Michael Moohan

Michael Moohan (1899 – 7 February 1967) was a New Zealand politician of the Labour Party.

Early life

Born in Garrison, County Fermanagh, Ireland, he served in the British Army in World War I, and emigrated to New Zealand in 1919. In 1923 he married Cecilia Hayman; they had one son and four daughters.

Member of Parliament

He was the Member of Parliament for Petone from 1946 to 1967, when he died. He was the Minister of Railways in the Second Labour Government from 1957 to 1960.^[1]

Moohan Rocket

On 16 February 1960 a special ministerial train dubbed the Moohan Rocket made a trip from Wellington to Auckland on the North Island Main Trunk, taking 11 hours and 45 minutes, or 2½ hours less than the steam-hauled Night Limited. As the train of a brake van, three first-class cars and a Ministerial car at the rear only weighed 147 tons, and was hauled by two Dg locomotives, the time was somewhat disappointing. The return trip two days later behind a single Da locomotive was slightly quicker at 11 hours and 34 minutes, though the superior Da could not then run through the tunnels north of Wellington and the two Dgs took over at Palmerston North. The train reflected Moohan’s idea of a fast and comfortable intercity service later seen in the Silver Star and Silver Fern.

References

• Rail: The Great New Zealand Adventure by Roy Sinclair (1987, Grantham House Wellington) ISBN 1-86934-013-2 (Moohan Rocket, page 82)
• Who's Who in New Zealand (1961, 7th edition)