110-583: The South Island Limited was a passenger express train operated by the New Zealand Railways Department (NZR) between 1949 and 1970. It operated over the almost 590 kilometres (370 mi) route between Christchurch and Invercargill . It was replaced by the Southerner . Expresses between Christchurch and Dunedin began operating when the Main South Line opened. These services were
220-569: A 12-berth for men. The sleeping cars had gone by 1935, and by 1943 the only night trains were on Sundays. From 1949 to 30 September 1979 trains 189 and 190 ran an overnight weekend express Christchurch-Dunedin departing at a late 10.30/10.50 pm on Friday-Sunday to arrive 6.30/6.58 am on Saturday and Monday. Until 1971 the steam-hauled train consisted of a 56-foot second-class carriage, a sleeping carriage and two 50-foot first-class carriages. The diesel hauled 189/190 of 1971-79 consists of excluded sleeping carriages again and usually consisted of sets of only
330-434: A decline in passenger, freight and train miles run but also led to an increase in profitability. In the 1917 Annual Report, a record 5.3% return on investment was made. The war did take its toll on railway services, with dining cars being removed from passenger trains in 1917, replaced by less labour-intensive refreshment rooms at railway stations along the way. As a result, the "scramble for pie and tea at Taihape " became
440-527: A few short stops compared with the other mail and ferry express. Between 1949 and 1956 the South Island Limited had only 3 intermediate stops to Dunedin and 8 to Invercargill with stops at Ashburton , Timaru , Oamaru , Dunedin, Milton , Balclutha , Clinton and Gore on the way to Invercargill. In 1956 the South Island Limited lost much of its status and ceased to be a true ' Limited' in
550-597: A new railway station and head office in Wellington were approved, along with the electrification of the Johnsonville Line (then still part of the North Island Main Trunk). The Wellington railway station and Tawa flat deviation were both completed in 1937. As part of attempts by NZR to win back passengers from private motor vehicles, the same year the first 56-foot carriages were introduced. Garnet Mackley
660-457: A part of New Zealand folklore. Non-essential rail services were curtailed as more staff took part in the war effort, and railway workshops were converted for producing military equipment, on top of their existing maintenance and construction work. The war soon affected the supply of coal to the railways. Although hostilities ended in 1918, the coal shortage carried on into 1919 as first miners strikes and then an influenza epidemic cut supplies. As
770-406: A partitioned 56 ft first-class and two 56 ft second class carriages, guards van and seven container and mail wagons. Only the connecting part of 190 leaving Invercargill at 6:35 pm was ever well patronised by the sports team and weekend varsity students. In its last years, 1976-79 189/190 was second class only but did provide a connection for Dunedin students and Otago Peninsular residents on
880-567: A population of 362 to each mile of railway already made. In August 1881 the Railways Construction and Land Act was passed, allowing joint-stock companies to build and run private railways, as long as they were built to the government's standard rail gauge of 1,067 mm ( 3 ft 6 in ) and connected with the government railway lines. The Act had the effect of authorising the Wellington and Manawatu Railway Company to build
990-492: A report known as the "Fay Raven Report" which gave qualified approval to Coates' programme. The reports only significant change was the proposal of a Cook Strait train ferry service between Wellington and Picton, to link the two systems up. Coates went on to become Prime Minister in 1925, an office he held until 1928 when he was defeated at the general election of that year . While the Westfield and Tawa Flat deviations proceeded,
1100-782: A resource consent to install a $ 10 million experimental underwater tidal stream turbine capable of producing one megawatt. The turbine was designed in Britain, and was to be built in New Zealand and placed in 80 metres (260 ft) of water, 4.5 kilometres (2.8 mi) due south of Sinclair Head, in waters known as the "Karori rip". The company claimed there is enough tidal movement in Cook Strait to generate 12 GW of power, more than one-and-a-half times New Zealand's current requirements. In practice, only some of this energy could be harnessed. As of October 2016, this turbine had not been built and
1210-399: A result, non-essential services remained in effect until the end of 1919. Shortages of spare parts and materials led to severe inflation, and repairs on locomotives being deferred. Similar coal-saving timetable cuts occurred at the end of the next war in 1945 and 1946. In 1920 the 3,000-mile (4,800 km) milestone of open railway lines was reached and 15 million passengers were carried by
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#17328547439131320-616: A secondary place altogether, and probably will be torn up, and we shall have motor traffic taking their place .” Section 12 of that Act allowed for government borrowing and Section 19 required local councils to provide half the cost of road improvements. By setting in place a system of subsidy from ratepayers and taxpayers, whilst requiring railways to make a 3¾% profit (at that rate, interest amounted to over 22% of total earnings), Coates ensured his prophecy came true, as railways gradually became uneconomic. He also encouraged publicity for rail travel. The following year, Gordon Coates became
1430-469: A travel time between Christchurch and Dunedin of 7 hours and 10 minutes and completing the entire journey to Invercargill in 11 hours 20 minutes. From 1956, the consolidation of the daylight schedule into one express each way increased to 21 stops, but only 20 minutes were added to the overall running table, with departure from Christchurch at 8.40 am and arrival at Invercargill at 8.20 pm. By this time, officials generally conceded that much faster running than
1540-522: Is a group of tiny islands in Cook Strait off the east coast of Arapaoa Island. North Brother island in this small chain is a sanctuary for the rare Brothers Island tuatara , while the largest of the islands is the site of the Brothers Island Lighthouse. The shores of Cook Strait on both sides are mostly composed of steep cliffs. The beaches of Cloudy Bay, Clifford Bay , and Palliser Bay shoal gently down to 140 metres (460 ft), where there
1650-603: Is a more or less extensive submarine plateau. The rest of the bottom topography is complex. To the east is the Cook Strait Canyon with steep walls descending eastwards into the bathyal depths of the Hikurangi Trough . To the north-west lies the Narrows Basin, where water is 300 and 400 metres (980 and 1,310 ft) deep. Fisherman's Rock in the north end of the Narrows Basin rises to within a few metres of low tide, and
1760-588: Is considered one of the most dangerous and unpredictable waters in the world. Regular ferry services run across the strait between Picton in the Marlborough Sounds and Wellington . The strait is named after James Cook , the first European commander to sail through it, in 1770. In Māori it is named Te Moana-o-Raukawa , which means The Sea of Raukawa . Raukaua is a type of woody shrub native to New Zealand. The waters of Cook Strait are dominated by strong tidal flows . The tidal flow through Cook Strait
1870-610: Is marked by waves breaking in rough weather. A relatively shallow submarine valley lies across the northern end of the Marlborough Sounds. The bottom topography is particularly irregular around the coast of the South Island where the presence of islands, underwater rocks, and the entrances to the sounds, create violent eddies. The strait has an average depth of 128 metres (420 ft). The waters of Cook Strait are dominated by strong tidal flows . The tidal flow through Cook Strait
1980-402: Is more difficult to model. Probably the most prolific oceanographer to research the strait was Ron Heath based at the N.Z. Oceanographic Institute . He produced a number of studies including analysis of tides which identified the presence of a "virtual amphidrome" in the region. Heath also quantified a best estimate for the time of the "residual current" (i.e. net current after averaging out
2090-535: Is not a common visitor to the New Zealand's waters. Large migratory whales attracted many whalers to the area in the winter. Currently, an annual survey of counting humpback whales is taken by Department of Conservation and former whalers help DOC to spot animals by using several vantage points along the strait such as on Stephens Island . Other occasional visitors include southern right whales , blue whales , sei whales and sperm whales . Giant squid specimens have been washed ashore around Cook Strait or found in
2200-576: Is unusual in that the tidal elevation at the ends of the strait are almost exactly out of phase with one another, so high water on one side meets low water on the other. Approximately 18,000 years ago during the Last Glacial Maximum when sea levels were over 100 metres (330 feet) lower than present day levels, Cook Strait was a deep harbour of the Pacific Ocean, disconnected from the Tasman Sea by
2310-448: Is unusual in that the tidal elevation at the ends of the strait are almost exactly out of phase with one another, so high water on one side meets low water on the other. This is because the main M2 lunar tide component that happens about twice per day (actually 12.42 hours) circulates anti-clockwise around New Zealand, and is out of phase at each end of the strait (see animation on the right). On
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#17328547439132420-609: The DJ class diesel locomotives had led to the dieselisation of almost all of the South Island 's services. The South Island Limited continued to operate with steam motive power, repeating the pattern in the North Island (where the K and Js hauled the express and relief expresses until 1965, nine to ten years after steam had been replaced on NIMT freight and the Wairarapa line by 1955–56). In
2530-491: The English Electric built DE class , were introduced in 1951. The locomotives gave good service but were not powerful or numerous enough to seriously displace steam traction. In 1954, the New Zealand railway network reached its zenith in terms of distance with 5,600 km (3,500 mi), 60% of it on gradients between 1 in 100 and 1 in 200 and 33% steeper than 1 in 100. The EW class electric locomotives introduced for
2640-414: The K class . The K locomotives could achieve speeds of up to 90 km/h (56 mph) and they helped to speed up the schedule, with the T class handling the train on the hilly section between Oamaru and Dunedin. Upon their introduction in 1885, the N class took on the express duties, followed by the U and U classes. The Q and A class cut the journey's time to eight hours in the early years of
2750-634: The Leyland experimental petrol railcar and a fleet of Model T Ford railbuses , the Sentinel-Cammell steam railcar and from 1926 the Clayton steam railcar and successful Edison battery-electric railcar . 10 years later in 1936 the Leyland diesel railbus was introduced, but the first truly successful railcar class to enter service began operating that year, the Wairarapa railcar specially designed to operate over
2860-621: The Liberal Government of Premier Richard Seddon appointed Alfred Cadman as the first Minister of Railways . The Minister appointed a General Manager for the railways, keeping the operation under tight political control. Apart from four periods of government-appointed commissions (1889–1894, 1924–1928, 1931–1936 and 1953–1957), this system remained in place until the department was corporatised in 1982. In 1895, patronage had reached 3.9M passengers per annum and 2.048M tonnes. NZR produced its first New Zealand-built steam locomotive in 1889;
2970-503: The Long Depression , which led to great financial constraint on the department. As a result, the central government passed legislation to allow for the construction of more private railways. A Commission, ordered by Hall, had in 1880 reviewed 85 proposed and partly-constructed railway lines in the colony, and it proposed postponing 21 projects and recommended against proceeding with 29 others. The Commissioners were especially critical of
3080-622: The Lyttelton Line in Christchurch, completed in 1929, at the same voltage and current. This again saw English Electric supply locomotives, the EC class . Gordon Coates , on 24 October 1922, as Minister of Public Works, in introducing his Main Highways Act , said, “ I say the day will come when it will be found that through the use of motor transport certain railways in New Zealand will be relegated to
3190-622: The Maria in 1851, the City of Dunedin in 1865, the St Vincent in 1869, the Lastingham in 1884, SS Penguin in 1909 and TEV Wahine in 1968. The strait runs in a general NW-SE direction, with the South Island on the west side and North Island on the east. At its narrowest point, 22 kilometres (14 mi) separate Cape Terawhiti in the North Island from Perano Head on Arapaoa Island in
3300-598: The Mākara coast, and at entrances to the Marlborough Sounds. The remains of most of these fortifications can still be seen. The Pencarrow Head Lighthouse was the first permanent lighthouse built in New Zealand. Its first keeper, Mary Jane Bennett, was the only female lighthouse keeper in New Zealand's history. The light was decommissioned in 1935 when it was replaced by the Baring Head Lighthouse . A number of ships have been wrecked with significant loss of life, such as
3410-702: The Rimutaka Incline . This class followed the building of the Red Terror (an inspection car on a Leyland Cub chassis) for the General Manager in 1933. More classes followed over the years, primarily to operate regional services. Following the success of the Wairarapa railcar class, in 1938 the Standard class railcars were introduced. A further improvement to passenger transport came in July that year, with electric services on
South Island Limited - Misplaced Pages Continue
3520-457: The South Island , mainly consisting of the 630 km (390 mi) Main South Line from the port of Lyttelton to Bluff. The Railways Department was formed in 1880 during the premiership of Sir John Hall . That year, the private Port Chalmers Railway Company Limited was acquired by the department and new workshops at Addington opened. Ironically, the first few years of NZR were marked by
3630-546: The South Island Limited being supplemented on the peak demand days of Mon, Wed, Fri by a second stopping express, trains 160/175, which also provided an early morning departure from Dunedin, at 08.45 in the 1935 and 1952 timetables on the Dunedin express to Christchurch and southbound following the Limited out of Christchurch at midday in the 1920s and 1930s, and postwar at 9.00 am south, to arrive at Dunedin at 17.25, two hours later than
3740-407: The South Island Limited was as a long-distance service to connect with the inter-island Union Steamship Company Steamer Express ferry at Lyttelton and to carry mail, with up to six ZP class wagons for maximum revenue. By 1970, steam locomotives had been almost entirely withdrawn from New Zealand. The North Island had been completely dieselised by the end of 1967, and the 1968 introduction of
3850-450: The South Island Limited . Trains 160 and 175 continued to run as a relief holiday express until 1966 and these services were reincarnated as pure mail and express freight trains from 1970 to 1985 on essentially the same 1949 timetable, leaving Christchurch (Middleton) and Dunedin at 09.00 for arrival at 17.00, but stopping only at Timaru and Oamaru for half an hour for shunting. Cut off for the first-night express freight would be 6.30 pm and
3960-513: The Straits of Gibraltar and Seymour Narrows in British Columbia . The electrical power generated by tidal marine turbines varies as the cube of the tidal speed. Because the tidal speed doubles, eight times more tidal power is produced during spring tides than at neaps. Cook Strait has been identified as a potentially excellent source of tidal energy. In April 2008, Neptune Power was granted
4070-635: The W class built in the Addington Railway Workshops . Along with opening new lines, NZR began acquiring a number of the private railways which had built railway lines around the country. It acquired the Waimea Plains Railway Company in 1886. At the same time, a protracted legal battle began with the New Zealand Midland Railway Company , which was only resolved in 1898. The partially completed Midland line
4180-1212: The Waiau Branch and Waiau Ferry in Canterbury . By the 1920s NZR was noticing a considerable downturn in rail passenger traffic on many lines due to increasing ownership of private cars, and from 1923 it began to co-ordinate rail passenger services with private bus services. The New Zealand Railways Road Services branch was formed to operate bus services. In 1911 tenders for bookstalls were being advertised for 33 main stations - Auckland , Frankton Junction , Rotorua . Paeroa , Taumarunui , Ohakune , Taihape , Marton , Feilding , Palmerston North , Levin , Wellington Thorndon and Lambton , Masterton , Woodville , Dannevirke . Waipukurau . Hastings , Napier , New Plymouth , Stratford , Hāwera , Aramoho , Whanganui , Nelson , Christchurch , Ashburton , Timaru , Oamaru , Dunedin , Milton , Gore , and Invercargill . By 1912, patronage had reached 13.4M passengers per annum (a 242% increase since 1895) and 5.9M tonnes of freight (a 188% increase since 1895). In 1913, damages of £15 were awarded against New Zealand Railways to S. J. Gibbons by
4290-740: The Wairarapa and Wellington. This led to the closure of the Rimutaka Incline and its unique Fell railway system. Because steam locomotives could not be operated through the new tunnel, the Wairarapa Line was the first to be fully "dieselised". Amid many protests, the isolated Nelson Section was closed, although future Nelson Railway Proposals resurfaced from 1957. The RM class "88 seater" or "Fiats" also began entering service from 1955. The railcars were designed to take over provincial inter-city routes but proved to be mechanically unreliable. Despite large orders for diesel-electric locomotives, NZR
4400-535: The Wellington - Auckland express was derailed due to a bridge collapse north of Tangiwai due to a lahar from a volcanic eruption, in what became known as the Tangiwai disaster . The following year NZR introduced the dual-cab D class in 1954, the first main-line diesel-electric locomotives in service. They proved to be unsuccessful in service and the original order of 31 was cancelled, and D class locomotives, also built by English Electric , ordered instead. While
4510-661: The Wellington-Manawatu Line . In 1877 the first American locomotives were purchased; the NZR K class (1877) from Rogers , followed by the NZR T class of 1879 from Baldwin . The most important construction project for NZR at this time was the central section of the North Island Main Trunk . Starting from Te Awamutu on 15 April 1885, the section—including the famous Raurimu Spiral —was not completed for another 23 years. The economy gradually improved and in 1895
South Island Limited - Misplaced Pages Continue
4620-518: The 100 km/h (62 mph) authorised was often required to meet the tight timetable, on a single-track railway over the Canterbury and Southland plains. The northbound South Island Limited , train 144 to connect with the Inter-Island Ferry, left Invercargill at 7.40 am to arrive at Christchurch at 7.20 pm for a 17-minute break, before 144 moved on to Lyttelton with adequate time to connect with
4730-575: The 1900s. In 1904, it became possible to operate an express from Christchurch to Invercargill in a single day. The Dunedin-Invercargill run was treated as an extension of the Christchurch-Dunedin express, and the train was sometimes called the Invercargill Express . In March 1914, it was possible to travel from Christchurch to Invercargill in thirteen hours. A class locomotives capable of speeds of 107 km/h (66 mph) took over from
4840-580: The A and Q locomotives from 1915, but in the 1930s and during wartime, maximum speed on the South Island Main Trunk (SIMT) was limited to 80 km/h (50 mph) due to track and running conditions. The restrictions were removed by the late 1940s when the express, at its zenith, reached sustained higher speeds on the Canterbury Plains and became the South Island Limited . An extra evening SIMT passenger service for businessmen, to compete with
4950-514: The D class proved more successful than the D class, steam remained the dominant form of traction. This led to the introduction of the D class in 1955, the largest fleet of diesel-electric locomotives NZR ever introduced. The D class, more than any other class, displaced steam locomotives from the North Island . On 3 November of the same year the 8.798 kilometres (5.467 mi) long Rimutaka Tunnel opened, greatly reducing transit times between
5060-755: The Government Railways Board. Another Act of Parliament, the Government Railways Amendment Act 1931 was passed. The Railways Board was independent of the Government of the day and answered to the Minister of Finance . During this period the Prime Minister George Forbes was also Minister of Railways, and Minister of Finance was former Minister of Railways Gordon Coates . The Railways Board was chaired by Herbert Harry Sterling,
5170-455: The HVDC link. Cook Strait is an important habitat for many cetacean species. Several dolphins ( bottlenose , common , dusky ) frequent the area along with killer whales and the endemic Hector's dolphins . Long-finned pilot whales often strand en masse at Golden Bay . The famous Pelorus Jack was a Risso's dolphin being observed escorting the ships between 1888 and 1912, though this species
5280-622: The Johnsonville Line starting with the introduction of the DM/D English Electric Multiple Units . Three new locomotive classes appeared in 1939: the K class , K class and the J class . The K was a further development of the K class, while the J class was primarily for lighter trackage in the South Island. The numerically smaller K class were allocated to the Midland line , where they dominated traffic. This led to
5390-516: The Marlborough Sounds and Wellington , operated by KiwiRail (the Interislander ) and StraitNZ (Bluebridge). Both companies run services several times a day. Roughly half the crossing is in the strait, and the remainder within the Sounds. The journey covers 70 kilometres (43 mi) and takes about three hours. The strait often experiences rough water and heavy swells from strong winds, especially from
5500-527: The Marlborough Sounds. Perano Head is actually further north than Cape Terawhiti. In good weather one can see clearly across the strait. The west (South Island) coast runs 30 kilometres (19 mi) along Cloudy Bay and past the islands and entrances to the Marlborough Sounds. The east (North Island) coast runs 40 kilometres (25 mi) along Palliser Bay , crosses the entrance to Wellington Harbour , past some Wellington suburbs and continues another 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) to Mākara Beach . The Brothers
5610-627: The Milson deviation and Rimutaka Tunnel projects remained stalled. The onset of the Great Depression from late 1929 saw these projects scaled back or abandoned. The Westfield deviation was completed in 1930 and the Tawa deviation proceeded at a snail's pace. A number of new lines under construction were casualties, including the Rotorua-Taupo line, approved in July 1928 but abandoned almost a year later due to
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#17328547439135720-576: The Minister of Railways. Coates was an ambitious politician who had an almost "religious zeal" for his portfolio. During the summer of 1923, he spent the entire parliamentary recess inspecting the department's operations. The following year, he put forward a "Programme of Improvements and New Works'". Coates scheme proposed spending £8 million over 8 years. This was later expanded to £10 million over 10 years. The programme included: An independent commission, led by Sir Sam Fay and Sir Vincent Raven produced
5830-459: The Neptune Power website is a placeholder with no further announcements. On the other side of the strait, Energy Pacifica applied for resource consent to install up to 10 marine turbines, each able to produce up to 1.2 MW, near the Cook Strait entrance to Tory Channel . The company claimed that Tory Channel was an optimal site with a tidal current speed of 3.6 metres per second (12 ft/s) and
5940-654: The North Island and Blenheim in the South Island, as part of the " Rail Air " service. In 1950, Straits Air Freight Express (later known as SAFE Air) took over the contract from the RNZAF. The service was discontinued in the early 1980s. The General Manager of NZR, Frank Aickin , was an advocate for electrifying the entire North Island Main Trunk to alleviate the shortage of coal and the cost of importing diesel fuel; though he also recognised that steam and diesel traction would be required on other lines. NZR's first diesel-electric locomotives,
6050-409: The Pacific Ocean side the high tide occurs five hours before it occurs at the Tasman Sea side. On one side is high tide and on the other is low tide. The difference in sea level can drive tidal currents up to 2.5 metres per second (5 knots) across Cook Strait. There are numerous computer models of the tidal flow through Cook Strait. While the tidal components are readily realizable, the residual flow
6160-508: The South Island as part of the HVDC Inter-Island , which provides an electricity link between Benmore in the South island and Haywards in the North Island. Each cable operates at 350 kV, and can carry up to 500 MW, with Pole 2 of the link using one cable and Pole 3 using two cables. The link's total capacity is 1200 MW (500MW for Pole 2 and 700MW for Pole 3). The cables are laid on
6270-457: The South Island telegraph system to Wellington. Between 1888 and 1912 a Risso's dolphin named Pelorus Jack became famous for meeting and escorting ships around Cook Strait. Pelorus Jack was usually spotted in Admiralty Bay between Cape Francis and Collinet Point, near French Pass , a channel used by ships travelling between Wellington and Nelson. Pelorus Jack is also remembered after he
6380-511: The Starliner private buses Christchurch- Dunedin route, started in March 1953 with a first-class, steam-heated NZR 56-foot carriages attached to overnight express freights 138 and 151 Monday to Thursday, departing Christchurch at 8.25 pm and stopping for passengers only at Timaru, Oamaru (1.26 am) and Dunedin at 4.58 am, where the carriage remained stopped and heated at the platform until 7 am. Northbound
6490-622: The Supreme Court in a precedent-setting case; for damages to a car that hit a train at a level crossing: see Cliff Road railway station . The outbreak of World War I in 1914 had a significant impact on the Railways Department. That year the A class appeared, and the following year the first A class locomotives were introduced. This class went on to become the most numerous locomotive class in New Zealand history, with several examples surviving into preservation. The war itself led to
6600-436: The Wellington electric system. They were the second class of electric locomotive to be used on this section of electrification. They were the most powerful locomotives on the system till the D class arrived in 1972. Aicken went as far as negotiating a tentative contract for the construction of electrification and locomotives for it, but fell out with the Government in late 1951 and resigned. His successor, H.C. Lusty, terminated
6710-400: The best combination of bathymetry and accessibility to the electricity network. However, despite being validated by computer modelling, no project was forthcoming. Electric power and communication cables link the North and South Islands across Cook Strait, operated by Transpower . Three submarine power cables cross Cook Strait between Oteranga Bay in the North Island and Fighting Bay in
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#17328547439136820-419: The coining of the phrase "KB country" to describe the area, made famous by the National Film Unit 's documentary of the same title. As with the first world war, the Second World War had a significant impact on railways. The war created major labour shortages across the economy generally, and while considered "essential industry", railways were no exception. A large number of NZR employees signed up to fight in
6930-501: The colony's existing railways' inability to generate sufficient income to pay the interest on the loans that had funded their construction: The extent to which this fatal mistake has been made may be in some degree realized by a comparison of the relations between railways and population in this and other countries. In Great Britain the amount of population to each mile of railway is 1,961; in the United States, 580; in New South Wales, 1,108; in Victoria, 924; while in New Zealand we have only
7040-399: The completion of the Midland Line in the South Island . The tunnel included the first section of railway electrification in New Zealand and its first electric locomotives, the original E class . The section was electrified at 1,500 V DC, due to the steep grade in the tunnel, and included its own hydro-electric power station. The second section to be electrified by the department was
7150-412: The contract and entered into an agreement with General Motors for the supply of 40 EMD G12 model locomotives, designated by NZR as the D class . The first of these locomotives entered service in September 1955, with all of this initial order running by September 1957. On Christmas Eve 1953, the worst disaster in NZR's history, and one of the worst in New Zealand's history occurred. 151 people died when
7260-416: The department. An acute housing shortage following the war led to the creation of Railways Department's Housing Scheme in 1922. The first of the now-iconic railway houses were prefabricated in a factory in Frankton for NZR staff. This scheme was shut down in 1929 as it was considered improper for a government department to compete with private builders. The Otira Tunnel was completed in 1923, heralding
7370-417: The depression. An exception was the Stratford–Okahukura Line , finished in 1933. However, there was criticism that maintenance was being neglected. In the Liberals last year of office in 1912, 140 miles (230 km) of line had been relaid, but that was reduced to 118 in 1913, 104 in 1914, 81 in 1924 and 68 in 1925, during the Reform Government 's years. Once again, growing traffic requirements led to
7480-424: The entrance to Wellington Harbour and capsized. Of the 610 passengers and 123 crew on board, 53 died. In 2006, 14-metre (46 ft) waves resulted in the Interislander ferry DEV Aratere slewing violently and heeling to 50 degrees. Three passengers and a crew member were injured, five rail wagons were toppled and many trucks and cars were heavily damaged. Maritime NZ's expert witness Gordon Wood claimed that if
7590-456: The ferry and rolled off at the other side. This led to many benefits for NZR customers. Cook Strait Cook Strait ( Māori : Te Moana-o-Raukawa , lit. 'The Sea of Raukawa ') is a strait that separates the North and South Islands of New Zealand. The strait connects the Tasman Sea on the northwest with the South Pacific Ocean on the southeast. It is 22 kilometres (14 mi) wide at its narrowest point, and
7700-434: The ferry had capsized most passengers and crew would have been trapped inside and would have had no warning or time to put on lifejackets. Air lines which operate or have operated flights across Cook Strait include Straits Air Freight Express , Air2there , CityJet and Sounds Air . According to oral tradition , the first woman to swim Cook Strait was Hine Poupou. She swam from Kapiti Island to d'Urville Island with
7810-428: The following year Parliament passed the Transport Licensing Act 1931 . The Act regulated the carriage of goods and entrenched the monopoly the department had on land transport. It set a minimum distance road transport operators could transport goods at 30 miles (48 km) before they had to be licensed. The Act was repealed in 1982. Alongside these changes, in 1931 the Railways Department was briefly restructured into
7920-532: The former General Manager, and had 10 members from around the country. The Board stopped building on the Dargaville branch , Gisborne line, Main South Line, Nelson Section, Okaihau to Rangiahua line and Westport-Inangahua line . For that it was criticised by Bob Semple , the new Minister of Public Works, in a speech in 1935 and abolished by the First Labour Government in 1936. In 1933 plans for
8030-413: The help of a dolphin. Other Māori accounts tell of at least one swimmer who crossed the strait in 1831. In modern times, the strait was swum by Barrie Devenport in 1962. Lynne Cox was the first woman to swim it, in 1975. The most prolific swimmer of the strait is Philip Rush , who has crossed eight times, including two double crossings. Aditya Raut was the youngest swimmer at 11 years. Caitlin O'Reilly
8140-465: The inter-island ferry leaving Lyttelton at 20.30, required the performance of the J class hauled expresses if 20 minutes or later out of Timaru with the 100 miles to Christchurch and 6-7 scheduled stops with recovery speeds, sometimes exceeding 120 km/h (75 mph). In the immediate post-war years and until 1956, the general aim of two daylight expresses daily in both directions on the SIMT continued with
8250-466: The introduction of a new type of locomotive, the ill-fated G class Garratt locomotives in 1928. Three of the locomotives were introduced for operation on the North Island Main Trunk. They were not well suited to New Zealand conditions: they had overly complex valve gear , were too hot for crews manning them and too powerful for the wagons they were hauling. The failure of this class lead to
8360-463: The introduction of the K class in 1932. Tough economic conditions and increasing competition from road transport led to calls for regulation of the land transport sector. In 1931 it was claimed half a million tons of freight had been lost to road transport. That year, the department carried 7.2 million passengers per year, down from 14.2 million in 1923. In 1930 a Royal Commission on Railways recommended that land transport should be "co-ordinated" and
8470-465: The last years of the South Island Limited , intermediate stops were increased to 21 but overall journey time was reduced to 11 hours and 40 minutes. The decision was finally taken to withdraw railcars and end the use of steam locomotives in 1967, with the order for the final nine DJ diesel-electric locomotives to replace the Js on SIMT expresses and express freights, on 26 November 1967. The South Island Limited
8580-563: The late 1820s until the mid-1960s Arapaoa Island was a base for whaling in the Sounds. Perano Head on the east coast of the island was the principal whaling station for the area. The houses built by the Perano family are now operated as tourist accommodation. During the 1820s Te Rauparaha led a Māori migration to, and the conquest and settlement of, the Cook Strait region. From 1840 more permanent settlements sprang up, first at Wellington, then at Nelson and at Whanganui (Petre). At this period
8690-631: The most powerful locomotive at the time. Gold rushes led to the construction of the Thames Branch , opening in 1898. In 1906 the Dunedin railway station was completed, architect George Troup . A. L. Beattie became Chief Mechanical Officer in April 1900. Beattie designed the famous A class , the Q class (the first "Pacific" type locomotive in the world), and many other locomotive classes. NZR's first bus operation began on 1 October 1907, between Culverden on
8800-684: The new Cook Strait ferry express, providing a low-cost, but poorly patronised interisland connection, with patronage given at 10-93 (average 50) in July 1979. In 1939, the second J class was introduced, followed by the J class in 1946. These locomotives allowed the service schedule to be accelerated, and on 1 August 1949, the South Island Limited was introduced. It operated three days a week, supplemented on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday by limited stop mail express train 175 which left Christchurch at 9.00 am and reached Dunedin at 17.25 and northbound train 160 leaving Dunedin at 08.45 am; Timaru at 14.00 to arrive at Hornby at 16.59 and Christchurch 17.13. There
8910-417: The precursor to the South Island Limited and were the flagship of New Zealand's railways in the nineteenth century. Accordingly, they had the most modern motive power and rolling stock available. They were initially hauled by members of the first J class and limited to a speed of 60 km/h (37 mph), resulting in a journey time of eleven hours, but the timetable was accelerated with the introduction of
9020-564: The public eye with many additional stops and a slower timetable. In its very early days, it was occasionally operated by A class engines, but the more powerful J and J locomotives quickly became the usual motive power, and they were famous for hauling long strings of the familiar red cars at higher average speeds of 60 km/h (37 mph) stop to start on the Christchurch-Oamaru section. Leaving Christchurch on 143 at 8.35 am to reach Dunedin at 3.45 pm and Invercargill at 7.55 pm achieving
9130-485: The railway system . The Department was created in 1880 and was corporatised on 1 April 1982 into the New Zealand Railways Corporation . Originally, railway construction and operation took place under the auspices of the former provincial governments and some private railways, before all of the provincial operations came under the central Public Works Department . The role of operating the rail network
9240-479: The return leg at 1.25 pm. The railcar service offered a more convenient and comfortable, second-class timetable than the South Island Limited with its early departures and late arrivals in Southland. A night express service, including two sleeping carriages , ran from 1928. The four sleepers for the service were rebuilt at Addington Railway Workshops from ordinary cars, each with an 8-berth compartment for ladies, and
9350-424: The reverse surge enfeebled. In especially boisterous weather conditions the reverse surge can be negated, and the flow can remain in the same direction through three surge periods and longer. This is indicated on marine charts for the region. Furthermore, the submarine ridges running off from the coast complicate the ocean flow and turbulence. The substantial levels of turbulence have been compared to that observed in
9460-512: The seabed within a legally defined zone called the cable protection zone (CPZ). The CPZ is about 7 kilometres (4 mi) wide for most of its length, narrowing where it nears the terminals on each shore. Fishing activities and anchoring boats are prohibited within the CPZ. Fibre optic cables carry telecommunications across Cook Strait, used by New Zealand's main telecommunication companies for domestic and commercial traffic and by Transpower for control of
9570-471: The service left Dunedin at 9.40 pm to arrive at Christchurch at 6.30 pm. 88 seater railcars replaced this service in September 1956 with a 6 hr schedule 5.30 pm to 11.30 pm in both directions, daily until 28 April 1976. The railcars were well patronised at weekends and between Dunedin and Oamaru. The 88-seater railcars also introduced a second daylight service from Dunedin to Invercargill leaving Invercargill on
9680-420: The settlers saw Cook Strait in a broader sense than today's ferry-oriented New Zealanders: for them the strait stretched from Taranaki to Cape Campbell , so these early towns all clustered around "Cook Strait" (or "Cook's Strait", in the pre-Geographic Board usage of the times) as the central feature and central waterway of the new colony. In 1866, the first telegraph cable was laid in Cook Strait, connecting
9790-506: The south. New Zealand's position directly athwart the roaring forties means that the strait funnels westerly winds and deflects them into northerlies. As a result, ferry sailings are often disrupted and Cook Strait is regarded as one of the most dangerous and unpredictable waters in the world. In 1968, the TEV ; Wahine , a Wellington– Lyttelton ferry of the Union Company , foundered at
9900-420: The stomachs of sperm whales off Kaikōura . A colony of male fur seals has long been established near Pariwhero / Red Rocks on the south Wellington coast. Cook Strait offers good game fishing . Albacore tuna can be caught from January to May. Broadbill swordfish , bluenose , mako sharks and the occasional marlin and white shark can also be caught. Regular ferry services run between Picton in
10010-638: The then ECMT, the Taneatua Branch , was also completed. Centralised Traffic Control (CTC) was installed from Taumaranui to Auckland at the same time. In 1946 the last class of steam locomotives built by NZR was introduced, the J class . Due to coal shortages the K , J , K , J classes of steam locomotives were converted from coal to oil burning. Following the war, NZR contracted the Royal New Zealand Air Force from 1947 to ship inter-island freight across Cook's Strait between Paraparaumu in
10120-428: The tidal influence) in the strait. This continues to be a topic of research with computer simulations combining with large datasets to refine the estimate. Despite the strong currents, there is almost zero tidal height change in the centre of the strait. Instead of the tidal surge flowing in one direction for six hours and then in the reverse direction for six hours, a particular surge might last eight or ten hours with
10230-448: The train would not leave Moorehouse station until 7:00 pm. The original consist of the South Island Limited was three first and four second-class carriages providing 330 seats overall with a capacity of over 500 in the school holidays. By the late 1960s, the holiday-peak traffic had eroded and the usual consist for most of the year were two first and two second-class smoker and non-smoker carriages providing 176 seats. The main traffic for
10340-515: The various provincial railways. Since the Public Works Department was charged with constructing new railway lines (among other public works) the day to day railway operations were transferred into a new government department on the recommendation of a parliamentary select committee. At the time 1,828 kilometres (1,136 miles) of railway lines were open for traffic, 546 km (339 mi) in the North Island and 1,283 km (797 mi) in
10450-704: The vast coastal plains which formed at the South Taranaki Bight which connected the North and South islands. Sea levels began to rise 7,000 years ago, eventually separating the islands and linking Cook Strait to the Tasman Sea. In Māori legend , Cook Strait was discovered by Kupe the navigator. Kupe followed in his canoe a monstrous octopus called Te Wheke-a-Muturangi across Cook Strait and destroyed it in Tory Channel or at Pātea . When Dutch explorer Abel Tasman first saw New Zealand in 1642, he thought Cook Strait
10560-657: The war. For the first time, the Department employed significant numbers of women to meet the shortages. The war created serious coal shortages as imported coal was no longer available. Despite this, NZR had record revenues in 1940. Despite the war and associated labour and material shortages, new railway construction continued. In 1942 the Gisborne Line was finally opened, followed by the Main North Line between Picton and Christchurch being completed in 1945. The final section of
10670-520: Was a bight closed to the east. He named it Zeehaen's Bight , after the Zeehaen , one of the two ships in his expedition. In 1769 James Cook established that it was a strait , which formed a navigable waterway. Cook Strait attracted European settlers in the early 19th century. Because of its use as a whale migration route, whalers established bases in the Marlborough Sounds and in the Kāpiti area. From
10780-702: Was appointed General Manager in 1933, and worked hard to improve the standard and range of services provided by the Department. This included a number of steps to make passenger trains faster, more efficient and cheaper to run. In the early 20th century, NZR had begun investigating railcar technology to provide passenger services on regional routes and rural branch lines where carriage trains were not economic and "mixed" trains (passenger carriages attached to freight trains) were undesirably slow. However, due to New Zealand's rugged terrain overseas technology could not simply be directly introduced. A number of experimental railcars and railbuses were developed. From 1925 these included
10890-579: Was exempted from the Transport Licensing Act, effectively opening the sector up to competition. The introduction of GMV Aramoana in 1962 heralded the start of inter-island ferry services run by NZR. The service was very successful, leading to criticism, when the Wellington–Lyttelton overnight ferry was withdrawn, that NZR was competing unfairly with private operators. Before the Aramoana
11000-432: Was introduced, NZR could not compete for inter-island freight business, and the rail networks of both the North and South Islands were not well integrated. To send goods between the islands, freight had to be unloaded from wagons onto a ship on one island, unloaded at the other and then loaded back into wagons to resume its journey by rail. The introduction of a roll-on roll-off train ferry changed that. Wagons were rolled onto
11110-401: Was not handed over to NZR until 1900. By that time, 3,200 km (2,000 mi) of railway lines were open for traffic. The acquisition in 1908 of the Wellington and Manawatu Railway Company and its railway line marked the completion of the North Island Main Trunk from Wellington to Auckland. A new locomotive class, the X class , was introduced in 1909 for traffic on the line. The X class was
11220-418: Was only one daily Ferry Express between Christchurch and Invercargill, train 145, south on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday and train 174 north and on the Christchurch to Dunedin section, the timetable was very similar to the later 1956-1970 South Island Limited in both directions. Sunday day express operated only Invercargill to Dunedin return. The pre-1956 South Island Limited was a true prestige service with only
11330-471: Was opened to service a new pulp and paper mill at its terminus. NZR's first single-purpose log trains, called "express loggers", began to operate on this branch. The Kinleith Branch was shortly followed in 1957 by the 57 kilometres (35 mi) long Murupara Branch , which was opened running through the Bay of Plenty 's Kaingaroa Forest . The branch is the last major branch line to open in New Zealand to date. The line
11440-548: Was primarily built to service the Tasman Pulp and Paper Mill in Kawerau , with several loading points along its length. The line's success led to several Taupo Railway Proposals being put forward, with extensions of the branch being mooted at various times. In 1960 the second Christchurch railway station , at Moorhouse Avenue, was opened. The station was closed in 1990, with a new station being built at Addington. In 1961, livestock
11550-502: Was replaced by the diesel-hauled Southerner on 1 December 1970. This was not the end of the steam expresses; J locomotives continued to work Friday and Sunday evening expresses on the same route for almost a year. New Zealand Railways Department The New Zealand Railways Department , NZR or NZGR (New Zealand Government Railways) and often known as the "Railways", was a government department charged with owning and maintaining New Zealand's railway infrastructure and operating
11660-552: Was still building steam locomotives until 1956, when the last steam locomotive built by NZR, J 1274, was completed at Hillside Workshops , Dunedin . The locomotive is now preserved in Dunedin near the railway station. During the 1950s New Zealand industry was diversifying, particularly into the timber industry. On 6 October 1952 the Kinleith Branch , formerly part of the Taupo Totara Timber Company Railway ,
11770-462: Was subsequently separated from that of the network's construction. From 1895 to 1993 there was a responsible Minister, the Minister of Railways . He was often also the Minister of Public Works. Apart from four brief experiments with independent boards, NZR remained under direct ministerial control for most of its history. Originally, New Zealand's railways were constructed by provincial governments and private firms. The largest provincial operation
11880-545: Was the Canterbury Provincial Railways , which opened the first public railway at Ferrymead on 1 December 1863. During The Vogel Era of the late 1860s to the 1870s, railway construction by central government expanded greatly, from just 80 kilometres (50 miles) in 1869 to 1,900 kilometres (1,200 miles) in 1880. Following the abolition of the provinces in 1877, the Public Works Department took over
11990-581: Was the subject of a failed assassination attempt. He was later protected by a 1904 New Zealand law. At times when New Zealand feared invasion, various coastal fortifications were constructed to defend Cook Strait. During the Second World War, two 23 cm (9.1 in) gun installations were constructed on Wrights Hill behind Wellington. These guns could range 28 kilometres (17 mi) across Cook Strait. In addition thirteen 15 cm (6 in) gun installations were constructed around Wellington, along
12100-453: Was the youngest female swimmer and youngest New Zealander at 12 years. Pam Dickson was the oldest swimmer at 55 years. John Coutts was the first person to swim the strait in both directions. By 2010, 74 single crossings had been made by 65 individuals, and three double crossings had been made by two individuals (Philip Rush and Meda McKenzie ). In March 2016, Marilyn Korzekwa became the first Canadian and oldest woman, at 58 years old, to swim
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