Dunedin Railways
File:Dunedin Railways Logo.jpg | |
![]() Train travelling through the Taieri Gorge | |
Overview | |
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Headquarters | Dunedin, New Zealand |
Locale | Eastern Otago, New Zealand |
Dates of operation | 1991 | –
Predecessor | New Zealand Railways Corporation |
Technical | |
Track gauge | 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) |
Other | |
Website | www |
Dunedin Railways (formerly the Taieri Gorge Railway) is an operator of a railway line and tourist trains based at Dunedin Railway Station in the South Island of New Zealand. The railway is a council-controlled trading organisation[1] (formerly known as a local authority trading enterprise) owned jointly by the Dunedin City Council and the Otago Excursion Train Trust. On 20 April 2020 the company announced that due to the COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand, it mothballed its track and equipment.[2] The company said up to 80% of its revenue came from international tourists. The mothballing could affect up to 51 jobs.[2][3]
History
Formation
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/1/17/Taieri_Gorge_Railway_%28logo%29.png)
The Otago Excursion Train Trust was formed in 1978 to operate excursions on the Otago Central Railway line, running its first train in October 1979.[4] The services grew in popularity and the Trust realised by the 1980s that it had great tourist potential.[4] New carriages were acquired with the "Taieri Gorge Limited" launching in February 1987.[4]
On 19 December 1989 the New Zealand Railways Corporation announced the closure of the Otago Central railway line beyond Taieri owing to a lack of freight traffic following the completion of the Clyde Dam.[5] Dunedin City Council then stepped in, purchasing the line as far as Middlemarch and five locomotives,[5] which was were then leased by the Trust to run its trains. The Trust continued to operate the Taieri Gorge Limited, now with its own locomotives (DJ class locomotives withdrawn by NZR in the same year), but needed a further $1m to fund its operations. A community appeal in 1990 raised $1.2m.[4] The line beyond Middlemarch was lifted during 1991, and the trackbed handed over to the Department of Conservation in 1993. It is now the Otago Central Rail Trail, a major cycling tourist attraction in the area.
On 8 March 1995 the Dunedin City Council (through its holding company Dunedin City Holdings Limited) and the Trust incorporated a new company, Taieri Gorge Railway Limited.[6] Dunedin City Holdings has a majority of shares (72.03%) and the Trust holds the balance of the shares (27.97%). The company operates as a Council-controlled organisation (formerly known as a Local-authority trading enterprise) under Part 5 of the Local Government Act 2002. This was due to the need to raise more capital to finance the expansion of the Trusts operation. Dunedin City Council then sold the railway line to the new company, and the Trust sold its locomotives, carriages and other assets to the new company.[4][6] The company is governed according to its constitution by a board of directors comprising six people. Two of these people are selected by Dunedin City Holdings Limited, two by the Otago Excursion Train Trust and two jointly by both shareholding parties. On 1 December 2017, the company legally changed its name to Dunedin Railways Limited.[7]
Taieri Gorge Limited
The Taieri Gorge Limited is New Zealand's longest tourist railway and stretches along the former Otago Central Railway from the 4 km peg on the Taieri Branch, 18 km west of Dunedin, to Middlemarch, a distance of some 60 kilometres. Between Dunedin and the start of the line its trains operate on KiwiRail's Main South Line via a running rights agreement.
The line travels through spectacular scenery along the banks of the Taieri River, through numerous tunnels and climbing along the Taieri Gorge to the Strath Taieri. It crosses a dozen viaducts, including the southern hemisphere's largest wrought iron structure, and passes through ten tunnels.[8]
At Wingatui railway station, the original building and signal box from 1914 has been restored and is one of the best remaining island platform stations in New Zealand.[9] After the line passes through the 437 metres (1,434 ft) long Salisbury Tunnel, the longest on the line, it crosses Mullocky Gully over the 197 metres (646 ft) long Wingatui Viaduct, the largest wrought iron structure in New Zealand since it was built in 1887.[10] The 47m tall viaduct's riveted lattice structure rests on seven concrete and masonry piers.
Shortly after the Wingatui Viaduct, the route emerges from Mullocky Gully to join Taieri Gorge, and from then on follows that gorge above Taieri River to just east of Pukerangi. On the way the line passes former stations Parera, Mount Allen, Little Mount Allen, and Christmas Creek, crossing two curved viaducts at the latter two locations. Hindon, still operating as a crossing station, is typically one of the stopping points on the trip. Just before the station, the railway tracks share a combined road-rail bridge with Hindon Road, a local backroad.
Another popular stopping point for photo opportunities is the Deep Stream viaduct. Here the line slowly starts to climb higher and out of the gorge, passing over the Flat Stream viaduct, and "The Notches", a section of short bridges and cuttings through several rocky outcrops, on its way to Pukerangi. Between Pukerangi and Middlemarch, the railway only once more comes close to the Taieri River, where it crosses Sutton Creek over another combined road-rail bridge.
The train operates daily to Pukerangi and on summer Fridays and Sundays to Middlemarch.
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/89/DJ3107_at_Pukerangi_Station_on_Taieri_Gorge_Railway.jpg/220px-DJ3107_at_Pukerangi_Station_on_Taieri_Gorge_Railway.jpg)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/94/DE_Class_on_Taieri_Gorge_Railway.jpg/220px-DE_Class_on_Taieri_Gorge_Railway.jpg)
Seasider and Dunedin Silver Fern
Dunedin Railways also operates the Seasider tourist train along the coast to Palmerston, north of Dunedin, with bus connections to the Taieri Gorge Limited at Middlemarch. Following the withdrawal of the Southerner by Tranz Scenic in 2002, it is the only passenger train on the Main South Line.
In 2012 Dunedin Railways leased one of the Silver Fern class railcars from KiwiRail for use on the same route as the Seasider.
Rebranded Dunedin Railways
On 23 October 2014 the Taieri Gorge Railway announced that it would be changing its name to Dunedin Railways. For 35 years the Taieri Gorge Railway and the Otago Excursion Train Trust had taken tourists on scenic rail excursions up the Taieri Gorge to Middlemarch and more recently up the coast, north of Dunedin on the Seasider. The reason for the change was so that tourists can link the train trips to Dunedin and it makes it much clearer what the railway is.[11] AO 77 was the first carriage to be repainted into their new blue livery with their name on the sides in October 2014. This was followed by A 3022 and AG 239. In September 2015 AL 1695 was repainted into their yellow version of livery.
Financial performance
In the financial year to June 2017, Dunedin Railways had revenues of $6.578m and expenses of $6.387m, and turned a profit of $137,000.[12]
Locomotives and railcars
The railway owns eight former New Zealand Railways DJ class locomotives, six of which are currently operational and certified for mainline operation. They are painted in a variant of the modified New Zealand Railways scheme carried by the class in the 1980s, where the low nose sides are painted blue instead of yellow and grey cab front. A seventh, DJ3021 (ex-DJ 1202), was stored in the Middlemarch goods shed pending future restoration after it was purchased from its former home at Ranfurly station where it was statically displayed. It is now stored in Dunedin awaiting restoration. The eighth, DJ3044 (DJ 1204) was acquired from Mainline Steam in 2012 as a source of spare parts and has been dismantled, although most of the components remain intact. Both were painted in the modified blue scheme and were in as withdrawn condition.
TGR also operates one DE class locomotive, DE 504 (TMS DE1337).[13] This locomotive was acquired from Otago Polytechnic (who had acquired it from New Zealand Railways Corporation) in the early 1990s and is not mainline certified, instead of being based at the TGR works depot at the 4 km peg. It previously carried a modified International Orange scheme but was repainted in 2006 to its original livery of Carnation Red with the addition of "wasp stripes" on the headstocks as it would have carried in the 1970s.
In 2013, Dunedin Railways leased Silver Fern railcar RM24 from KiwiRail and currently operates this on trips between Dunedin and Waitati. The railcar was returned to KiwiRail in 2019.
Dunedin Railways formerly operated a shunting locomotive, TR 111 at their Dunedin depot as their resident shunting locomotive. This locomotive was obtained by the Otago Excursion Train Trust in 2009 from enthusiast Reid McNaught, who had leased the locomotive to Dunedin Railways since 2006. It was sold to the Canterbury Railway Society in July 2015.
Carriages
47' 6" wooden body carriages
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e0/Taieri_Gorge_Railway_carriage_at_Hindon.jpg/300px-Taieri_Gorge_Railway_carriage_at_Hindon.jpg)
All trains as of January 2017 include some of Dunedin Railways five former New Zealand Railways 47" 6' foot wooden-clad carriages. These cars are known as "Scarrett'" heritage carriages and were built between 1912 and 1923 with open platform ends, gangways and 37 seats. Dunedin Railways has started retiring these carriages largely to provide bogies for their 56-foot carriage stock, which did not have their own bogies when they were purchased. Two of the 47-foot cars have been sold, while two were scrapped circa 1978. One carriage, A 1254, is owned by the Ocean Beach Railway (OBR) and is leased to Dunedin Railways. This carriage will be returned to the OBR at the conclusion of its lease.
50-foot carriages
Dunedin Railways has currently three steel-clad and one wood-clad NZR 50-foot carriages, formerly used on Dunedin suburban trains and express passenger trains. The steel-clads have 30-37 seats, enclosed vestibules and covered gangways and were built by New Zealand Railways Department in 1931–40.[13] One of these is an AL class car-van with a small luggage compartment at one end while the other two are A class carriages. Steel-clad cars, A class 50159 and 50223 were sold to the Weka Pass Railway in 2008 and AL 50090 was sold to the Midland Rail Heritage Trust in 2013. The wood-clad carriages are A 1327, built in 1913, with open vestibules and non-covered gangways.
Jungle Gym panorama carriages
Dunedin Railways has three all-steel air-conditioned panorama carriages with open platform ends and open gangways, known locally as "Jungle Gyms" due to the nature of their framework when under construction. These were designed and built by the OETT in 1987–92, with a "very distinctive shape to fit the tunnels".[13] Two of these carriages were built on Z class "roadsider" freight van underframes while the third was built on the underframe of guard's van F 529.
56-foot carriages
In September 2007, the Taieri Gorge Railway announced that it had purchased 12 NZR 56-foot carriages formerly used on the Wairarapa Connection. The first of these, A 2325, was prepared at a cost of $45,000 and was ready in September 2008. The company anticipated having three carriages in service by the end of 2008, and all 12 by 2013.[14] The upgrade included new seating, carpets, toilets and external paint. The railway intends to refurbish three carriages each year.[15] As of December 2015, only five out of the twelve carriages have been restored. Two of these carriages have since been disposed of.
In 2012, panoramic window car AO 77 was leased from KiwiRail. It has since been repainted in Dunedin Railways' blue livery, and is now under their ownership. Privately-owned A 3022 is leased from its owners since 2013. In 2018, Dunedin Railways purchased six big-window AO/ASO class carriages from KiwiRail. Two of these have since been converted to all-steel framing and reclassified as ADR.
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/13/Dunedin_Railways_AO_class_carriage_2016.jpg/220px-Dunedin_Railways_AO_class_carriage_2016.jpg)
Vans
Guards and observation vans
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f4/Dunedin_Railways_FM_class_observation_van.jpg/220px-Dunedin_Railways_FM_class_observation_van.jpg)
Key: | In service | In service, Mainline Certified | Under overhaul/restoration | Stored | Static display | Scrapped |
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Original class and number | TMS class and number | Dunedin Railways class and number | Type | Builder | Year built | Arrived | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
F 587 | F 2340 | XPC 534 | 50' 0" wooden body, guards' van | NZR Otahuhu Workshops | 1937 | 1985 | Entered NZR service on 29 May 1937. Withdrawn on 12 October 1985 and was sold to Dunedin Railways later that year. |
FM 55 | FM 733
AG 118 |
N/A | Mitsubishi | 1977 | N/A | Entered NZR service on 18 June 1977. Reclassified as AG 118. Leased from KiwiRail. Fitted with X25330 bogies and is used to supply head-end power to carriages. | |
Unidentified FM | AG 239 | 50' 0" steel-panelled guards' van | N/A | N/A | 2013 | Owned by John and Rolf Christensen. Repainted in the Dunedin Railways brand. Observation van. |
Plough vans
Key: | In service | In service, Mainline Certified | Under overhaul/restoration | Stored | Static display | Scrapped |
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Original class and number | TMS class and number | Builder | Year built | Arrived | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
F 96 | EP 65 | N/A | 1921 | 2001 | Entered NZR service in 1931. It was reclassified and renumbered as EP 2507 in 1941. Renumbered as EP 65 in 1978. Withdrawn by Tranz Rail and purchased by Dunedin Railways in 2001. |
Wagons
Key: | In service | In service, Mainline Certified | Under overhaul/restoration | Stored | Static display | Scrapped |
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Original class and number | TMS class and number | Type | Builder | Year built | Arrived | Notes |
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E 8600 | MC 4506 | Low side | N/A | N/A | N/A | |
JC 5219 | ER 410 | Wheel wagon | NZR Hillside Workshops | 1952 | N/A | Entered NZR service in 1952. It was reclassified as NB 529 in 1975. It was then reclassified as ER 410. Owned by the Rail Heritage Trust of New Zealand. |
KP 3094 | KP 2332 | Box | Mitsubishi Heavy Industries | N/A | N/A | |
Ks 5281 | Ks 20116
KST 6191 |
Box | NZR Addington Workshops | 1973 | N/A | |
LC 43228 | LC 56995 | High side | Hurst Nelson | 1963 | N/A | |
LC 44400 | LC 69496 | High side | Hurst Nelson | 1967 | N/A | |
LPA 1059 | LPA 666 | High side | Mitsubishi Heavy Industries | 1973 | N/A | Owned by the Rail Heritage Trust of New Zealand. |
NA 1806 | NA 3873
NAK 6283 |
Flat deck | NZR Addington Workshops | 1977 | N/A | |
Unidentified NAK | Unidentified NAK | Flat deck | N/A | N/A | N/A | |
UB 1391 | UB 3732 | Flat deck | N/A | N/A | N/A | |
Unidentified UBM | Unidentified UBM | Motor car wagon | N/A | 1963 | N/A | Rebuilt from a 1950s pax car. |
UC 808 | UC 225 | Tank | NZR Petone Workshops | 1937 | N/A | |
UC 1213 | UC 1161 | Tank | N/A | 1963 | N/A | Built for Shell Oil Company. |
UC 1295 | UC 2269 | Tank | N/A | 1963 | N/A | Built for British Petroleum. |
UD 1502 | UC 49 | Wheel wagon | N/A | 1963 | N/A | Reclassified as EWW 33. Owned by the Rail Heritage Trust of New Zealand. |
UG 88 | EA 508 | Weed sprayer | N/A | 1931 | N/A | Entered NZR service in 1931. It was reclassified and renumbered as EA 3163 in March 1959. Renumbered as EA 508 in 1978. Withdrawn in October 1989. |
UR 1801 | UR 12 | Flat deck | NZR Addington Workshops | 1958 | N/A | |
UR 1931 | UR 1316 | Flat deck | NZR Hutt Workshops | 1958 | N/A | |
UR 2031 | UR 3746 | Flat deck | NZR Otahuhu Workshops | N/A | N/A | |
US 3093 | US 90 | Flat deck | NZR Otahuhu Workshops | 1963 | N/A | |
VR 51 | VR 567
EVS 23 |
Insulated meat | N/A | 1964 | N/A | |
XA 2117 | E 4827
E 243 |
Wheel wagon | N/A | 1937 | N/A | Entered NZR service in 1937. It was reclassified and renumbered as E 4059 in June 1972. |
YB 586 | YB 1339
E 7839 |
Ballast | NZR East Town Workshops | N/A | N/A | |
YB 597 | YB 1420
E 7772 |
Ballast | N/A | N/A | N/A | Huntly to Westfield Coal Traffic. |
YC 732 | YC 372 | Ballast | NZR East Town Workshops | N/A | N/A | Owned by the Rail Heritage Trust of New Zealand. |
YC 759 | YC 648 | Ballast | NZR East Town Workshops | N/A | N/A | Owned by the Rail Heritage Trust of New Zealand. |
YC 798 | YC 1267 | Ballast | NZR East Town Workshops | N/A | N/A | Owned by the Rail Heritage Trust of New Zealand. |
YC 827 | YC 1590 | Ballast | NZR East Town Workshops | N/A | N/A | Owned by the Rail Heritage Trust of New Zealand. |
YD 1005 | YD 69 | Side tip | Differential Car Company | N/A | N/A | Under Restoration. |
YD 1048 | YD 530 | Side tip | Differential Car Company | N/A | N/A | |
YH 964 | YH 166 | Ballast | N/A | N/A | N/A | |
YH 969 | YH 212 | Ballast | N/A | N/A | N/A | |
YH 1004 | YH 598 | Ballast | N/A | N/A | N/A | Owned by the Rail Heritage Trust of New Zealand. |
Z 334 | Z 849 | Box | N/A | N/A | N/A | Renumbered XPC 615 under Dunedin Railways ownership. Formerly used as a luggage vwagon on passenger trains. Now for sale. |
Z 362 | Z 1083 | Box | N/A | N/A | N/A | Renumbered XPC 602 under Dunedin Railways ownership. Used as a luggage wagon on passenger trains. |
Unidentified ZA | ZA 4508 | Box | N/A | N/A | N/A | |
Unidentified Zl | ZL 462 | Box | N/A | N/A | 2012 | Fitted with an 80 kVA generator. Used on passenger trains. |
Unidentified ZP | ZP 1176 | Box | Mitsubishi Heavy Industries | 1968 | N/A | |
ZP 737 | ZP 1460
ZP 10944 |
Box | Mitsubishi Heavy Industries | 1968 | N/A | |
ZP 1061 | ZP 5035
ZP 14502 |
Box | Mitsubishi Heavy Industries | 1968 | N/A |
Freight haulage
In the early 2000s the TGR investigated the possibility of introducing log haulage between Mount Allan and Port Chalmers at the end of the Port Chalmers Branch. However, on 12 June 2007 it was announced that a cost difference of NZ$5 million existed between road and rail haulage in favour of road, and potential government subsidies were insufficient to close the gap. The announcement was met with disappointment by the Dunedin City Council, which favourably viewed the rail option as it was more environmentally friendly and would have reduced traffic congestion.[16]
It has since been worked out that with extra damage caused by the logging trucks on the Mosgiel to Port Chalmers road that it would have been cheaper to perform the operation by rail, but despite pleas by the local council, Wenita, the relevant company, said it had invested too much in the road option to change its plans.[17]
The route's loading gauge restricts the maximum size of rolling stock that can operate on the railway; some freight wagons cannot use the line.[13]
See also
References
- ^ "Policies" (PDF). Dunedin City Council Community Plan 2009/10 – 2018/19. Vol. 2, section 4. Dunedin City Council. 2009. p. 291. Retrieved 24 March 2010.[permanent dead link]
- ^ a b Dunedin Railways (20 April 2020). "Statement on the future of Dunedin Railways". Scoop.co.nz. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
- ^ "Taieri Gorge track to be mothballed, 51 jobs likely to go". Otago Daily Times. 20 April 2020. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
- ^ a b c d e "Our Story". Dunedin Railways. Archived from the original on 24 September 2014. Retrieved 3 December 2014.
- ^ a b "Otago Central Railway Closure". New Zealand Railway Observer. 46 (4). New Zealand Railway and Locomotive Society: 165. Summer 1989–90. ISSN 0028-8624.
- ^ a b "Companies Office - Taieri Gorge Railway Limited". Retrieved 6 November 2014.
- ^ "Dunedin Railways Limited". Companies Office. Retrieved 15 March 2019.
- ^ Taieri Gorge Railway - 2006-2007 Times & Destinations - Leaflet by Taieri Gorge Railway Limited, March 2006
- ^ "Wingatui Station". Rail Heritage Trust of New Zealand. Retrieved 9 April 2014.
- ^ "Along the way - Taieri Gorge Railway". Taieri Gorge Limited. Archived from the original on 13 April 2014. Retrieved 9 April 2014.
- ^ "New Look for Railway Operation". Otago Daily Times. 23 October 2014. Retrieved 2 December 2014.
- ^ "Dunedin Railways Interim Report to 31 December 2017" (PDF). Dunedin City Council. 31 December 2017. Retrieved 15 March 2019.
- ^ a b c d 'technical information' Archived 16 May 2009 at the Wayback Machine on TGR website, retrieved 2009-05-10
- ^ Stevens, Sam (13 September 2008). "New Taieri Gorge carriage on display". Otago Daily Times. Retrieved 14 September 2008.
- ^ New Zealand Railway Observer, December 2008-January 2009
- ^ Simon Hartley, "Costs Rule Out Rail in the Long Run" Archived 28 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine, Otago Daily Times, 12 June 2007.
- ^ "Promoting sustainability in New Zealand's rail system" (PDF). New Zealand Transport Agency. Retrieved 12 May 2020.
Bibliography
- Bowden, David. Great Railway Journeys in Australia and New Zealand. Oxford, England: John Beaufoy Publishing. pp. 152–155. ISBN 978-1-909612-94-5.
- Cunningham, Gerald (2011). The Taieri Gorge Railway: Guide to the Taieri Gorge and Seasider Rail Trips. Albany, Auckland: David Bateman Ltd. ISBN 978-1-86953-815-6.
- Dangerfield, J. A.; Emerson, G. W. (2010). Over The Garden Wall: The Story of the Otago Central Railway (4th ed.). Dunedin: The Otago Railway & Locomotive Society Incorporated. ISBN 978-0-473-17363-0. (soft-bound); 978-0-473-17362-3 (hard-bound).
- Hurst, Tony (2008). The Otago Central Railway: A tribute (5th expanded ed.). Wellington: Transpress. ISBN 978-1-877418-05-1.
External links
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
- Dunedin Railways
- Taieri Gorge Railway Photo gallery (private website)
- Otago Central Branch Railway (from private website 'Railways of New Zealand')
- Taieri Gorge Railway - New Zealand (well-edited YouTube video of the journey)