wikipedia then and didn't join). I think we'd have the same problem this time. The best course of action is to get more people involved first, then when we've built up numbers, we could put together a Wikiproject.
2. That's fine with me - go ahead.
--Lholden 01:12, 12 October 2006 (UTC)
1. That must've been before my time on Wikipedia too. How many people are required for a project? Perhaps it would be better to just have some kind of task force sub-project of the main Trains WikiProject? I just think we could really use some more cohesion. Maybe we should try to encourage more participation via the Yahoo Groups focused on NZR? There are some quite knowledgeable people there that I would love to see contribute to Wikipedia.
2. Righto. I'm working on some new articles now, and once they're done, I'll redirect the old ones unless someone has a really good objection. - Axver 02:42, 12 October 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Clarification of cessation dates of Taneatua and Rotorua Expresses

Hi folks, I'm hoping someone can clear up a bit of a discrepancy I've noted among my sources. Today, I created articles on the Rotorua Express and the Taneatua Express, and it appears that they were the two last steam-hauled provincial expresses in New Zealand, but I'm not quite sure on the exact date. Here's what I have:

  • The Rotorua Express was the very last steam-hauled provincial express, ending a day after the Taneatua Express. [It would appear this is, indeed, accurate.]
  • The Rotorua Express's final run was on 6 February 1959.
  • The Taneatua Express's final run was on 7 February 1959, explicitly stated to be a day before the final Rotorua Express, placing it on 8 February 1959.
  • The second-last day of the Taneatua Express's operation was 7 February 1959, placing its final run on the 8th. No statement made about connection with Rotorua Express's final run.
  • Railcars replaced both expresses effective on 9 February 1959.

I'm not quite sure what to believe. If anyone can clarify this, it would be really helpful (especially as the two articles currently contradict each other on the matter!). - Axver 14:40, 13 October 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Potential external links/citations

Hi The NZHistory.net.nz website I help run has two very relevant features for this topic that you might want to consider adding as external links or for citations: The North Island main trunk line: http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/node/2459

Rail tourism in New Zealand: http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/node/5054

Both features are written by a professional historian, Neill Atkinson (whose history of NZ railways, Trainlands, is due out in October).

I would provide the links myself, but I realise this is not encouraged. Jamie Mackay 03:50, 27 August 2007 (UTC)