Waitara Railway Preservation Society

The Waitara Railway Preservation Society is a society established in 1999 to operate a heritage railway over the former Waitara Industrial Line railway that operated between Lepperton and Waitara in the New Plymouth District of New Zealand's North Island. The line had been closed that year after 124 years of operation, after the closure of the local AFFCO freezing works in the town.

Waitara Railway Preservation Society
LocaleWaitara, Taranaki  New Zealand
TerminusWaitara
Commercial operations
NameWaitara Branch
Built byNew Zealand Government Railways
Original gauge1067 mm
Preserved operations
Owned byWaitara Railway Preservation Society
Operated byWaitara Railway Preservation Society
StationsTwo
Length7.45km
Preserved gauge1067 mm
Commercial history
Opened1875
Closed to passengers1948
Closed1999
Preservation history
1999Purchased from Tranz Rail
2003Reopened for passengers
2004Tahora Station moved to Brixton
2015Waiongana River bridge reopened
2020Line extended to Lepperton Yards
Website
http://www.waitararailway.org.nz

The preserved line

The preserved line begins at the northern end of the Lepperton Railway Yards (just past the main line turnout) and continues parallel to the Marton - New Plymouth Railway for a few hundred meters before turning right towards the Waiongana Stream. After crossing the stream the line runs to the former Waitara Road station in Brixton. The line continues from here towards Waitara, passing underneath State Highway 3 at Big Jim's Overpass. Finally, the line drops into the Waitara Valley and into the township of Waitara, finishing just before the Waitara River.

In Waitara, most of the infrastructure is gone with only the main line and one loop remaining in the yard. The former Tahora station has been relocated to Waitara Road,[1] where the society's rolling stock is stored. The site of the Lepperton railway station & yard is still owned and operated by KiwiRail, where the station building was removed in 1994.[2]

The branch line has 8 level crossings along its length, all of which are protected by compulsory stop signs. Issues with these were raised in the community in 2004 as legally traffic has to stop even though trains seldom ran more than once a month.[3] The Land Transport Safety Authority (now NZTA) would not allow Give Way signs and reinstating bells and lights had been reported as costing over $250,000 per crossing (almost the purchase price of the entire line in 1999) making installation unlikely for foreseeable future. Rail operations have become more frequent since then but motorists failing to stop for the societies trains is still an issue.[4]

Operation

Trains are run twice daily on the first and third Sundays of the month, departing from Waitara. The trip takes 45 minutes return, including a stop at The Former Tahora Station on the return journey for refreshments. The railway also offers charter services by arrangement.[5]

Since around 2007, trains had only journeyed as far as the Waiongana River bridge due to the deterioration of the sleepers on the structure. In April 2014 the bridge was re-sleepered and maintenance completed on the main bridge structure (including removing the former Waitara town water pipes from the side).[6] This has allowed trains to return to the entire branch line (and a proposed loop at the former Sentry Hill station site).

In 2019 the society entered into a lease to the Lepperton railway sidings (but not the main line and loop) which will allow locomotives to switch ends of the train. As part of this agreement, the society is building a new linking track to bypass the Kiwirails network which is under Centralised Traffic Control.[7]

Rolling stock

Locomotives

The Waitara Railway Preservation Society owns a number of diesel shunting locomotives, either operational or awaiting restoration. These include:[8]

Class & Number TMS Number Type Year Built by Makers Number Status Notes
--0-4-0D diesel shunter1954Drewry2507UnknownBuilt for Northland Fertiliser Co, Whangarei. Donated in 1999.
PC 11-0-6-0D diesel shunter1958Bagnall3144In serviceBuilt for Portland Cement.
Donated to the Taranaki Flyer Society Incorporated[9] in 2010 but returned in 2013[10] when that group folded.
Dsa 240DSA 4140-6-0D diesel shunter1956Bagnall3079StoredArrived 2008 from Ravensdown Fertilizer, New Plymouth.
Dsc 423DSC 2257Bo-Bo diesel shunter1963NZR Addington Workshops403 of 1963StoredFormerly use at Ravensdown Fertilizer, New Plymouth.
Dsc 453DSC 2584Bo-Bo diesel shunter1966NZR Addington Workshops433 of 1966StoredPurchased in 2003.
-TR 1026 / Price 2220-6-0D diesel shunter1968A & G Price Ltd222 of 1968In ServiceBuilt for Pacific Steel in Otahuhu.
Purchased by Tranz Rail in 1997 and classified as Price 222, before being reclassified TR 1026.
Privately owned.
Tr 108TR 4070-4-0D diesel shunter1957A & G Price Ltd177 of 1957In service

Former resident locomotives

Locomotives formerly based at Waitara include:

The WRPS's collection of rolling stock consists of both passenger carriages and freight wagons, and is either owned outright by the society or is leased from the Rail Heritage Trust of New Zealand. This includes:

Passenger Vehicles
Class & Number TMS Number Type Year Built by Notes
A 1952A 5653656ft Passenger Car1939NZR Addington Workshops
AL 1837AL 5018250ft Car Van1936NZR Otahuhu WorkshopsUsed for parts.

Guards Vans
Class & Number TMS Number Type Year Built by Notes
F 582F 118050' Guards Van1931NZR Addington Workshops
F 726F 189237'6" Guards Van1964NZR Otahuhu WorkshopsModified for passenger use.
F 745F 209437'6" Guards Van1967NZR Otahuhu Workshops

Goods Wagons
Class & Number TMS Number Type Sub-type Year Built by Notes
NA 1566NA 749Flat Deck1977NZR Addington WorkshopsRebuilt as NAK 6118 in 1987. Mobile ticket office built on deck of wagon.
NA 1671NA 2396Flat Deck1977NZR Addington WorkshopsRebuilt as NAK 6486 in 1987.
NA 1907NA 4993Flat Deck1977NZR Addington WorkshopsRebuilt as NAK 6078 in 1986. Used as open carriage for passengers.
NA 1777NA3562Flat Deck1977NZR Addington WorkshopsRebuilt as NAK 6541 in 1987.
NA 1872NA 4618Flat Deck1977NZR Addington WorkshopsRebuilt as NAK 6056 in 1987. Pessenger body built on deck.
NAKNAK 6595Flat Deck
LA 17200LA 3264High-sideLA-61931NZR Otahuhu Workshops
UB 955UB 833Flat DeckUB-51938NZR Otahuhu Workshops
UC 810UC 248Tank wagonUC-31938NZR Petone Workshops
UG 79EA 1012Horse BoxUG-41931NZR Otahuhu WorkshopsFrame only. Used as passenger vehicle.
US 3082US 55Flat DeckUS-11968NZR Hillside Workshops
YB 65-Ballast WagonYB-21890
YB 600YB 1466Ballast WagonYB-41941NZR Otahuhu Workshops
YC 710YC 124Ballast WagonYC-11959NZR East Town Workshops
-YH 477Ballast WagonYH-11979NZR East Town Workshops
Z 282Z 201Box WagonZ-141941NZR Otahuhu Workshops
ZP 656ZP 10063Box Wagon1968Mitsubishi Heavy Industries
-ZP 14531Box WagonMitsubishi Heavy Industries

Buildings & Facilitates

Station Buildings

None of the original station buildings remained when the line was purchased. Since the railway was purchased, new stations have been created. This has included relocating two historic station buildings, both former New Zealand Railways stations.

  • Waitara Road's station building made up of the former Tahora & Waitōtara station buildings. The Tahora building is fully restored while the Waitōtara building is under restoration.
  • The shelter at Magnolia glade is a former New Plymouth City Transport bus shelter.

Magnolia Glade

Magnolia Glade is located just past Waitara Road station and is the site of over 200 new trees planted along the line, including a significant number of Magnolias. Trains are operated as part of the Taranaki Fringe Garden Festival each year while the trees are in bloom.

References
  1. WRPS website - Brixton Station
  2. North Taranaki Midweek, 6 July 1994. Page 3.
  3. Rail crossing right of way stirs up a storm, The Daily News, 6 March 2004. Retrieved from www.stuff.co.nz
  4. As noted in WRPS Tablet Newsletters, http://waitararailway.weebly.com/monthly-reports-along-with-the-tablet-news-letter.html
  5. WRPS website - charters
  6. "Chairman's Report" (PDF). The Tablet. April 2014. Retrieved 24 May 2014.
  7. "Facebook Update". WRPS Facebook. Waitara Railway Preservation Society. Retrieved 24 May 2019.
  8. New Zealand Rolling Stock Register
  9. NZRSR & Taranaki Flyer Society Incorporated
  10. "Monthly Report November 2013-11-01" (PDF). My trains @ Waitara Railway Preservation Society. Retrieved 19 December 2013.
  11. New Zealand Railway Steam Locomotive Classes - FA Class 0-6-2T Register
  12. WRPS website - FA 250


39°01′08″S 174°13′20″E

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