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The Raetihi Branch was a branch line railway in the central North Island of New Zealand. It formed part of New Zealand's national rail network and operated from 1917 until 1968. A branch line is a relatively minor railway line which branches off a more important through route. ...
North Island The North Island is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, the other being the South Island. ...
// 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. ...
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Construction
A combination of political pressure and the economic potential of the forestry in the Raetihi area motivated the construction of this line. In 1911, the government granted approval to construct the line, with the line intended to diverge from the North Island Main Trunk in Rangataua, but construction did not commence until 1913, when the site of the junction was changed to Ohakune. The outbreak of World War I a year later caused delays in both supplies and finding available manpower; nonetheless, work progressed steadily through the war years and the line was opened on 18 December 1917. Despite proclamations that it was the start of a new route to Wanganui, the line was never extended beyond Raetihi. Raetihi is a town in the central North Island of New Zealand. ...
The NIMT is the railway line connecting Auckland and Wellington, the two major cities of New Zealands North Island. ...
Ohakune is a town in the North Island of New Zealand. ...
Combatants Allied Powers: United Kingdom France Italy Russia United States Serbia Central Powers: Austria-Hungary Bulgaria Germany Ottoman Empire Commanders Douglas Haig John Jellicoe Ferdinand Foch Georges Clemenceau Nicholas II Woodrow Wilson John Pershing Wilhelm II Reinhard Scheer Franz Josef I Conrad von Hötzendorf İsmail Enver Ferdinand I Casualties...
December 18 is the 352nd day of the year (353rd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ...
1917 (MCMXVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar (see link for calendar) or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 13-day slower Julian calendar. ...
Wanganui is an urban area and district on the west coast of the North Island of New Zealand. ...
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Stations The following stations were located on the Raetihi Branch (in brackets is the distance from Ohakune): - Rochfort (3km)
- Makaranui (8km)
- Pakihi (11km)
- Raetihi (13km)
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Operation The line fulfilled its intended purpose to carry timber to markets further afield, with large quantities railed in the branch's early years. As the forests were removed, land became available for farming and agriculture became important to the line's economic fortunes. Livestock was of particular seasonal importance. Passenger trains did not operate, but passenger carriages were attached to goods services to create what were known as "mixed" trains. A Royal Commission into the state of New Zealand's railway network recommended the termination of passenger services, but this was not actually done until 16 December 1951. Another Royal Commission had taken place in 1950, but the line had remarkably been excluded. Timber in storage for later processing at a sawmill Timber is a term used to describe wood, either standing or that has been processed for use—from the time trees are felled, to its end product as a material suitable for industrial use—as structural material for construction or wood...
Sheep are commonly bred as livestock. ...
December 16 is the 350th day of the year (351st in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ...
1951 (MCMLI) was a common year starting on Monday; see its calendar. ...
By the late 1950s, timber traffic had declined sharply, and road transport was creating strong competition for the branch line. Maintenance on the line had been deferred as it was not seen as a necessity or financially justifiable, but as repairs became more necessary, the line's future was put under review in 1967. Financial losses had been steadily increasing, and the review called for closure of the line. Accordingly, this took place on 1 January 1968. The 1950s was the decade spanning the years 1950 to 1959. ...
January 1 is the first day of the calendar year in both the Julian and Gregorian calendars. ...
1968 (MCMLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1968 calendar). ...
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The branch today Two significant relics from the Raetihi Branch still exist. The Raetihi station building has been relocated from its old site to a new location in the town and has been restored as a local museum. At the other end of the branch, near Ohakune's famous big carrot, an old truss bridge remains in place. For the rest of the line's length, notable remnants are absent, but the formation can be sighted at points, especially where embankments or cuttings were required. A track bed is the term used to describe the groundwork onto which a railway track is laid. ...
Embankment can be: An artificial slope which can be made out of earth, stones or bricks, or a combination of these. ...
In order to keep a road or rail line straight and/or flat, and where the comparative cost or practicality of alternate solutions (such as diversion) is too prohibitive, a piece of a hill or mountain is cut out to make way for it. ...
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References - 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
| New Zealand Railway Lines | Main lines North Island: East Coast Main Trunk - North Island Main Trunk The New Zealand railway network consists of four main lines, six secondary lines and numerous short branch lines in almost every region of New Zealand. ...
The North Island Main Trunk Railway (NIMT) is the railway line connecting Auckland and Wellington, the two major cities of New Zealands North Island. ...
South Island: Main North Line and Main South Line, known together as the South Island Main Trunk The Main North Line, sometimes referred to as part of the South Island Main Trunk Railway, is an important railway line in New Zealand that runs north from Christchurch up the east coast of the South Island to Picton. ...
The Main South Line is half of the South Island Main Trunk Railway in New Zealand and runs south from Lyttelton through Christchurch and down the east coast of the South Island to Invercargill via Dunedin. ...
The South Island Main Trunk Railway runs down the east coast of the South Island of New Zealand, from Picton to Bluff. ...
Secondary lines North Island: Marton - New Plymouth Line - North Auckland Line - Palmerston North - Gisborne Line - Stratford - Okahukura Line - Wairarapa Line The North Auckland Line is a major railway line in New Zealands national rail network. ...
South Island: Midland Line - Nelson Section - Otago Central Railway - Stillwater - Westport Line - Waimea Plains Railway The Midland line is a famous 212 km section of railway between Christchurch (Rolleston) and Greymouth in New Zealand. ...
The Otago Central Railway or Otago Central Branch Railway was a secondary railway line in Central Otago, in the South Island of New Zealand. ...
The Waimea Plains Railway was a secondary railway line (not a branch line) that linked the towns of Lumsden and Gore in northern Southland, New Zealand. ...
Branch lines Upper North Island Cambridge - Dargaville - Donnelly's Crossing - Glen Afton - Kinleith - Kumeu-Riverhead - Mount Maunganui - Murupara - Newmarket - Okaihau - Onehunga - Onerahi - Opua - Rotorua - Taneatua - Thames - Waiuku and Mission Bush The Dargaville Branch is a branch line railway that leaves the North Auckland Line not far south of Whangarei and runs westward to Dargaville. ...
The Donnellys Crossing Section (later the Donnellys Crossing Branch), also known as the Kaihu Valley Railway, was a railway line in Northland, New Zealand. ...
The Kumeu-Riverhead section was a short-lived railway line located north-west of Auckland, New Zealand. ...
The Auckland-Newmarket Line (sometimes called the Newmarket Branch) is the railway line between Britomart and Newmarket. ...
The Okaihau Branch, sometimes known as the Kaikohe Branch and rarely as the Rangiahua Branch, was a branch line railway that joined with the national rail network of New Zealand at the northern terminus of the North Auckland Line in Otiria. ...
The Onehunga Branch opened in Auckland, New Zealand in 1873. ...
The Onerahi Branch, sometimes known as the Grahamstown Railway, was a branch line railway in the Northland Region of New Zealand. ...
The Bay of Islands Vintage Railway (sometimes erroneously called the Opua Branch, once the Otiria-Opua Industrial Line) is a former section of the North Auckland Line in the Northland Region of New Zealand between Kawakawa and the Bay of Islands township of Opua. ...
Lower North Island Ahuriri - Castlecliff and Wanganui - Foxton - Greytown - Johnsonville - Melling - Mount Egmont - Moutohora - Ngatapa - Opunake - Raetihi - Taonui - Te Aro - Waitara The Foxton Branch was a railway line in New Zealand. ...
The Taonui Branch was a minor railway line in New Zealands national network. ...
Upper South Island Blackball and Roa - Cape Foulwind - Conns Creek - Eyreton - Fairlie - Little River - Lyttelton - Methven - Mount Somers - Oxford - Rapahoe - Rewanui - Hokitika/Ross - Seddonville - Southbridge - Waiau - Waimate - Whitecliffs The Blackball Branch was a branch line railway that formed part of New Zealands national rail network. ...
The Eyreton Branch was a branch line railway that formed part of New Zealands national rail network. ...
The Fairlie Branch (also known as the Eversley Branch) was a branch line railway in southern Canterbury that formed part of New Zealands national railway network. ...
The Little River Branch was a branch line railway that formed part of New Zealands national rail network. ...
The Methven Branch was a branch line railway that was part of New Zealands national rail network in Canterbury. ...
The Mount Somers Branch, sometimes known as the Springburn Branch, was a branch line railway in the region of Canterbury, New Zealand. ...
The Oxford Branch was a branch line railway that formed part of New Zealands national rail network. ...
The Waimate Branch was a railway line built in south Canterbury, New Zealand to the major rural town of Waimate. ...
Lower South Island Bluff - Catlins River - Dunback and Makareao - Fernhill - Hedgehope - Kingston - Kurow - Moeraki - Mossburn - Ngapara and Tokarahi - Outram - Port Chalmers - Roxburgh - Shag Point - Tapanui - Tokanui - Tuatapere - Waikaia - Waikaka - Wairio - Walton Park - Wyndham The Bluff Branch is a railway line in Southland, New Zealand that links Invercargill with the port of Bluff. ...
The Catlins River Branch was a branch line railway that formed part of New Zealands national rail network. ...
The Dunback and Makareao Branches were two connected branch line railways that formed part of New Zealands national rail network. ...
The Fernhill Branch is a railway line in Otago, New Zealand. ...
The Hedgehope Branch, also known as the Browns Branch, was a branch line railway in Southland, New Zealand that started life in the 1880s as a privately owned bush tramway. ...
The Kingston Branch was a major branch line railway in Southland, New Zealand. ...
The Kurow Branch (also known as the Hakataramea Branch) was a branch line railway that formed part of New Zealands national rail network. ...
The Moeraki Branch was one of the most short-lived railway lines in New Zealand. ...
The Mossburn Branch was a branch line railway in New Zealand from Lumsden on the Kingston Branch to the town of Mossburn in western Southland. ...
The Ngapara and Tokarahi Branches were two connected branch lines in northern Otago, New Zealand that formed part of the national railway system. ...
The Outram Branch was a branch line railway near Dunedin, Otago that operated from 1877 to 1953 as part of New Zealands national rail network. ...
The Port Chalmers Branch was the first railway line built in Otago, New Zealand, and linked the regions major city of Dunedin with the port in Port Chalmers. ...
The Shag Point Branch was a short branch off the Main South Line on the east coast of the South Island of New Zealand. ...
The Tapanui Branch was a railway line located near the border of the regions of Southland and Otago, New Zealand. ...
The Tokanui Branch, also known as the Seaward Bush Branch, was a railway line located in Southland, New Zealand. ...
The Tuatapere Branch, including the Orawia Branch, was a branch line railway in Southland, New Zealand. ...
The Waikaia Branch, also known as the Switzers Branch, was a branch line railway in Southland, New Zealand. ...
The Waikaka Branch was a railway line that ran through agricultural and gold-mining country in Southland, New Zealand. ...
The Wairio Branch is a branch line railway in Southland, New Zealand. ...
The Walton Park Branch was located in Otago, New Zealand and operated from 1874 until 1957, except for the first section, which survived until 1980. ...
The Wyndham Branch, also known as the Glenham Branch, was a railway line in Southland, New Zealand. ...
Private lines Glen Massey Branch - Dunedin Peninsula and Ocean Beach Railway - Dun Mountain Railway - Hutt Park Railway - Kaitangata Line - Sanson Tramway - Wellington and Manawatu Railway The Kaitangata Line was a branch line railway in Otago, New Zealand. ...
The Sanson Tramway was a tramway in the Manawatu region of New Zealand that operated from 1885 until 1945. ...
The Wellington and Manawatu Railway (WMR) was a railway between Thorndon in Wellington, the capital of New Zealand, and Longburn, near the town of Palmerston North, in the Manawatu. ...
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