New Plymouth Night Express
Encyclopedia
The New Plymouth Night Express was a passenger express train
operated by the New Zealand Railways Department
(NZR) that ran between Auckland
and New Plymouth
. It ran in various forms from 1933 until 1983, though the 'express' designation was lost in 1956 and later incarnations did not operate at night and terminated in Taumarunui
rather than Auckland. The New Plymouth Night Express should not be confused with the New Plymouth Express
that operated between New Plymouth and Wellington
.
, and early that morning, the first passenger service was operated. This inaugural service left Auckland at 7pm on 3 September 1933 attached to the Night Limited
, and it consisted of one first class carriage, one second class carriage, a sleeping car
, and a guard's van. In Taumarunui, these carriages were detached from the Night Limited, as it was to continue to Wellington
, and ran as a separate train to New Plymouth, departing Taumarunui at 12:45am and arriving in New Plymouth just after 6am. The return working left New Plymouth at 7:10pm, connected with the Night Limited in Taumarunui, and was conveyed back to Auckland by the Limited for a 7:10am arrival.
steam locomotive
s were typical motive power at this stage, and a train from Hawera
connected with the express in Stratford
. At holiday times, the New Plymouth Night Express was run separately from the Night Limited due to large volumes of passengers, and as this service ran directly between New Plymouth and Auckland, it did not pass through Taumarunui, which is seven miles to the south of the junction in Okahukura; accordingly, a connecting train ran between Taumarunui and Okahukura.
In 1940, the independent service began operating thrice weekly year-round. It departed Auckland at 7:50pm on Sundays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays, made refreshment stops in Frankton
and Taumarunui as NZR did not operate dining car
s at this point in history, and arrived in New Plymouth at 7:19am the next morning. The opposite working left New Plymouth at 7:08pm on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, made the same refreshment stops, and arrived in Auckland at 6:30am the next morning. Operating through to Taumarunui removed the need for a connecting train between Taumarunui and Okahukura, but it did mean the front of the train at the start of the journey became the back for the second leg and the seats were reversed. Sleeping car facilities were removed in 1944 due to restrictions caused by World War II
, and by 1950, the train ran only twice weekly due to coal shortages. At this stage, J class
locomotives had become the primary motive power and the train typically comprised two first class carriages, three second class carriages, and a guard's van.
88 seater
railcar
s had recently been introduced to New Zealand
and they provided a more economic service, so they replaced the carriage train. They offered a more regular daily service on a quicker timetable but continued the Express's pattern of operating at night. The southbound service arrived in New Plymouth at 11:23pm and departed for Auckland at 2:34pm. There was some speculation that the service was originally intended to only operate between Auckland and Taumarunui and its late running to New Plymouth was a result of this run being extended, but as it turned out, this section of the run was cancelled in 1971 and the railcars operated solely between New Plymouth and Taumarunui. Soon after this change, the service was altered to a daytime run in December 1973, with a departure from New Plymouth at 8:30am and the return service leaving Taumarunui at 3:10pm.
s to cease to operate along the route from 1 December 1975. The 88 seater railcars were mechanically deteriorating by this stage and last operated on 11 February 1978, but unlike most other provincial railcar services, the New Plymouth-Taumarunui run was not outright cancelled. There was sufficient traffic to justify a replacement carriage train, and its consist initially comprised carriages made from de-motorised 88 seater railcars; these carriages were known as "grassgrubs" in New Zealand railfan jargon due to their paint scheme. However, the railcars were not designed to be hauled as carriages and were soon replaced by ordinary passenger carriages. Around this time, roads through the isolated area served by the train were improved, and as locals turned to the private car in greater numbers, NZR was no longer prepared to incur losses from the service. It last operated on 21 January 1983.
Express train
Express trains are a form of rail service. Express trains make only a small number of stops, instead of stopping at every single station...
operated by the New Zealand Railways Department
New Zealand Railways Department
The New Zealand Railways Department, NZR or NZGR and often known as the "Railways", was a government department charged with owning and maintaining New Zealand's railway infrastructure and operating the railway system. The Department was created in 1880 and was reformed in 1981 into the New...
(NZR) that ran between Auckland
Auckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
and New Plymouth
New Plymouth
New Plymouth is the major city of the Taranaki Region on the west coast of the North Island of New Zealand. It is named after Plymouth, Devon, England, from where the first English settlers migrated....
. It ran in various forms from 1933 until 1983, though the 'express' designation was lost in 1956 and later incarnations did not operate at night and terminated in Taumarunui
Taumarunui
Taumarunui is a town in the King Country of the central North Island of New Zealand. It is on State Highway 4 and the North Island Main Trunk Railway....
rather than Auckland. The New Plymouth Night Express should not be confused with the New Plymouth Express
New Plymouth Express
The New Plymouth Express was a passenger express train operated by the New Zealand Railways Department between Wellington and New Plymouth. It ran from 1886 until 1955 and was sometimes known as the New Plymouth Mail due to the Railway Travelling Post Office carriages included in its consist...
that operated between New Plymouth and 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...
.
Introduction
In 1933, the Stratford - Okahukura Line was completed, providing a rail link through northern Taranaki between the Marton - New Plymouth Line and the North Island Main Trunk Railway. On 4 September 1933, the new line's ownership was handed over to NZR from the New Zealand Ministry of WorksNew 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...
, and early that morning, the first passenger service was operated. This inaugural service left Auckland at 7pm on 3 September 1933 attached to the Night Limited
Night Limited
The Night Limited was an express passenger train that operated in New Zealand between Wellington and Auckland, utilising the entire length of the North Island Main Trunk...
, and it consisted of one first class carriage, one second class carriage, a sleeping car
Sleeping car
The sleeping car or sleeper is a railway/railroad passenger car that can accommodate all its passengers in beds of one kind or another, primarily for the purpose of making nighttime travel more restful. The first such cars saw sporadic use on American railroads in the 1830s and could be configured...
, and a guard's van. In Taumarunui, these carriages were detached from the Night Limited, as it was to continue to 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 ran as a separate train to New Plymouth, departing Taumarunui at 12:45am and arriving in New Plymouth just after 6am. The return working left New Plymouth at 7:10pm, connected with the Night Limited in Taumarunui, and was conveyed back to Auckland by the Limited for a 7:10am arrival.
Operation
Joint running with the Night Limited for the Tauramunui-Auckland leg was the pattern for the 1930s, with the service provided thrice weekly on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. AB classNZR Ab class
The NZR AB class was a class of 4-6-2 Pacific tender steam locomotive that operated on New Zealand's national railway system. Originally an improvement on the 1906 A class, 141 were built between 1915 and 1927 by NZR's Addington Workshops, A & G Price Limited of Thames, New Zealand, and North...
steam locomotive
Steam locomotive
A steam locomotive is a railway locomotive that produces its power through a steam engine. These locomotives are fueled by burning some combustible material, usually coal, wood or oil, to produce steam in a boiler, which drives the steam engine...
s were typical motive power at this stage, and a train from Hawera
Hawera
Hawera is the second-largest town in the Taranaki region of New Zealand's North Island, with a population of . It is near the coast of the South Taranaki Bight, 75 kilometres south of New Plymouth on State Highway 3 and 20 minutes' drive from Mount Taranaki/Egmont.It is also on State Highway 45,...
connected with the express in Stratford
Stratford, New Zealand
Stratford is the only town in the central Taranaki district of Stratford District, New Zealand. It lies beneath the eastern slopes of Mount Taranaki/Egmont, approximately half-way between New Plymouth and Hawera, near the geographic centre of the Taranaki region. The town has a population of...
. At holiday times, the New Plymouth Night Express was run separately from the Night Limited due to large volumes of passengers, and as this service ran directly between New Plymouth and Auckland, it did not pass through Taumarunui, which is seven miles to the south of the junction in Okahukura; accordingly, a connecting train ran between Taumarunui and Okahukura.
In 1940, the independent service began operating thrice weekly year-round. It departed Auckland at 7:50pm on Sundays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays, made refreshment stops in Frankton
Frankton, Waikato
Frankton is a central suburb of the city of Hamilton, New Zealand. It is the site of the city's passenger railway station, a major industrial-commercial stretch of State Highway 1, and a commercial shopping area.- Tornado :...
and Taumarunui as NZR did not operate dining car
Dining car
A dining car or restaurant carriage , also diner, is a railroad passenger car that serves meals in the manner of a full-service, sit-down restaurant....
s at this point in history, and arrived in New Plymouth at 7:19am the next morning. The opposite working left New Plymouth at 7:08pm on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, made the same refreshment stops, and arrived in Auckland at 6:30am the next morning. Operating through to Taumarunui removed the need for a connecting train between Taumarunui and Okahukura, but it did mean the front of the train at the start of the journey became the back for the second leg and the seats were reversed. Sleeping car facilities were removed in 1944 due to restrictions caused by World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, and by 1950, the train ran only twice weekly due to coal shortages. At this stage, J class
NZR J class (1939)
The NZR J class steam locomotives were a class of locomotive used in New Zealand. Following the success of the K class on NZR main lines, there was an urgent need for a modern, powerful locomotive capable of running over secondary lines laid with lighter rails. Thus a new "Mountain" 4-8-2 type...
locomotives had become the primary motive power and the train typically comprised two first class carriages, three second class carriages, and a guard's van.
Replacement by railcars
The actual New Plymouth Night Express ceased to operate in 1956. RM classNZR RM class
The RM class is the classification used by the New Zealand Railways Department and its successors given to most railcars and railbuses that have operated on New Zealand's national rail network. As NZR and its successors has operated many diverse types of railcars, alternate names have been given...
88 seater
NZR RM class (88 seater)
The NZR RM class 88-seaters were a class of railcar used in New Zealand, known unofficially as 'articulateds', 'twinsets', 'Drewrys' and 'Fiats'. They were purchased to replace steam-hauled provincial passenger trains and mixed trains...
railcar
Railcar
A railcar, in British English and Australian English, is a self-propelled railway vehicle designed to transport passengers. The term "railcar" is usually used in reference to a train consisting of a single coach , with a driver's cab at one or both ends. Some railways, e.g., the Great Western...
s had recently been introduced to 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...
and they provided a more economic service, so they replaced the carriage train. They offered a more regular daily service on a quicker timetable but continued the Express's pattern of operating at night. The southbound service arrived in New Plymouth at 11:23pm and departed for Auckland at 2:34pm. There was some speculation that the service was originally intended to only operate between Auckland and Taumarunui and its late running to New Plymouth was a result of this run being extended, but as it turned out, this section of the run was cancelled in 1971 and the railcars operated solely between New Plymouth and Taumarunui. Soon after this change, the service was altered to a daytime run in December 1973, with a departure from New Plymouth at 8:30am and the return service leaving Taumarunui at 3:10pm.
Return and demise of carriage trains
The new daytime service proved more popular with the local population and allowed mixed trainMixed train
A mixed train is a train that hauls both passenger and freight cars or wagons. In the early days of railways they were quite common, but by the 20th century they were largely confined to branch lines with little traffic. As the trains provided passengers with very slow service, mixed trains have...
s to cease to operate along the route from 1 December 1975. The 88 seater railcars were mechanically deteriorating by this stage and last operated on 11 February 1978, but unlike most other provincial railcar services, the New Plymouth-Taumarunui run was not outright cancelled. There was sufficient traffic to justify a replacement carriage train, and its consist initially comprised carriages made from de-motorised 88 seater railcars; these carriages were known as "grassgrubs" in New Zealand railfan jargon due to their paint scheme. However, the railcars were not designed to be hauled as carriages and were soon replaced by ordinary passenger carriages. Around this time, roads through the isolated area served by the train were improved, and as locals turned to the private car in greater numbers, NZR was no longer prepared to incur losses from the service. It last operated on 21 January 1983.