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61-639: The Rotorua Branch is a railway line from Putāruru to Rotorua , in the Waikato and Bay of Plenty regions of the North Island of New Zealand . Construction of the line was commenced by the Thames Valley and Rotorua Railway Company and finished by the Public Works Department (PWD). The complete line, 50.5 kilometres (31.4 mi) in length, opened in two sections; on 24 November 1893 to Tārukenga and

122-696: A 19 miles (31 km) section of the TTT Railway, from Putāruru to the "19-Mile Peg", near the present-day location of the Kinleith Paper Mill south of Tokoroa . From Tuesday, 10 June 1947, the NZ Government took over the operation of this part of the TTT line. This section of railway was reconstructed under a NZ Government scheme for development of the Waikato River basin and surrounding areas. The project

183-580: A Ruru" or "the exit of Ruru". This was eventually shorted to Putāruru. There were several Māori settlements in the Putāruru district in pre-colonial times. Ngāti Raukawa is the main tribe or iwi in the area and Ngāti Mahana is the hapū (subtribe) within Putāruru. During Te Rauparaha 's migration to the Cook Strait area in the 1820s, many Ngāti Raukawa people moved from these settlements to Rangitikei and Manawatu localities, and others followed after

244-561: A new twice daily tourist-oriented service called the Geyserland Express was initiated, using Silver Fern railcars. This service lasted a decade and ceased in 2001. Freight on the line previously comprised forestry and livestock products railed north from Rotorua. Train loads north were limited by the Tārukenga Bank west of Rotorua between Ngongotahā and Mamaku, with a steep ruling gradient of 1 in 35. In 1995 Tranz Rail launched

305-482: A passenger in a police car at a rail crossing near Huntly. In November 1937, the service lost its Limited status and reverted to being the Rotorua Express , but its popularity surged. The conditions imposed by World War II meant that the volume of passengers surged to record numbers. The trains as a result became heavier, so the A locomotives were accordingly replaced by the newer, more powerful locomotives of

366-774: A population density of 4.7 people per km . Putāruru Rural had a population of 2,373 at the 2018 New Zealand census , an increase of 150 people (6.7%) since the 2013 census , and an increase of 135 people (6.0%) since the 2006 census . There were 840 households, comprising 1,173 males and 1,200 females, giving a sex ratio of 0.98 males per female. The median age was 35.7 years (compared with 37.4 years nationally), with 552 people (23.3%) aged under 15 years, 456 (19.2%) aged 15 to 29, 1,092 (46.0%) aged 30 to 64, and 273 (11.5%) aged 65 or older. Ethnicities were 87.6% European/ Pākehā , 18.7% Māori , 2.1% Pacific peoples , 2.7% Asian , and 3.2% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity. The percentage of people born overseas

427-535: A railway between Tauranga and Rotorua, but this did not eventuate. The Rotorua line in its original form was a mainline which ran from Morrinsville through to Rotorua. With the opening of the Kaimai Tunnel in 1978, the section of line between Morrinsville and Waharoa became part of the East Coast Main Trunk line between Hamilton and Kawerau, whilst the section of line between Waharoa and Kinleith became

488-495: A sawmill at Mokai. The company built a 51 miles (82 km) railway between Mokai and Putāruru, where it connected with the NZ Government Railway. The TTT railway opened in 1905 as a private carrier, carrying TTT staff and their families, guests, freight, and mail between Putāruru and Mokai. From January 29, 1908, the TTT Railway opened its freight and passenger services to the public. The NZ Government purchased

549-464: A single line through the station site. Putāruru Primary School is a state primary school on the main street, established in 1901, with a roll of 227. Putāruru College is a state secondary school at the northern entrance of the town, by the Oraka River, with a roll of 404. Te Wharekura o Te Kaokaoroa o Pātetere is a Māori medium composite school, with a roll of 327. St Mary's Catholic School

610-612: A station at Mamaku and plan to build another in Rotorua when services are extended there. Many sections of the western track from Mamaku towards Putāruru have been lifted or are heavily overgrown and not used. The lower portions of the track in Putāruru where it branches off the Kinleith Branch are heavily overgrown with gorse and blackberry - some sections have been commandeered by neighbouring businesses for temporary storage, in other places

671-462: Is a state-integrated primary school, with a roll of 161. All these schools are co-educational. Rolls are as of August 2024. Rotorua Express The Rotorua Express was introduced when the Rotorua Branch line was opened through to its Rotorua terminus. The first train to use the new line was an express from Auckland on 8 December 1894 led by two original J class steam locomotives ;

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732-594: Is also of the same type. In October 1902, the Rotorua Express became a daily service, taking 7.5 hours on the run to Auckland and nearly eight in the opposite direction. Locomotives used on this service were members of the N and Q classes. The express soon became one of the most prestigious in New Zealand when dining cars were introduced in December 1903. Few services in New Zealand have ever run with dining cars; this

793-536: Is set to receive $ 550,000 from the South Waikato District Council in order to facilitate its upgrade. Intended upgrades include additional skating features, court area, and seating area. Putāruru covers 6.81 km (2.63 sq mi) and had an estimated population of 4,670 as of June 2024, with a population density of 686 people per km . Putāraru had a population of 4,314 at the 2018 New Zealand census , an increase of 369 people (9.4%) since

854-618: The 2013 census , and an increase of 384 people (9.8%) since the 2006 census . There were 1,626 households, comprising 2,088 males and 2,229 females, giving a sex ratio of 0.94 males per female. The median age was 44.0 years (compared with 37.4 years nationally), with 888 people (20.6%) aged under 15 years, 684 (15.9%) aged 15 to 29, 1,740 (40.3%) aged 30 to 64, and 1,005 (23.3%) aged 65 or older. Ethnicities were 73.8% European/ Pākehā , 34.8% Māori , 3.3% Pacific peoples , 4.6% Asian , and 1.4% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity. The percentage of people born overseas

915-519: The K and then J classes, followed by the J class in the 1950s. Despite the heavy demand for services, the Railways Department cut the Rotorua Express to run just thrice weekly each way in January 1944 because of coal shortages. This harmed demand, and when additional economic difficulties led to the service being further reduced to just twice weekly in 1951, patronage plummeted in favour of

976-555: The Kinleith Branch line. The section of line between Putāruru and Rotorua becoming the Rotorua Branch line. The line from Rotorua was planned to become part of a line being built from Gisborne to link with Auckland via Te Teko and Rotorua. A Gisborne-Rotorua Line from Makaraka to Mōtū of about 37 miles (60 km) was authorised by the Railways Authorisation Act, 1904. Only the Gisborne end of this proposed line

1037-589: The Mamaku Ranges . The company only ever completed the section between Morrinsville and Tīrau (called Oxford at that time), and this opened on 8 March 1886. The Government took over its operations in 1886. From this time onwards, PWD undertook construction of the line, letting it in a series of contracts from March 1887, Daniel Fallon's Ngātira (12.41 km (7.71 mi)) and Kaponga ( Mamaku ) (17.08 km (10.61 mi)) contracts being first, then John Maclean and Sons to Tārukenga (7.83 km (4.87 mi)),

1098-435: The Rotorua Express did not operate; passengers had to travel on thrice weekly mixed trains , which were slow freight trains with a passenger carriage attached. The Rotorua Express returned for the peak Christmas, summer, and Easter period and now operated thrice weekly in each direction. This arrangement continued until 1899, when the Rotorua Express began operating every week of the entire year. The Rotorua Express has

1159-578: The Siege of Ōrākau in 1864. Te Kooti and his followers were pursued through the district early in 1870 by a force under Lt-Col. Thomas McDonnell . The Patetere Block, containing the future town site of Putāruru, was acquired from the Māori in the 1860s. In the early 1880s large areas in the Putāruru district came into the possession of the Patetere Land Company, and from 1883 much of this land passed into

1220-654: The "Bay Raider" service, utilising roadrailer wagons able to run on rail and road, to connect Auckland, Rotorua, Napier and Gisborne. Between Rotorua and Napier the road railers operated in "road" mode. The forestry industry operated numerous sawmills on the branch line; the largest was at Mamaku , which had its own bush tramway connecting to the NZR line. The branch had 4 tramways connected to it, run by Gamman, Bartholomew Timber, South Taranaki and Selwyn Timber. For many years after World War II sheep and cattle from land developments south of Rotorua were railed by special stock trains to

1281-529: The Government committed $ 1,259,392 from the Provincial Growth Fund to upgrade Mangakāretu Marae, Whakaaratamaiti Marae and 6 other Ngāti Raukawa marae, creating 18 jobs. One of Putaruru’s most prominent features is it historical skate-bowl park. It was built in the 1980s, as one of the first skate parks in the country, and was recently chosen for a major refurbishment project. This community-led project

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1342-462: The Port of Tauranga and Bay of Plenty", which recommended: The proposal created much attention both in support and against the idea, in particular with the proposed siting of new marshalling yards at Ngapuna, together with extending the existing Rotorua Branch line with a level crossing across Fenton Street. The proposal became a hot political debate and by 1973 NZR started to back down on the proposal and

1403-409: The distinction of being the first express passenger train in the world to be hauled by Pacific locomotives , when Q349 hauled it out of Auckland on Christmas Eve, 1901. This was the start of a worldwide trend, with such trains as the 20th Century Limited , Orient Express , Flying Scotsman and many more all sporting such locomotives of the type in later years. The world's fastest steam locomotive ,

1464-472: The eastern section from the summit at Mamaku towards Rotorua is used by Mamaku-based adventure tourism company Rail Riders. Working with KiwiRail and the Rotorua-Ngongotaha Rail Trust, the company operates its New Zealand-designed and built "rail cruisers" on a section of the branch line between Mamaku and Tarukenga (since 2011), with plans to later extend to Rotorua-Mamaku. They have constructed

1525-483: The final 8 mi 43 ch (13.7 km) to Rotorua on 8 December 1894. The line was partially constructed by the Thames Valley and Rotorua Railway Company. The company began planning of the line from 1877, following the passing of the District Railways Act 1877. Construction of the Rotorua line did not begin until after its survey, from 1881. The survey took 12 months to find a suitable route to Rotorua over

1586-524: The first passenger train in New Zealand to use the new 50-foot carriages with steel panelling and enclosed vestibules . Two observation cars with lounge chairs were trialled on the service at this time, but they did not prove successful due to the economic climate created by the Great Depression and were converted into ordinary carriages. The service was involved in an accident with a car on 25 October 1933, which killed police constable James Shields,

1647-479: The hands of the Thames Valley Land Company . Roadmaking commenced in the late 1880s, but the railway , begun by the Thames Valley and Rotorua Railway Co., was the most important factor in the progress of settlement in the area. The first settler in the district bought his section in 1892. In the 1880s Putāruru consisted of little more than a hotel and a blacksmith shop. Exotic afforestation

1708-483: The hotel until 1919, burnt down in 1925 and was replaced by a room to the south of the main building, which closed in 1968. Putāruru railway station closed to passengers on 12 November 1968 and freight on 10 December 2002, though it was served by the Geyserland Express from 1991 to 2001. The station was demolished during March and April 2013. Only a signals equipment shelter and a passing loop now remain on

1769-406: The land in the Putāruru district suffered from a cobalt deficiency , which made farming practically impossible, but since 1935 measures have been taken to restore fertility, and farming has expanded. Putāruru was created a town district in 1926, and on 1 July 1947 it was constituted a borough . The Putāruru area has two marae, affiliated with the hapū of Ngāti Raukawa : In October 2020,

1830-474: The large abattoirs or freezing works in the South Auckland suburbs of Westfield and Southdown. Now there are local freezing works served by road transport, and stock numbers (particularly sheep) have reduced. The stations were - (Kaponga until 4/6/1892) (reopened July 1991-10/12/2001) (reopened July 1991-10/12/2001) (reopened July 1991-10/12/2001) In 1989 the Rotorua central city station and rail yard

1891-566: The line being stolen. In 2012, the Rotorua District Council demolished the Lake Road overbridge at Koutu to enable the widening of Lake Road to four lanes, to be built across the railway line at this locality. The new four-lane road was built over the top of the track, which now separates the former Koutu freight yard from the mainline. The bridge had been built in 1937 to replace a level crossing. New Zealand Railways Corporation still own

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1952-543: The line between Putaruru and Rotorua, which put the cost of doing so at $ 8.3 million. Work required included: The interested parties planned to establish a working group to determine the level of demand and economic feasibility of services on the line. In December 2009 KiwiRail leased the Rotorua Branch line (Putaruru - Koutu) to the Rotorua Ngongotaha Rail Trust, which has since worked on plans to turn

2013-480: The line could be relaid to a proposed new passenger station in the central city on the corner of Ranolf and Amohau Streets, which was being pursued by the Second Chance Train Trust and the Rotorua District Council. In June 1995 the Rotorua District Council considered a report for building a new terminal, but the new station never eventuated. During the late 1990s traffic on the line gradually declined with

2074-481: The line on 1 April 1886. The 11.8 km (7.3 mi) Putāruru- Ngātira section of the line to Rotorua was built by contractor Daniel Fallon, and work was underway by April 1887. The branch opened on 8 December 1894. Putāruru was then served by the Rotorua Express . In the early 1900s the Taupo Totara Timber Company (TTT) acquired bush blocks north and north-west of Lake Taupō and erected

2135-497: The line there being opened on 24 November 1893. The line from Tārukenga to Rotorua (14.05 km (8.73 mi)) was begun by Stewart and Hunter in 1887. The section to Lichfield on what is now the Kinleith Branch line was opened just before the Mount Tarawera eruption (21 June 1886). The line to Rotorua was opened by Prime Minister, Richard Seddon , on Saturday 8 December 1894. In 1879 George Vesey Stewart and others proposed

2196-609: The more regular bus service operated by the New Zealand Railways Road Services . Nonetheless, the Express continued to operate almost until the end of the 1950s, when only 6,342 tickets were sold in Rotorua, in contrast to 35,554 in 1929. The Express' s final run was on 6 February 1959 when a Friday service operated to Auckland. Three days later, a replacement railcar service began, utilising 88 seater railcars . The railcars ran every day except Sunday and completed

2257-552: The onset of the Great Depression , work ceased a year later in 1929. In 1968 NZR announced a proposal to construct a new line to Rotorua from Paengaroa on the East Coast Main Trunk, with an extension to the Waipa State Mill. An extension to Taupo was also seen by NZR "as being very attractive". This proposal followed from the recommendations of a 1963 Commission of Inquiry report to investigate "Improved Access by Land to

2318-470: The rail corridor across the road south through to Pukuatua Street. The former rail corridor south of Pukuatua Street has since been relinquished and now been developed over in conjunction with a retail development on the neighbouring former Telecom depot site. On 13 January 2009, the Geyserland Express Trust announced that it had commissioned and received a report on the feasibility of reopening

2379-583: The raw material for pulp and paper manufacture . The town of Putāruru was surveyed in 1905 and on 18 December an area of 50,987 acres (206 km ), which had been acquired from the Thames Valley Land Co. by the Crown and included town allotments in Putāruru and Lichfield, was opened by ballot. The history of the local timber industry is preserved in the New Zealand Timber Museum . Much of

2440-462: The scheme fell through shortly after. Two named passenger services operated on the line. The Rotorua Express was initiated in 1894 and in 1930 became the Rotorua Limited - the most prestigious train in New Zealand at that time. The service later reverted to the Rotorua Express with more stops; and in 1959 was replaced by 88-seater Fiat railcars . This railcar service ceased in 1968. In 1991

2501-511: The service being cancelled altogether for six months, with the only passenger option a 12-hour-long journey by mixed train. When the Express returned in December 1919, it reverted to operating independently of the Thames Express . The A class locomotives were introduced to the Rotorua Express in 1925, and the superiority of these locomotives over prior ones as well as the raising of the speed limit to 80 km/h (50 mph) meant that

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2562-470: The service took just 6 hours 40 minutes to run to Auckland and 10 minutes longer in the opposite direction. From 5 May 1930, reduced stops ( Putāruru , Matamata , Morrinsville , Hamilton , Frankton Junction , Pukekohe , and Newmarket ) allowed the schedule to be cut to six hours and the train became known as the Rotorua Limited. As part of its upgrade in status from Express to Limited , it became

2623-477: The station site. Taumangi (or Taumanga) was a flag station 3.7 km (2.3 mi) north of Putāruru and 5.79 km (3.60 mi) south of Tīrau . It was just south of Taumangi Road. In 1923 Taumangi Road was diverted north, when a bridge replaced the former level crossing. Taumangi opened on the same day as Putāruru, 8 March 1886. By August 1886 there was a 14 ft (4.3 m) by 8 ft (2.4 m) shelter shed and two cottages and by 1896 there

2684-544: The town's water comes from the spring, which is on the Waihou River to the north east. Construction of the Rotorua Branch line was started by the New Zealand Thames Valley Land Company (NZTVLC). The line reached Oxford ( Tīrau ) on 8 March 1886 and Putāruru and Lichfield , 8.22 km (5.11 mi) further south-east, on Monday 21 June 1886. The New Zealand Railways Department (NZR) took over

2745-454: The town. The town gets its name from a historic event which occurred nearby. Korekore a granddaughter of Raukawa, the founder of the Ngāti Raukawa iwi, was murdered by her husband Parahore. Her servant Ruru witnessed her murder and escaped into the forest where he hid and waited for Parahore and his men to give up their pursuit of him. The place where he exited the forest was named "Te Puta

2806-554: The track has been lifted and no signs of its existence remain. Put%C4%81ruru Putāruru is a small town in the South Waikato District and the Waikato region of New Zealand's North Island . It lies on the western side of the Mamaku Ranges and in the upper basin of the Waihou River . It is on the Oraka Stream 65 kilometres south-east of Hamilton . State Highway 1 and the Kinleith Branch railway run through

2867-409: The trip had taken 8 hours and 40 minutes to reach Rotorua and travelled at an average speed of less than 30 km/h (19 mph). Later in December 1894, a regular express commenced but ran only once a week, departing Rotorua at 9am Monday for Auckland, and returning from Auckland at 9am Tuesday. These trains were typically hauled by members of the J and L classes. For the winter months of 1895,

2928-473: The twice-daily Geyserland Express railcar service being reduced in 1995 to a daily service with twice-daily services on Fridays and Sundays only, and in 1996 reduced to a daily service on all days. The nightly Bay Raider freight service was cancelled in 2000 and the Geyserland Express was cancelled in 2001. Since this time the line has fallen into disrepair, with slips, overgrown vegetation and sections of

2989-615: The unused corridor and track into a tourism venture. The trust has restored part of the line and did initially have discussions with the Rotorua District Council to assist with its plans to continue the national cycleway system in the District at the time of acquiring the line. The trust hopes that when the line is fully repaired, it will be possible for freight and passenger services to resume, with steam enthusiast operators from around New Zealand, able to bring their own excursion trains to Rotorua. The line remains closed to heavy rail traffic, while

3050-472: Was $ 23,600, compared with $ 31,800 nationally. 309 people (9.0%) earned over $ 70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 1,371 (40.0%) people were employed full-time, 450 (13.1%) were part-time, and 201 (5.9%) were unemployed. Putāruru Rural statistical area, which includes Arapuni , Waotu and Lichfield , covers 555.80 km (214.60 sq mi) and had an estimated population of 2,630 as of June 2024, with

3111-455: Was $ 38,300, compared with $ 31,800 nationally. 312 people (17.1%) earned over $ 70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 984 (54.0%) people were employed full-time, 333 (18.3%) were part-time, and 45 (2.5%) were unemployed. Putāruru's economy is based on farming , forestry and timber production. The nearby Blue Spring is the current source of about 70% of New Zealand's bottled water . Much of

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3172-468: Was 13.0, compared with 27.1% nationally. Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 48.5% had no religion, 36.2% were Christian , 3.6% had Māori religious beliefs , 0.7% were Hindu , 0.5% were Muslim , 0.6% were Buddhist and 1.5% had other religions. Of those at least 15 years old, 297 (8.7%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 1,041 (30.4%) people had no formal qualifications. The median income

3233-447: Was 13.5, compared with 27.1% nationally. Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 53.0% had no religion, 35.4% were Christian , 0.6% had Māori religious beliefs , 0.4% were Hindu , 0.3% were Buddhist and 1.3% had other religions. Of those at least 15 years old, 243 (13.3%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 378 (20.8%) people had no formal qualifications. The median income

3294-404: Was also a platform and cart approach. In 1925 it was noted that inwards traffic was of timber, shingle, gravel, coal, 13 loads of manure, a wagon of lime, hardware and small goods. The public siding closed on 8 September 1941, as it was in a poor condition, but the station remained open for passengers until 22 November 1948, and for parcels, and roadside traffic until 30 July 1951. There is now only

3355-518: Was begun in the district some time after 1910 by a land and timber company with an outlet to the Hamilton - Rotorua railway near Pinedale . Commercial tree planting with Pinus radiata took place between 1924 and 1928 on the Pinedale Block. Milling began in 1940–41 and by 1951 the area had been cut out and replanted. Larger areas further south were planted in 1924 for future milling and to provide

3416-464: Was closed and, along with the last 2 km of the line, removed and relocated to a new site at Koutu. The Geyserland Express railcar service initially terminated in the Koutu freight yard until a small temporary passenger station operated by the Second Chance Train Trust opened on the northern side of the Lake Road overbridge in 1995. The new passenger station at Koutu was intended as temporary measure until

3477-455: Was completed on 6 October 1952. Putāruru railway station was near the junction of Arapuni and Princes Streets, 0.61 km (0.38 mi) north of the junction of the Kinleith Branch with the former Rotorua Branch . In August 1886 the station had a 14 ft (4.3 m) by 8 ft (2.4 m) shelter shed, three cottages, a 30 ft (9.1 m) by 40 ft (12 m) goods shed and an incomplete station master's house. Putāruru

3538-674: Was provided by the A class , but a few months after the removal of the dining cars, manpower shortages caused by the War led to the Rotorua Express being combined with the Thames Express for the run between Auckland and Morrinsville , where they were split to run to their separate termini. This combined service required 7 hours and 40 minutes to reach Rotorua, in part due to the shunting required in Morrinsville. A severe coal shortage in June 1919 led to

3599-495: Was started, which later became known as the Moutohora Branch and the proposal to connect it with Auckland was later changed to be with the East Coast Main Trunk line via Tauranga, following a 1911 survey. Extension of the line to Taupō had been proposed several times over the years, primarily to take advantage of forestry traffic from the region. One such proposal got as far as the construction phase in 1928, however, due to

3660-491: Was still a flag station in 1890, when the daily train took about 3 hours to cover the 88.03 km (54.70 mi) between Putāruru and Frankton (Hamilton). About the time of the Rotorua Branch's completion, the station was rebuilt and extended to about 64 ft (20 m) long. It had a refreshment room and a bookstall and, from 1907, the railway yard had a 50 ft (15 m) turntable and handled much livestock, as well as timber. The refreshment room, run by

3721-405: Was the first to be catered by Railways Department staff rather than outside contractors and they lasted for fourteen years. Economic difficulties imposed by World War I meant that the dining cars were withdrawn in 1917 and never returned; instead, an extended stop was made at Frankton to allow passengers to purchase a meal. By 1917, the service ran to a schedule of seven hours and motive power

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