The Catlins River Branch was a branch line railway that formed part of New Zealand's national rail network. It ran through the Catlins region in southwestern Otago and was built in sections between 1879 and 1915. It closed in 1971. Along the line was the Hunts Road tunnel, the southernmost tunnel in New Zealand. A branch line is a relatively minor railway line which branches off a more important through route. ... // National Rail Network The national rail network (currently owned by a State-Owned Enterprise, the New Zealand Railways Corporation) was constructed largely by government entities from 1863 onwards. ... The Catlins is an area in the south of the South Island of New Zealand and lies between Balclutha and Invercargill. ... Otago  pronunciation? is one of the regions of New Zealand and lies in the south-east of the South Island. ... 1879 (MDCCCLXXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... 1915 (MCMXV) was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... 1971 (MCMLXXI) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1971 calendar). ...

Construction

The line was built mainly to provide access to timber for logging companies, as the thickly wooded Catlins region was very difficult to access at the time. The first contract for construction was let in April 1879, but it wasn't until 15 December 1885 that the first 12.79 kilometres to Romahapa from the junction with the Main South Line in Balclutha was opened. The next stage to Glenomaru added ten more kilometres to the line and opened on 7 July 1891. The opening of the following section was delayed by difficulties in boring the Hunts Road tunnel, and it was on 16 December 1895 that the branch was opened to Tahora. The present-day largest town in the district, Owaka, was reached on 22 June 1896, bringing the line to a length of 31.06 kilometres. Three years later, construction of the line recommenced, but the difficult terrain meant that it wasn't until 1 August 1904 that the next five kilometres to Ratanui opened. Another five kilometres, another five years; Houipapa was reached on 17 December 1909. The line eventually reached its ultimate terminus of Tahakopa on 17 February 1915. There were proposals to extend the line to meet the Tokanui Branch, but the rugged landscape proved to be a deterrent and the plans were abandoned. 1879 (MDCCCLXXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... December 15 is the 349th day of the year (350th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1885 (MDCCCLXXXV) is a common year starting on Thursday. ... The Main South Line is half of the South Island Main Trunk Railway in New Zealand and runs south from Christchurch down the east coast of the South Island to Invercargill via Dunedin. ... Balclutha may refer to: Balclutha, a town in the Otago region of New Zealand. ... July 7 is the 188th day of the year (189th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 177 days remaining. ... 1891 (MDCCCXCI) was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... December 16 is the 350th day of the year (351st in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1895 (MDCCCXCV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Thursday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... June 22 is the 173rd day of the year (174th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 192 days remaining. ... 1896 (MDCCCXCVI) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... August 1 is the 213th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (214th in leap years), with 152 days remaining. ... 1904 (MCMIV) was a leap year starting on a Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... December 17 is the 351st day of the year (352nd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1909 (MCMIX) was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... February 17 is the 48th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1915 (MCMXV) was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ...

It is worth noting that as the line was built, short private bush tramways were built from it to local sawmills to facilitate easy transportation of lumber to the railway. // NZ National Rail Network These are lines that are part of the national network currently owned by New Zealand Railways Corporation, a government company trading as ONTRACK. Most of them were constructed by national or local government bodies of New Zealand from 1863 onwards. ...

Stations

The following stations were on the Catlins River Branch (distance from junction in brackets):

• Finegand (4 km)
• Otanomomo (6 km)
• Romahapa (13 km)
• Glenomaru (23 km)
• Hunts Road (26 km)
• Tahora (29 km)
• Owaka (31 km)
• Ratanui (36 km)
• Houipapa (41 km)
• Tawanui (46 km)
• Puketiro (52 km)
• Caberfeidh (56 km)
• MacLennan (61 km)
• Stuarts (64 km)
• Tahakopa (68 km)

Operation

Traffic from the many local sawmills provided substantial freight traffic, and up to sixteen trains a week would operate. These trains were "mixed" services that carried passengers as well as freight, but on Tuesdays, the market day in the Catlins, a dedicated passenger service would run to Balclutha to connect with the express to Dunedin. Passenger traffic began to decline in the 1930s, and although it improved during World War II, the return of peace brought the return of the decline, and on 30 November 1958, passenger services on the line were cancelled. A couple of years previously, the locomotive depot in Tahakopa had closed on 12 August 1956. The local residents had strong feelings for their railway, and when the last Tahakopa-based engine, A 476, departed the isolated terminus, "Now is the Hour" was sung and a wreath was placed on the locomotive. Dunedin is the second-largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, located in coastal Otago. ... // Events and trends A public speech by Benito Mussolini, founder of the Fascist movement The 1930s were described as an abrupt shift to more radical lifestyles, as countries were struggling to find a solution to the global depression. ... Combatants Allies: • Soviet Union, • UK & Commonwealth, • USA, • France/Free France, • China, • Poland, • ...and others Axis: • Germany, • Japan, • Italy, • ...and others Casualties Military dead: 18 million Civilian dead: 33 million Full list Military dead: 7 million Civilian dead: 4 million Full list World War II, also known as the Second World... November 30 is the 334th day (335th on leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar, with 31 days remaining, as the final day of November. ... 1958 (MCMLVIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... August 12 is the 224th day of the year (225th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1956 (MCMLVI) was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The A class was a steam locomotive built in 1906 with a 4-6-2 wheel arrangement for New Zealands national railway network. ...

With the closure of the Tahakopa depot, trains began operating from Balclutha instead, and with the cessation of passenger services, a freight train ran thrice weekly to Tahakopa (Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays), and a fourth service ran as far as Owaka on Tuesdays. The sawmilling industry had been thriving in the 1930s, but three decades later, it was in sharp decline, and agricultural traffic for farms around Owaka had also fallen. Local residents protested the announcement of the line's closure in July 1970, but the railway administration stood firm and confirmed in October that the date of closure would be 27 February 1971. A number of final excursions were held, with the very last proving to be quite eventful. Ab 795 (now preserved to run the Kingston Flyer) lost its sanding ability as it climbed from Owaka to Takahopa and therefore could not grip the rails. Although repairs were conducted at the terminus, the engine's firebox arch collapsed on the return journey and DJ 1243 had to run the train from Owaka back to Dunedin, finally arriving at 1am the next morning. // Events and trends A public speech by Benito Mussolini, founder of the Fascist movement The 1930s were described as an abrupt shift to more radical lifestyles, as countries were struggling to find a solution to the global depression. ... 1970 (MCMLXX) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1970 calendar). ... February 27 is the 58th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1971 (MCMLXXI) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1971 calendar). ... Preserved No. ... The Kingston Flyer is a vintage steam train operating in the South Island of New Zealand. ... In a steam engine, the firebox is the area where the fuel is burned, producing heat to boil the water in the boiler. ... The DJ class locomotive was a class of diesel-electric locomotive used in New Zealand. ... Dunedin is the second-largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, located in coastal Otago. ...

The line's closure did not affect the first four kilometres to Finegard, which is still open as an industrial siding to a freezing works.

The branch today

Although remnants of closed railways diminish and disappear as a result of both nature and human activity, the Catlins River Branch is a remarkably well preserved line, in no doubt due to its isolated location. The Hunts Road tunnel is preserved by the New Zealand Department of Conservation and can be walked; the old railway's formation to the tunnel is quite visible at this point, as it is at many other locations along the line. Goods sheds and station buildings still stand in MacLennan, Romahapa (in this case, the station building has been resited), Takahopa, and Tawanui. Station buildings can also be found at Puketiro and Caberfeidh. In Takahopa, some rails are embedded in a road by the yard's former site, wheels from logging trolleys used on a bush tramway remain at the location of Stuarts yard, and the bridge over the Romahapa Creek continues to stand. The Department of Conservation (In Māori, Te Papa Atawhai), commonly known by its acronym, DOC, is the state sector organisation of New Zealand which deals with the conservation of New Zealand’s natural and historic heritage. ...

External link

• Brian's Ghost Railways - the Catlins River Branch

Resources

• Churchman, Geoffrey B., and Hurst, Tony; The Railways Of New Zealand: A Journey Through History, HarperCollins Publishers (New Zealand), 1991 reprint
• Leitch, David, and Scott, Brian; Exploring New Zealand's Ghost Railways, Grantham House, 1998 revised edition