Greytown Branch
Encyclopedia
The Greytown
Branch was a five-kilometre branch line
railway off the Wairarapa Line
at Woodside in the Wairarapa
district of New Zealand
's North Island
. It followed an almost straight course over flat terrain. There were no intermediate stations.
to persuade them to change the route, but to no avail. In order to placate them, the Public Works Department offered to investigate the possibility of constructing a branch line
to connect the town to the main line. Initial investigations concluded costs would be reasonable, and a survey was carried out in 1876. However, because of the Department's focus on other projects then underway, no further work on the idea was done at the time.
In 1878, the project was again promoted and this time authorised. A second survey was conducted in January 1879, with design work completed and tenders for the formation and buildings called for in June of that year. The successful contractor for the formation completed the work between 11 November 1879 and 10 January 1880. Two separate contracts were let, for the Greytown station buildings and for fencing the right of way. Both these contracts were completed on time.
and Greytown
, an extension of the existing services between Wellington
and Featherston
, an extra 35 minutes being allocated for the extra distance. A locomotive, usually a member of the L class, was based at Greytown.
Initial traffic on the branch was reported to be "very satisfactory"; while certainly the case for goods traffic, it is doubtful that this applied to passenger traffic with an average of four passengers per train.
The only excursion train from Greytown transported picnickers, including many children, to Cross Creek on 29 May 1880. It was found that the destination was not suitable, and a suggestion for the next excursion to take revellers to Kaitoke never went ahead.
Four months after opening tenders were called for the branch to be worked by horses: with traffic already declining it was considered too expensive for a locomotive. When no tenders were forthcoming, the department based its smallest locomotive at Greytown.
Despite traffic not meeting expectations, Greytown handled around 6,000 outward passengers and 2,000 tons of freight annually for many years. With the erection of stock yards, livestock traffic started at 160 pigs and 15 sheep, and these numbers grew substantially. Beef cattle were not conveyed in notable numbers until many years later.
In the fiscal year ended 31 March 1884, 6,386 passenger fares were issued at Greytown, while freight traffic had risen to 4,721 tons outward and 1,051 tons inward. Consigned livestock rose gradually at first, but increased rapidly in the early 1900s to peak at more than 13,000 head in 1909-1910. This traffic remained high until the introduction of lorry transport in the 1920s, but was always a minor player in the livestock trade compared with Masterton, Carterton, and Featherston.
Passenger traffic never reached expectations. The population of the town grew rapidly in the 1870s, but the extension of the railway from Woodside to Masterton on 1 November 1880, making the Greytown line a branch line, helped Masterton become the dominant town in the district. Between 1905 and 1915 trains between Greytown and Woodside were increased to six return trains daily, Monday to Saturday. Thereafter the number of trains fluctuated: in 1946 five were scheduled, and by 1952 this had been cut to two. Though by this time there was still a passenger car attached to the train, few passengers were carried (often none), and the trains only infrequently hauled freight wagons. The last train ran on 24 December 1953.
A single-stall engine shed was the home for the locomotive that worked the branch, with a variety of locomotives serving in this capacity. In the early years, the job was handled by an L or D
class 2-4-0
T, and occasionally by a C
class. Later, two rebuilt L class 4-4-2T
locomotives were allocated to the branch, alternately based at Greytown and Cross Creek, being swapped as required. In the 1930s they were replaced by WF class
2-6-4
T locomotives, at least one of which was converted for one man operation in 1931. In its heyday, the branch had six staff, but the reductions in 1931 pared this back to one, who was stationmaster, porter, shunter, guard, and general factotum. As the branch had only one locomotive in steam at any time, the only signal was a home signal protecting Woodside.
The former railway formation between Cotter Street, Greytown and Woodside is being developed as a walkway and cycleway, mainly for recreational use, but also for the benefit of commuters accessing rail services at Woodside Railway Station. This was possible, in part, because the route has "paper road
" status. A group of local residents advocating the idea submitted a proposal to the Greytown Community Board which was subsequently approved after landowners along the route consented to the use of their land for the project. The trail was built with volunteer labour and opened on .
Greytown, New Zealand
Greytown or Te Hupenui, population 2,001 , is a town in the Wellington region of New Zealand. It lies in the Wairarapa, in the lower North Island...
Branch was a five-kilometre branch line
Branch line
A branch line is a secondary railway line which branches off a more important through route, usually a main line. A very short branch line may be called a spur line...
railway off the Wairarapa Line
Wairarapa Line
The Wairarapa Line is a secondary railway line in the south-east of the North Island of New Zealand, connecting the capital city of Wellington with the Wairarapa region. The line ends at Woodville, where it joins the Palmerston North - Gisborne Line...
at Woodside in the Wairarapa
Wairarapa
Wairarapa is a geographical region of New Zealand. It occupies the south-eastern corner of the North Island, east of metropolitan Wellington and south-west of the Hawke's Bay region. It is lightly populated, having several rural service towns, with Masterton being the largest...
district of New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
's North Island
North Island
The North Island is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, separated from the much less populous South Island by Cook Strait. The island is in area, making it the world's 14th-largest island...
. It followed an almost straight course over flat terrain. There were no intermediate stations.
Construction
On learning that the Wairarapa Line was to bypass Greytown, its residents sent several deputations to meet engineers of the Public Works DepartmentNew Zealand Ministry of Works
The New Zealand Ministry of Works, formerly the Department of Public Works and sometimes referred to as the Public Works Department or PWD, was founded in 1876 and disestablished and privatised in 1988...
to persuade them to change the route, but to no avail. In order to placate them, the Public Works Department offered to investigate the possibility of constructing a branch line
Branch line
A branch line is a secondary railway line which branches off a more important through route, usually a main line. A very short branch line may be called a spur line...
to connect the town to the main line. Initial investigations concluded costs would be reasonable, and a survey was carried out in 1876. However, because of the Department's focus on other projects then underway, no further work on the idea was done at the time.
In 1878, the project was again promoted and this time authorised. A second survey was conducted in January 1879, with design work completed and tenders for the formation and buildings called for in June of that year. The successful contractor for the formation completed the work between 11 November 1879 and 10 January 1880. Two separate contracts were let, for the Greytown station buildings and for fencing the right of way. Both these contracts were completed on time.
Operation
The first scheduled services ran on 14 May 1880, a morning and afternoon mixed return service between WellingtonWellington
Wellington is the capital city and third most populous urban area of New Zealand, although it is likely to have surpassed Christchurch due to the exodus following the Canterbury Earthquake. It is at the southwestern tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range...
and Greytown
Greytown Railway Station
Greytown railway station was the terminus of the Greytown Branch railway, which connected the Wairarapa town of Greytown in New Zealand’s North Island to Woodside on the Wairarapa Line.- History :...
, an extension of the existing services between Wellington
Wellington
Wellington is the capital city and third most populous urban area of New Zealand, although it is likely to have surpassed Christchurch due to the exodus following the Canterbury Earthquake. It is at the southwestern tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range...
and Featherston
Featherston
Featherston is a name of English origin, at least as old as the 12th century. The link with "Featherstone" is probably not traceable, but people researching both spellings contribute to the collection of pages in the website called "The Featherstone Society".The name is applied to people and...
, an extra 35 minutes being allocated for the extra distance. A locomotive, usually a member of the L class, was based at Greytown.
Initial traffic on the branch was reported to be "very satisfactory"; while certainly the case for goods traffic, it is doubtful that this applied to passenger traffic with an average of four passengers per train.
The only excursion train from Greytown transported picnickers, including many children, to Cross Creek on 29 May 1880. It was found that the destination was not suitable, and a suggestion for the next excursion to take revellers to Kaitoke never went ahead.
Four months after opening tenders were called for the branch to be worked by horses: with traffic already declining it was considered too expensive for a locomotive. When no tenders were forthcoming, the department based its smallest locomotive at Greytown.
Despite traffic not meeting expectations, Greytown handled around 6,000 outward passengers and 2,000 tons of freight annually for many years. With the erection of stock yards, livestock traffic started at 160 pigs and 15 sheep, and these numbers grew substantially. Beef cattle were not conveyed in notable numbers until many years later.
In the fiscal year ended 31 March 1884, 6,386 passenger fares were issued at Greytown, while freight traffic had risen to 4,721 tons outward and 1,051 tons inward. Consigned livestock rose gradually at first, but increased rapidly in the early 1900s to peak at more than 13,000 head in 1909-1910. This traffic remained high until the introduction of lorry transport in the 1920s, but was always a minor player in the livestock trade compared with Masterton, Carterton, and Featherston.
Passenger traffic never reached expectations. The population of the town grew rapidly in the 1870s, but the extension of the railway from Woodside to Masterton on 1 November 1880, making the Greytown line a branch line, helped Masterton become the dominant town in the district. Between 1905 and 1915 trains between Greytown and Woodside were increased to six return trains daily, Monday to Saturday. Thereafter the number of trains fluctuated: in 1946 five were scheduled, and by 1952 this had been cut to two. Though by this time there was still a passenger car attached to the train, few passengers were carried (often none), and the trains only infrequently hauled freight wagons. The last train ran on 24 December 1953.
A single-stall engine shed was the home for the locomotive that worked the branch, with a variety of locomotives serving in this capacity. In the early years, the job was handled by an L or D
NZR D class (1874)
The NZR D class was a class of tank steam locomotives that operated on New Zealand's national railway network. The first members of the class entered service in 1874, and all had left the service of NZR by the end of 1927, which allowed the D classification to be used again in 1929.- Introduction...
class 2-4-0
2-4-0
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 2-4-0 represents the wheel arrangement of two leading wheels on one axle, four powered and coupled driving wheels on two axles, and no trailing wheels....
T, and occasionally by a C
NZR C class (1873)
The C class consists of a number of tank locomotives built to operate on New Zealand's national rail network during its infancy. It is sometimes referred to as the little C class or the original C class to distinguish it from the C class of 1930....
class. Later, two rebuilt L class 4-4-2T
4-4-2 (locomotive)
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 4-4-2 represents the wheel arrangement of four leading wheels on two axles , four powered and coupled driving wheels on two axles, and two trailing wheels on one axle...
locomotives were allocated to the branch, alternately based at Greytown and Cross Creek, being swapped as required. In the 1930s they were replaced by WF class
NZR Wf class
The NZR WF class were steam locomotives designed, built and used by New Zealand Railways Department. Their wheel arrangement is described by the Whyte notation 2-6-4T and the first members of the class entered service in 1904. The locomotives were tank engines designed by the Railways Department's...
2-6-4
2-6-4
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, a 2-6-4 locomotive has two leading wheels, six coupled driving wheels and four trailing wheels...
T locomotives, at least one of which was converted for one man operation in 1931. In its heyday, the branch had six staff, but the reductions in 1931 pared this back to one, who was stationmaster, porter, shunter, guard, and general factotum. As the branch had only one locomotive in steam at any time, the only signal was a home signal protecting Woodside.
Demise
The branch narrowly avoided closure after the 1931 Royal Commission, and despite attempts to encourage more trade traffic continued to decline. During its last years it received little in the way of maintenance. The end for the branch came after the 1952 Royal Commission. With revenue not covering even a tenth of the running costs, the decision to close was made after years of operation. The rails were lifted and sold in 1954. The locomotive shed was sold and the station building moved to Woodside to begin a new life as a goods shed.Today
The only remnants of the terminus are the goods shed and loading bank. For much of its length the formation is marked by fences and rows of trees.The former railway formation between Cotter Street, Greytown and Woodside is being developed as a walkway and cycleway, mainly for recreational use, but also for the benefit of commuters accessing rail services at Woodside Railway Station. This was possible, in part, because the route has "paper road
Paper road
A paper road is a road laid out in a development or subdivision plan. Paper roads may exist only on paper, never having been developed, but they have a legal existence, whether on private or public land...
" status. A group of local residents advocating the idea submitted a proposal to the Greytown Community Board which was subsequently approved after landowners along the route consented to the use of their land for the project. The trail was built with volunteer labour and opened on .
External links
- Aerial view of the branch.