1. The Rimutaka Incline Railway Heritage Trust

Rimutaka Incline Railway Heritage Trust Annual Report 1 July 2008 – 30 June 2009

1.1 About Us

The Rimutaka Incline Railway Heritage Trust is a Charitable Trust established to plan, fund, reinstate and operate a heritage railway on former railway route between Upper Hutt and Featherston, which will be an internationally significant tourist attraction.

1.2 Our mission

The Railway’s mission is to reinstate and operate a heritage railway as a self-sustaining not-for-profit business. The Railway will operate between Wellington, Upper Hutt and Featherston, including the Fell-worked Rimutaka Incline.

By planning and constructing a heritage railway between Maymorn and Featherston the Trust will be: ‘Building a Sanctuary for Steam’

Route of the Rimutaka Incline Railway, 40km north-west of Wellington, New Zealand.

1.3 Objectives

The Rimutaka Incline Railway has identified the following long-term objectives:

• To plan, fund, reinstate and operate a tourist heritage railway on former railway route between Upper Hutt and Featherston, and any other directly or indirectly connected railway;
• Acquire by agreement, lease or purchase such lands as are required to allow the reinstatement of the former railway route between Upper Hutt and Featherston and any other such lands as will further the objectives of the Trust;
• Acquire by agreement, lease or purchase such items of railway rolling stock, tools and material to facilitate the construction and operation of the tourist heritage railway;
• Raise funds for and facilitate the conservation and protection of the former railway route and heritage structures and features hereon;
• To plan, fund and construct appropriate buildings, structures, infrastructure and facilities that facilitate the construction and operation of the tourist heritage railway;
• To arrange interpretative displays for the public, to promote knowledge and education of heritage railways, and in particular the Rimutaka Incline Railway, the historic factors that lead to its creation and raise awareness of the personalities involved;
• To create a service provider for the operation of the tourist heritage railway with a level of service that realises the potential of an internationally significant tourist attraction;
• Facilitate research, discussion, education and interchange of information on topics related to the Rimutaka Incline Railway and environs.

In 1901 Percy Godber photographed two trains crossing at Kaitoke, both hauled by Wb class locomotives. The Trust plans to faithfully rebuild and operate the railway over the Rimutaka Ranges, including the former station facilities at Kaitoke.
Photo: Alexander Turnbull Library Reference No. APG-0006-1/2-G.

1.4 Contribution

The Rimutaka Incline Railway will make a significant and ongoing contribution to New Zealand’s tourism sector. It will make a major contribution to growth of tourism in the Wellington Region, to the mutual benefit of existing tourist attractions.

The Railway will, through its own efforts and by collaboration with other heritage railway operators, make a significant contribution to New Zealand's railway heritage. Overall visitation numbers to New Zealand heritage and commercial railway operations will increase as a direct result of the Railway and its international significance. Existing heritage locomotives and rolling stock will have additional purpose and revenue-earning opportunities, increasing confidence in the long-term sustainability of heritage railways.

1.5 Partnerships

The Rimutaka Incline Railway will collaborate with the tourism sector, other railway operators or other parties where this enhances the heritage railway experience or yields increased revenue. Partnership opportunities with suitable organisations have been explored, and discussions initiated.

1.6 Treaty of Waitangi

The Rimutaka Incline Railway is committed to the Principles of the Treaty of Waitangi. We seek to work with Maori in the spirit of partnership embodied in the Treaty of Waitangi. We accept our responsibility to bring that commitment to all aspects of the work of the Railway.

2. Chairperson’s Report

The Rimutaka Incline Railway Heritage Trust continues to be dedicated to the vision to reinstate a heritage railway over the Rimutaka Range since its inception in 2003. The Wellington Region will benefit greatly from the addition of such an authentic cultural heritage attraction, which will be an internationally significant tourist attraction in its own right.

Commencing rail activities at Maymorn

Gaining Resource Consent for rail activities at Maymorn was a key achievement for the Trust in the 2007–2008 year, which gave the go-ahead for development of the entire railway precinct. This includes:

• The rail vehicle shed
• Planned extension and additions to the rail vehicle shed, including workshop facilities
• A sizeable station building within which public and passenger facilities will be located
• Water vats, signals, signal box, turntable
• Railway track running the length of the the Maymorn site
• Services, including road access, car parking, lighting and other utilities.

Construction work started on the rail vehicle shed in May 2008 and continued through the 2008–2009 year. Railway lines have been laid leading towards the shed and are currently occupied by the Trust’s fleet of ballast wagons and other rail vehicles.

The rail vehicle shed has given the Trust a significant presence in the Mangaroa Valley, viewable from many vantage points. Care was taken to match the appearance of engine sheds that were once a common sight at country stations throughout New Zealand. Once building work is complete the rail vehicle shed will reinforce and compliment the long-standing railway presence in the valley. The shed will also be the catalyst for further development of the Rimutaka Incline Railway.

Almost every aspect of the shed has been tackled by volunteers, including:

• Design, draughting work, building consent
• Resource consent application, including assessment of environmental effects, consultation with affected parties, consultation with Ontrack (the Requiring Authority for the site)
• Liaison with consulting engineer
• Fundraising
• Project management, including procurement, ordering, sub-contracts
• Occupational Health and Safety
• Concrete formwork, reinforcing steel and concrete placement
• Fabrication, erection and installation of structural steel components
• Cladding installation on roof and walls.

The rail vehicle was only made possible by generous donations from Rimutaka Trust, The Community Trust of Wellington and New Zealand Lottery Grants Board.

The Rimutaka Incline Railway Heritage Trust celebrated the start of construction of its Rail Vehicle Shed with a foundation stone ceremony on the 6th September 2008. The stone was unveiled by The Honourable Paul Swain, Member of Parliament for Rimutaka. Photo: Frances Braddick.

Licenced to operate

On 26 June 2009 the New Zealand Transport Agency approved the Trust’s rail safety case and granted a full licence. Receipt of the full licence marks another milestone in the development of the Rimutaka Incline Railway.

Gaining an interim Rail Service Licence has been a key development for the Rimutaka Incline Railway. An extensive amount of work has been carried out behind the scenes by Steve Porter, Ben Calcott and Hugh McCracken over the past few years, and continues as codes, rules and procedures are drafted and embedded. Attention will now turn to the implementation of the Safety System, including training of rail personnel, inspection, certification and maintenance of rail vehicles, railway infrastructure, railway premises, communications and train control equipment.

The Trust is indebted to the assistance given by other railway organisations during the preparation of its Safety Case and asscociated documentation, which has been an enormous help. It is interesting to learn of moves towards standards-based or at the least, template-based systems for various classes of railway operation, perhaps in some part lead by the development of National Railway System codes for heritage railway operations on the national network. A convergence to common standards would most likely give rise to efficiencies in the development, operation of, administration and auditing of railway operations, and the Trust would support developments along those lines.

In closing I would like to extend my thanks to members of the Board and those who have been co-opted to assist in running the Trust. The achievements of the past year are testimony to their commitment to the Trust.

Hugh McCracken