Rimutaka Incline

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Rimutaka Incline
H 199, one of the locomotives used on the Incline, preserved at the Fell Engine Museum.
Info
Type Railways Department regional rail
Status Closed
Locale Wellington, New Zealand
Terminals Cross Creek
Summit
No. of stations 2
Operation
Opened 1878-10-16
Closed 1955-10-30
Owner Railways Department
Operator(s) Railways Department
Character Rural
Technical
Line length 5 km
Gauge 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm)

The Rimutaka Incline was a 3 mile (5 kilometre) long, 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) gauge railway line on an average grade of 1 in 15 between the Summit and Cross Creek stations on the original Wairarapa Line in the Wairarapa district of New Zealand. The term “Rimutaka Incline” is sometimes used – incorrectly – to refer to other parts or all of the closed and deviated section of the Wairarapa Line between Upper Hutt and Speedy’s Crossing, near Featherston.

Contents

[edit] History

[edit] Background

The construction of a railway from Wellington to Masterton was authorised in the Railways Act passed on 13 September 1871. Julius Vogel, Colonial Treasurer, travelled to England for the purpose of raising finance for a major public works campaign including the construction of several railway projects. While in England, he took advice from Charles Fox and Partners as to what form the railways should take. Vogel returned to New Zealand, via the United States, where he studied light rail systems.

After the authorising act of parliament was passed, a survey party set out to make preliminary investigations of possible routes for a railway over the Rimutaka Range. These were complete by December 1870, the party having investigated four routes. A commonality between all the proposals was the section from Upper Hutt to Kaitoki (later Kaitoke). Between Kaitoke and the Wairarapa, the four proposals were the Tauwharenikau Route, Mr Sinclair’s Route, a coastal route and the Pakuratahi Route.

While the government was conducting its own surveys, Wellington Province Superintendent William Fitzherbert instructed his Provincial Engineer, Charles O’Neill to investigate the possibility of a railway through the Rimutaka Valley (the location of the road between Featherston and Upper Hutt), with a tunnel through the dividing range. The survey was carried out in 1871 between May and 21 July, after which O’Neill reported that a tunnel 130 chains (2.6 km) long would be required, with such a line rising at 1 in 60 from the Pakuratahi to the tunnel then descending at 1 in 40 to Featherston. This survey was forwarded to the Minister for Public Works.

In mid-1873, the route to Featherston was chosen after a final survey for the route from Upper Hutt to Summit.

For the line between Summit and the Wairarapa, several proposals were considered. The first, a line with gradients up to 1 in 30, was dismissed. It was found that to keep the gradient to no steeper than 1 in 40, curves as sharp as three chains (60 m) radius would have been required. This would have required special rolling stock and heavy earthworks and was thus abandoned.

Another proposal was known as the Birch Spur Incline. This would have involved the line continuing from Summit to Birch Spur from which a rope-worked incline would convey traffic to the valley floor where the railway would then make its way through a narrow valley to the Wairarapa plains. The Public Works Department engineers tasked with investigating this proposal were unable to locate such a suitable incline, so this proposal was also abandoned.

The last line considered was a three mile (4.8 km) incline with gradients averaging 1 in 15 “to be worked by locomotives of an unusual nature”. This line was the most favourable from an engineer’s point of view, and required not unreasonable earthworks. The final decision was made by the head of the Public Works Department, John Carruthers. He determined that an incline worked by the Fell system would be suitable, and cited the Mont Cenis Railway as an example. Though special locomotives would be required, factors in its favour were that ordinary rolling stock could be used and it was a proven system. It was to be the third and last Fell system built (employing the centre rail for both tractive power and braking), and the longest serving. Though it was considered to be a “temporary” measure, it outlasted the second such system in Brazil by 72 years.

[edit] Construction

Construction of the Rimutaka Incline was included in two contracts that were let for the building of the original Wairarapa Line. These contracts were known as the Summit contract and the Incline contract.

[edit] Summit Contract

This contract included the excavation of the Summit station yard and related drainage, the Summit tunnel, and formation work to a point 26 chains beyond the tunnel. Amongst other notable features of this contract, it was the shortest contract of all those let for the line, it was finished by the original contractor, and it had the least number of alterations. Work on the contract was to start on 12 July 1874 and to be completed by 22 July 1876, at which time the Pakuratahi contract was due to be completed.

The Summit yard was, simply put, a large cut into the hillside, being 120 feet wide and 500 yards long initially. Excavations removed material to a depth of 15 to 20 feet, with this fill being dumped on the opposite side of the yard to form level ground. On the hillside above the yard, further ground was levelled and houses erected thereon.

After the yard had taken shape, the next job undertaken was the tunnel. The approach to the tunnel was about 6 chains long and up to 60 feet deep. The line entered the tunnel on a downward grade of 1 in 1,000, steepening to a grade of 1 in 15 at the eastern portal. At this end, a small drainage tunnel had to be built to divert a stream that had flowed down a steep gully where the tunnel mouth was to be. The maximum height of the tunnel was 15 feet above the floor, though once rails were laid, the maximum clearance was 13 feet 9 inches. The width of the tunnel varied from 10 feet 6 inches at the floor to 12 feet at 7 feet 6 inches above the floor. Despite castigation from various parties, it was not until March 1877 that work on both ends of the tunnel met at the middle, having taken three and a half years to complete.

Later, the Public Works Department lined the tunnel, after the rails had reached the site, enabling them to use work trains to bring materials and other supplies in. It was during this phase that the only fatality on this contract occurred. On 3 May 1878, a sizeable portion of the lining collapsed on two men. One was killed outright, the other lost his eyesight due to severe head injuries.

The Summit Contract was finally completed on 10 December 1877, only 17 months behind schedule.

[edit] Incline Contract

On 5 October 1875, the Incline contract was awarded to a Charles McKirdy for the sum of £49,029. The contract covered the formation only, with the Public Works Department to be responsible for platelaying.

The contract began outside the Summit tunnel and terminated at Featherston, a distance of 8 miles, 76 chains. It also included the Cross Creek station yard and runaway siding. Several alterations were made to the contract both prior to and during construction, including the replacement of one of three tunnels with a cutting, and three wooden bridges with embankments.

The line descended at a grade of 1 in 15, to pass through the 396 foot long Horseshoe Gully Tunnel (later to be known as Siberia Tunnel). On leaving the tunnel, the line crossed the gully on a high earth and rock embankment, the largest on the section, on a five-chain radius curve. The embankment was about 180 to 200 feet wide at its base, and around 90 feet high at its centre line.

After the embankment, the line continued at a grade of 1 in 15 down to Cross’s Creek station (later to be known as Cross Creek). From Cross Creek, the line descended at gradients varying from level to 1 in 40 to Lucena’s (later to be known as Pigeon Bush), and from there in a straight line to Featherston.

Work on the contract began on 22 October 1875. None of the major earthworks seem to have presented any great difficulties, save the lower tunnel which was plagued by accidents and materials failures largely because of the unstable nature of the rock through which it passed. The tunnel was named Price’s after the manager Mr McKirdy employed for this contract. On 2 March 1876, a fatality occurred during the construction of Price’s tunnel, in which two men were lost due to a cave-in of the roof.

Between October 1877 and March 1878, platelaying was completed up to Summit. This enabled the use of work trains to haul up materials that were used to line the Summit Tunnel. Platelaying on the incline commenced in April 1878 and reached Cross Creek the following month. During this work, H 199 was stabled at Summit and used to haul work and ballast trains to the railhead each day.

Initially, only simple arrangements were made for the station yard at Cross’s Creek, as it had yet to be decided the nature of operations on the Incline. It consisted of the main line, an engine siding of 10 chains, and the runaway siding.

After formation work continued beyond Cross Creek, McKirdy ran out of time and money, with the remainder of his contract being picked up by his guarantors, Messrs T. W. Young and Robert Greenfield. They finished the formation to Featherston on 17 August 1878, with platelaying finished the following month. The contract was finally completed 13 months late.

[edit] Operation

Initially, trains operated on the incline hauled no more than the weight that could be managed by a single locomotive. After complaints from management of the expense of running too many trains, two locomotives seem to have been used, both at the head of the train. From 1887, trains were worked with multiple locomotives, each at the head of its rated load. As the maximum weight of a train during this period was 150 tons, no more than three locomotives were used per train. Train operations continued to be modified until by 1908 the maximum load allowed per train had increased to 250 tons descending and 260 tons ascending.

When the line opened, there were two Fell brake vans in service, each 12 ft. 6 in. long and 5 ft. 9 in. from floor to ceiling with open platforms at either end. The wear on the brake blocks fitted to these vans was so severe that a set of blocks seldom lasted more than one trip down the incline. Like the positioning and loading of the locomotives, the arrangements for positioning of the Fell vans varied until they were largely standardised by 1897. For ascending trains, Fell vans were placed at the rear of the train. For descending trains, a Fell van was placed between the locomotives and the leading vehicle. If the gross weight of the train exceeded 120 tons, or included more than 15 vehicles (in both cases, the locomotives being excluded), then a second Fell van was attached to the rear of the train. These rules applied before the introduction of the Westinghouse continuous air brake system. The Fell locomotives were never turned, and thus always ran cab first on descending trains.

As descending trains departed Summit, the “through” guard applied the brakes on the leading vehicle, then moved through the train applying the brakes on the other vehicles until he reached the train van, which also had brakes that had to be applied. Each Fell van had its own guard to operate the two sets of brakes.

After the introduction of the continuous brake system in 1903, it became possible to operate trains with five locomotives, and for descending passenger trains, up to five Fell brake vans could be used – two next to the locomotives, one in the middle, and two at the rear. As each brake van had its own guard, and the train also had a train guard and locomotive crews, a train with five brake vans and four locomotives would require a crew of 14, which only served to add to the expense of the operation.

Instructions issued in 1885 regarding the use of the safety siding required that the points for the incline be set to the safety siding at all times. As descending trains approached the Cross Creek yard, the driver of the leading locomotive sounded a long whistle which signalled that all was well. On hearing this signal, the signalman would set the points for the arrival road. As far as is known, no real such emergency ever occurred.

The only unusual traffic over the line was the occasion of four royal trains, those being: the then Prince of Wales in 1921; the Duke and Duchess of York in 1927; the Duke of Gloucester in 1935; Queen Elizabeth II and H. R. H. the Duke of Edinburgh in 1954, as well as the infrequent redirected express or goods train that was prevented from using the Manawatu to Wellington line due to slips, floods or other mishaps.

The original yards at Cross Creek and Summit were considered to be sufficient for the traffic levels of the time, but increasing traffic brought about incremental additions to the yards as required. The full extent of the Summit yard was reached in 1903 which also coincided with the introduction of full signalling and interlocking, though the same could not be said of Cross Creek until 1915.

Instructions had been issued that the H class locomotives were not to be operated on any part of the railway other than the Incline, with the sole exception of conveying them to the Petone (and later Hutt) Workshops for maintenance. In the latter case, bunkers, water tanks and boilers were to be empty and the locomotives were to be towed at a speed not exceeding 10 miles per hour. Some time later, these rules were relaxed to allow the locomotives to travel to Petone and back under their own steam (still subject to the same speed restrictions), so long as they did not haul trains over this distance. In 1887, they were permitted to be operated between Cross Creek and Pigeon Bush, and this was later extended to Featherston. The purpose for this extended range was to enable them to be used for banking purposes. Running rights for these locomotives between Cross Creek and Featherston were revoked about 1943.

Speed limits for trains on the Incline were changed several times. In the period 1884 to 1888, the limit was 6 m.p.h. ascending and descending, except light passenger trains for which the limit was 8 m.p.h. In 1888, these limits were changed to 5 m.p.h. ascending and 9 m.p.h. descending. The limits were eventually fixed, for the rest of the duration of the Incline, at 6 m.p.h. ascending and 10 m.p.h. descending.

E 66 at Petone Workshops in February 1906, just after it was built.
E 66 at Petone Workshops in February 1906, just after it was built.

Various classes of locomotives were deployed to the Incline from time to time to supplement the motive power of the H class for those instances in which one or more of the H class locomotives was away for maintenance or repairs, including: two W class 2-6-2 tank locomotives, Nos. 192 and 238, built in 1889 and 1891 respectively, which spent most of their time on the Wellington to Summit section until their transfer in 1909; two 54-ton WE class 4-6-4 tank locomotives which were rebuilt from 4-8-0 B class locomotives and were rated to haul up to 55 ton passenger trains and 60 ton goods trains, were used on the Incline until 1906 after which they were used mainly on the Upper Hutt to Summit section and rated to haul up to 130 ton passenger, 150 ton mixed and 155 ton goods trains and were then later sent to work on the Rewanui Incline in the South Island; a 65 ton E class locomotive, number 66, which was rated to haul 80 tons up the Incline, and was used until 1910 when it was transferred to banking duties on the Wellington to Johnsonville section; and a WG class 4-6-4 tank locomotive, number 480, which was used on the Incline during the Great War, after which it was transferred for normal duties elsewhere. Subsequent to the Great War, the traffic pattern became such that it was well within the capabilities of the six H class Fell locomotives.

The mileages run by the H class locomotives shows notable increases that correspond to economic and other major events, such as the opening of the line as far as Masterton, completion of the Wairarapa Line to Woodville, and the nationalisation of the Wellington and Manawatu Railway. With the opening of the railway to Masterton, the annual mileage of the H class rose from less than 7,000 to more than 8,000, for the period of 1883 to 1897 rose steadily to 34,000, and rose again to 42,000 when the line was opened to Woodville and began carrying traffic from the Hawke’s Bay. Mileage peaked at 64,123 in 1906-07, which was about 10,687 miles per locomotive or around 1,780 return Incline trips.

In 1936, six light-weight railcars were introduced into service for services between Palmerston North, Masterton and Wellington. Known as Wairarapa railcars, they were specifically designed for New Zealand, and in particular the Incline, and were built at the Hutt Workshops. Like all types of NZR railcars, they were designated as members of the RM class, numbers 4 to 9 inclusive. They were also named after historic Maori canoes as follows: Maahunui, Mahuhu, Mamari, Matahourua, Mataatua, Arai-te-Uru. Initially powered by 130 horsepower Leyland petrol engines, they were upgraded after several years to 120 horsepower diesel engines. They had a single, rear driving axle with 38½ wheels necessitated by the need for the axle and final drive unit to have sufficient clearance above the Incline’s centre rail. Because of the large rear wheels, it was necessary for the floor of the passenger compartment to be 52½ inches above rail level, greater than 12 inches higher than normal. They were rated for maximum speeds of 60 m.p.h. and expected to climb the Incline at speeds between 15 to 17 m.p.h. but actually only managed 10 to 12 m.p.h. These railcars were withdrawn from service in 1955 when the Incline closed.

[edit] Replacement

See also: Rimutaka Tunnel

The original route between Upper Hutt and Featherston was often the subject of criticism, even from before it was built. In 1898, a J. H. Dobson completed several surveys on behalf of the Public Works Department into possible alternatives. Conclusions reached in 1899 as a result of these surveys did little more than confirm previous opinions. One promising possibility was a 5 mile tunnel between Mangaroa and Cross Creek, that received so much attention that it nearly became the much sought deviation. By 1900, however, it was realised that the cost of constructing such a tunnel could not be contemplated at that time.

It was not until the 1920s that significant campaigning for a replacement again prevailed on the government. In 1921-22 a feasibility study was conducted, including distances and estimated costs. Several routes were considered, including variations on previous ideas, but nothing more was done at the time.

The new Labour government of 1936 announced its intention to proceed with the Mangaroa to Cross Creek tunnel. Detailed surveys were completed in 1938 to 1939, but the project was again postponed due to World War II.

After World War II it became a matter of urgency to consider a replacement. The H class locomotives were showing their age, the Incline was in bad shape, and maintenance costs were increasing. Between September 1945 and July 1947, four alternatives were considered. It was accepted that no contour line could be the solution and that a tunnel under the Rimutaka Ranges was the only satisfactory answer. The adopted route ended up being the shortest route, a tunnel between Mangaroa and Lucena’s Creek gully.

The Public Works Department started the tunnel with bores of 1,054 feet at the western end and 820 feet at the eastern end. A contract for completing the tunnel was let to a consortium of Morrison Knudsen Inc. and Downer and Company on 7 May 1951. The work commenced at the west end in July 1951 and at the east end in August. The contract was expected to be completed in four years, but the headings actually met on 20 April 1954 with the concrete lining finished a month later.

New Zealand Railways took possession of the tunnel on 1 February 1955, which also included approach formations and bridge piers, at which time platelaying work commenced. By October 1955, the signalling and centralised traffic control equipment had been installed and all the track was laid except for a short section near Upper Hutt where the formation of the old line crossed, at a higher level, that of the new line. All traffic on the Upper Hutt to Featherston section was suspended after the arrival of the Carterton Show Day excursion train at Upper Hutt on the evening of Saturday, 29 October. Over the next three days the old formation was removed, the cutting for the new formation completed and the remainder of the track laid. On Thursday, 3 November, the new line was opened and two special trains travelled from Wellington to Speedy’s Crossing to the inauguration ceremony.

Demolition was swift, with the removal of track between Cross Creek and Pigeon Bush largely completed by March 1956. H 199 was used to haul the work trains that proceeded to remove the track between Cross Creek and Summit. The buildings were sold at auction, on site. Some of the rail was sent to the Rewanui Incline, as were a couple of the Fell brake vans. Five of the six H class locomotives were towed to the Hutt Workshops, later Silverstream, to be scrapped.

[edit] Today

In October 2005, a reunion of former NZR staff and friends who worked the Incline was held in Featherston, including a visit on the 29th of that month to Cross Creek to commemorate 50 years since the last train ran on the Incline.

On the same day, a “first spike” ceremony was held at Maymorn to mark the beginning of the Rimutaka Incline Railway Heritage Trust’s project to reinstate the railway.

[edit] Museum

Main article: Fell Engine Museum

At the official opening ceremony on 3 November 1955 for the Rimutaka Tunnel at Speedy’s Crossing, the Minister for Railways, Mr McAlpine, presented H 199 to the Borough of Featherston for display purposes. After H 199 completed its duties on the demolition trains removing the Incline track, it was towed to the Hutt Workshops where it was stored until August 1958, at which time it was towed to Featherston and mounted on a plinth in a playground for children to play on, where it remained through the 1960s and 1970s.

In 1980, it became obvious that despite the attentions of railway preservationists, the locomotive was deteriorating through age and exposure to the elements. The Friends of the Fell Society was formed with the objective of preserving and housing H 199. Restoration work commenced in 1981, and proceeded as volunteer labour was available. During the restoration work, a new museum - the Fell Engine Museum - was constructed across the main road and next to the town’s old courthouse.

In late February 1984, H 199 was prepared for relocation to the new museum, scheduled to happen on 10 March. On relocation day, the locomotive was loaded on to a house removal truck and transported to the new museum, where it was lifted on to a temporary trackset that enabled it to be winched into the building. Restoration work continued until 1988. It has never been the intention of the Friends of the Fell Society to steam the engine, though it has been restored to fully working order. Currently, the engine is mounted on rollers driven by an electric motor so visitors to the museum can see the moving parts in action.

In 1995, the Friends of the Fell Society secured a lease on F 210, the sole remaining Fell brake van, from MoTaT for the purpose of displaying the vehicle in its museum. One of the conditions of the lease was that the brake van would be restored to the condition it was in when in service.

With the arrival of F 210 in Featherston in June 1995 courtesy of Tranz Rail, restoration commenced in the workshop of the nearby Batavia Rubber Company. The museum was extended and on 11 December 1996, F 210 was transported to its new home where restoration was completed on 20 August 1997.

[edit] Rail Trail

See also: List of rail trails

With the closure of the line over the Rimutaka Range, the railway corridor was vested in the Wellington City and Suburban Water Supply Board. The corridor between Kaitoke and Summit, including all bridges, was maintained so as to continue to provide access to the area for forestry purposes. Trees were planted along the route, including those that line the Summit yard, in the late 1950s to early 1970s by forestry staff. Access was only granted to those holding an appropriate permit, and was rarely enjoyed for the purposes of recreation.

The Incline section of the route was vested in the New Zealand Forest Service. Following closure, all structures were removed from Cross Creek and Summit. The formation gradually disappeared as nature reclaimed it. The large embankment below the Siberia Tunnel was washed away during a severe storm in 1967. Those using this section of the rail trail today must descend to the bottom of the gully and cross the stream before ascending the other side.

The establishment of the Fell Engine Museum helped to spur interest in the incline in the early 1980s, prompting the forestry service to provide permanent access to Cross Creek in 1984, drain the Summit Tunnel, and clear the Cross Creek yard and formation to Summit. A proposal mooted in the mid 1980s for a walkway between Cross Creek and Kaitoke resulted in the opening of the Rimutaka Rail Trail on 1 November 1987, a joint project between the Wellington Regional Council and the Department of Conservation. For users of the trail, shelter sheds were constructed at Cross Creek and Summit, as well as several picnic areas along the route.

There are two entry points for the rail trail. At Kaitoke, there are signposted directions off the main highway to the start of the formation, a short distance along which is a car park. On the Wairarapa side, there is a turn-off to the Cross Creek car park from Western Lake Road, about 10 km south-west of Featherston. The trail may be walked or cycled in either direction. The railway formation between Kaitoke and Maymorn has also been preserved for recreational purposes and is part of the Tunnel Gully Reserve. The track between the Cross Creek car park and station yard is 2 km, the Incline 5 km, the Summit to Kaitoke section 10 km, and the Kaitoke to Maymorn section is 3 km. If traversing the entire 20 km length, a trip can be timed to start at Cross Creek and meet one of the afternoon or evening Wairarapa Connection trains at Maymorn station.

Cross Creek station yard, shelter shed, and beginning of the Incline.

Cross Creek turntable pit.

Foundations of the Cross Creek locomotive shed.

Southern portal of Price's Tunnel.

Northern portal of Price's Tunnel.

Horseshoe Gully and Siberia embankment washout.

Southern portal of Summit Tunnel.

Northern portal of Summit Tunnel.

Cutting and southern approach to Summit yards from tunnel.

Summit yards.

Summit shelter shed.

Institute of Professional Engineers of New Zealand plaque.

Locomotive remnants on display in the Summit yards.

Ash pit in the Summit yards.

Northern approach to the Summit yards.

[edit] Future Plans

Main article: Rimutaka Incline Railway Heritage Trust

On 8 August 2003, the Rimutaka Incline Railway Heritage Trust was inaugurated with the intention of reinstating the Rimutaka Incline Railway. This project is to be completed in four stages, including: Upper Hutt to Summit; Wellington to Upper Hutt; Summit to Cross Creek; Cross Creek to Featherston. The base of operations for the trust is on land leased from ONTRACK at Maymorn. Largely thanks to the establishment of the Rimutaka Rail Trail, most of the original formation has been preserved and will be incorporated into the reinstated rail operation, with new works required at Maymorn to link the original formation to the station yard and a deviation at Kaitoke to bypass formation land that is now in private ownership. The original route from Upper Hutt to the Mangaroa valley will not be included in the trust’s plans.

Work on the project is currently at stage one, with the acquisition of rolling stock for restoration, fencing, platelaying in the yard, and the construction of a rail vehicle shed.

[edit] See also

[edit] References

[edit] External links