Newsletter #16, June 2006
Three former guard’s van modules were donated to the Trust in April, two of which have been collected and transported to the Trust’s Maymorn site. On 20 May, Hugh McCracken, Chairperson of the Trust, assists with securing module GM97 on Hammond Brothers’ hiab-equipped truck. Photo: Glenn Fitzgerald.
In this issue:
Hutt-Mana grant for fence
The Trust has secured a $4,000 grant from the Hutt Mana Charitable Trust for a security fence at the Maymorn site
The Chairperson’s inclinations.
Maymorn progress.
Construction of Pedestrian Crossing.
Carriage compound gates.
FM modules.
Upper Hutt 40th Celebrations.
FRONZ Conference.
Visit to Cross Creek.
Engineering exploration.
The Trust wasted no time in hiring Awise Mini Diggers to drill fence post holes along the boundary. The hydraulic auger attached to the small ‘dingo’ machine made short work of the job. The fence will extend along the access road down to the container and red compound seen in the distance. Photo: Glenn Fitzgerald.
Hutt-Mana grant for fence
The Trust is delighted to report that a $4,000 grant has been gifted from the Hutt Mana Charitable Trust towards hire equipment charges and materials for a security fence at the Maymorn site. On 8 June trustees Hugh McCracken and Glenn Fitzgerald attended a grants presentation evening at the Angus Inn Hotel, along with representatives from other recipient organisations from Upper and Lower Hutt. Mayor David Ogden, Roger Styles and John Gwilliam, made the presentations on behalf of Hutt Mana Charitable Trust.
Members of the Rimutaka Incline Railway Heritage Trust wasted no time in making a start on the security fence, which will extend from the pedestrian crossing near the Tranz Metro station towards Upper Hutt on the Ontrack boundary. The fence is being built to deter unauthorised persons from entering the site, and to enhance health and safety by precluding entry into potentially hazardous areas at the Maymorn site (primarily the future rail vehicle shed and station building sites). The fence will also protect current and future railway investment at the Trust’s Maymorn heritage railway precinct. Applications are also being made to other funding agencies for other portions of the boundary fence.
The first length of fence funded by the Hutt Mana Charitable Trust was started on 10 June, Trustee Glenn Fitzgerald and Trust member Alex Maciver working on cleaning out fence post holes, locating posts and placing concrete. Photo: Hugh McCracken.
Upcoming events
Sunday 3 September 2006 — Heritage Visit — Destination: Carterton Community & Railway Museum.
We plan to visit Carterton railway station on Sunday 3 September to view one of the few Vogel-period railway stations left in the lower North Island. The station is a remnant from the days when all Wairarapa trains travelled over the Rimutaka Incline. A similar station was also provided at Featherston. Memorabilia and photographs are displayed inside the restored station building, including photos of the Incline and Upper Hutt in steam days.
Travel by car or morning train to meet at Carterton railway station at 11:09. The train departs Wellington 9:55, Petone 10:08, Waterloo 10:14, Upper Hutt 10:29 and Maymorn 10:35. Return by car — we will coordinate sufficient vehicles to return train travellers to Upper Hutt (or wait for return train departing Carterton at 17:16).
RSVP to Hugh McCracken, email: hugh.mccracken@rimutaka-incline-railway.org.nz — to ensure that sufficient room is available in cars for the journey back to the Hutt Valley and Wellington. Please bring a donation (gold coin or more) for entry and light refreshments.
Wednesday 13 September — Maymorn station drawings evening
A chance to view and discuss plans prepared for the Trust by conservation architects Cochran & Murray — ten A1-sized sheets including exquisite detail and exacting standards.
Meet at Level 1 Meeting Room, Upper Hutt City Council. Access is from car park to rear of Council building, 100m east of H2OExtreme. Light refreshments provided.
The Chairperson’s inclinations
In order to protect, conserve, restore and maintain its current fleet of heritage carriages and provide for future steam and diesel locomotives, the Trust plans to build a rail vehicle shed at Maymorn, Upper Hutt. Initial discussions with locomotive and carriage owning groups and individuals have identified a secure rail vehicle shed as being a minimum requirement for storage, maintenance and restoration of rail vehicles, particularly operational steam locomotives — making it a valid argument for pushing ahead with the shed at this stage of the project.
Heritage design
The shed is being modelled on the “NZR Standard Drawing Two Road Engine Shed” (CCE 18858) of 1911. A number of twin-road sheds were built to this or similar designs around the country, including (and most relevantly) Upper Hutt and Masterton, and also many other of the secondary locomotive depots such as Palmerston, Wairoa, Gisborne, Masterton, Hawera, and Cromwell.
Standard drawing — Two Road Engine Shed, CCE drawing #18858 dated 29 June 1911.
The Trust wishes the shed to conform as far as is practicable to key features of the historical design, including: roof pitch, door dimensions, style and position, barge boards and eaves. Essentially the end elevations of the shed will closely match the old design, excepting for the provision of current rail vehicle clearances at the main doors. Windows will be omitted primarily for security reasons, but also to reduce framing and joinery costs. Smoke chutes will be omitted for similar reasons. These features may be incorporated into future shed extensions, or as and when the shed sees use by steam locomotives.
Heritage carriages stored at Maymorn behind a security fence, pending fundraising for, and construction of, a rail vehicle shed. The shed site lies just beyond the current carriage storage location. Photo: Hugh McCracken.
Requirements for shed
The Trust’s current requirements are to house its fleet of five 56-foot carriages and matching guard’s van. They need protecting from the elements in order to arrest any further deterioration in condition, and to permit and facilitate future restoration and maintenance work. Whilst the carriages are currently stored behind an electrified security fence, more secure arrangements would be a dramatic (and necessary) improvement.
We also identified the need for pits, concrete floors and workshop space as a minimum requirement for maintenance and restoration activities. A floor plan was developed (included within this report) that provides sufficient space for 6 carriages and a locomotive, plus workshop space to the back of road #1, adjacent to an extensive pit facility. Thinking ahead to possible shed extensions, we also propose to embed rails in the floor of the machine shop to reduce the amount of reworking that otherwise might be required should the machine shop be relocated. The rail level in the shed will be approximately 500mm above current ground height, which will increase towards the Upper Hutt end due to the 1 in 200 gradient through the yard — as the shed and rail within will be laid level. As a result, the extent of excavation required in order to provide pits throughout the shed will be relatively minor — and about the same cost as providing rail beams and concrete floor at rail height.
We have undertaken an intensive period of design work followed, to determine how best to build the structure, as a relatively high-strength low maintenance building will be required. Two approaches to the necessary work presented themselves:
- Tendering for a complete design-and-build contract, or
- Undertaking in-house design, project management of sub-contracts, and a sizable voluntary labour contribution.
Quotations were sought, supporting documentation and evidence gathered, and funding applications prepared and submitted. The Trust will hear back on these applications in the next couple of months, and we hope to be in the position of accepting a complete design-and-build contract before the end of the year.
Maymorn Progress
Construction of pedestrian crossing
Good progress has been made in recent weeks with the pedestrian crossing near the Tranz Metro Maymorn station. To recap, the pedestrian crossing will provide a safe accessway from Parkes Line Road to the station whilst securing the site to the south and west behind 2-metre high security fences. A pair of gates will eventually be installed across future RIR main and loop track.
4 April 2006
Steve Porter and Ian Shore working on boxing on 1 April 2006, Maymorn pedestrian crossing. Photo: Hugh McCracken.
By Saturday 1 April all but one of the fence posts at the north side of the crossing had been installed, and a concrete footing was poured in preparation for a concrete footpath between the future RIR loop and the Ontrack boundary.
14 April 2006
A tall gate post was installed at the Maymorn pedestrian crossing on Thursday 13 April 2006, on which a security gate will eventually be placed. The future alignment of the loop is shown as a white dotted line heading towards the Maymorn Road underpass. The main line alignment is out of shot some 4 metres to the right. Photo: Hugh McCracken.
By 14 April all posts had been installed, including a 100mm diameter galvanised steel pipe which will be the future gate post. All boxing had been placed and secured, and the base back-filled ready for delivery of ready-mix concrete. This was delivered and placed on 19 April.
Immediately after completion of the northern crossing, a central pad was constructed, the top surface of which is at rail level — the same level as the Wairarapa mainline at this point.
19 April 2006
Ready-mix concrete being placed to form the pavement surface. Photo: Hugh McCracken.
22 April 2006
2.4 cubic metres of ready-mix concrete was placed on 19 April 2006, completing the pavement surface of the first part of the Trust’s Maymorn pedestrian crossing (centre and right). On 22 April we continued placing concrete for the middle portion of the crossing, boxing for which can be seen to the left, the loop formation running in-between. Photo: Hugh McCracken.
1 June 2006
On 1 June Glenn Fitzgerald organised some excavation work to remove blackberry, gorse and fouled spoil from the future mainline and loop formation. A small excavator and truck were used on this day. Photo: Glenn Fitzgerald.
Once the middle portion of the crossing was constructed, our attention turned to the second maze, which will be positioned on the Parkes Line Road side of the future mainline. Gorse and blackberry had been cleared from this part of the formation during last summer, but the ground was still infested with stumps, roots and organic material. A small excavator was hired to remove the spoil and establish a solid foundation.
24 June 2006
Next to receive our attention was the crossing on the Parkes Line Road side of future RIR main line. Final formation height will be close to the top of the trailer — most of the structure under construction will be underground. It has been constructed now in order to obtain the best foundations. Photo: Hugh McCracken.
The Parkes Line Road maze will essentially be a mirror image of that already built, pedestrians will pass through this on their walk to and from the Tranz Metro station platform. The maze will encourage them to look in each direction along the RIR mainline, and PW59 “Look for trains” signs will be positioned as a further safety feature. A gate post will be incorporated into the maze, and another fence will run from the post to the Trust’s station platform. Although the structure is currently elevated above ground level, this area is yet to be filled in order to formation height. Essentially the maze structure is being founded on good bearing material before any quantity of fill is placed.
One of the more unusual visitors to Maymorn in recent times — an ARTA unit headed by ADK690 on a test run from Hutt Workshops on 19 April 2006. A heavy overhaul, including fitting of fibreglass ends, was all but completed, and acceptance trials were being undertaken before returning to the Auckland Metropolitan System. Its arrival briefly interrupted concrete placement on the RIR pedestrian crossing, seen to the right.
This is almost the shape of things to come, as in 2007 one should see refurbished ex-British Rail carriages on the Wellington to Masterton route call at Maymorn station. Photo: Hugh McCracken.
Carriage compound gates
The carriage compound has received a long-awaited finishing touch — on 13 May 2006 twin pipe gates were hung on the previously installed gate posts, doing away with the temporary frame that had been placed across the opening. The Trust is thankful to Colin Craddock for fabricating the gates out of materials salvaged from a redundant security fence at Trentham. Advantage was taken of the improved access the very next week, when the first of two guard’s van modules were delivered.
Colin Craddock and Hugh McCracken fitting gates to the carriage compound on 13 May. Photo: Glenn Fitzgerald.
FM modules
Three former FM guard’s van modules were offered to the Trust in April 2006, including GM97 — originally part of FM1087, and GM96, originating from FM1070.
Possible uses the Trust envisages include:
- Site and construction office;
- Work train accommodation;
- Mobile workshop; or
- Mobile storage for compressor or generator plant.
Whilst not strictly authentic for the Rimutaka Incline route, the guard’s van modules should nonetheless prove to be useful rail vehicles for the Trust.
GM97 was transported to the Trust’s Maymorn site on Saturday 20 May 2006, and placed into storage pending necessary remedial work. Module GM96 followed shortly afterwards on Wednesday 24 May.
Guard’s module GM97 being lifted onto a truck on the banks of the Mangaroa River on Saturday 20 May 2006. Photo: Hugh McCracken.
Background history of FM guard’s vans
The FM guard’s vans first entered service on New Zealand Railways in February 1977, at a time when all trains other than local shunts were manned by guards. The “M” suffix reflected the modular construction of these vehicles, each van consisting of a stout steel underframe carrying one central GM guard’s module flanked by two LM luggage modules. NZR hoped, by utilising modular construction, to improve van availability by substituting serviceable modules for those that suffered damage or had other defects. In practice this rarely occurred, as it took a reasonable amount of effort to swap the modules.
The vans provided a substantial improvement in accommodation over the then-existing fleet, including wooden framed and clad vans dating from the early twentieth century. Gas heating and cooking facilities were provided, a small sink, retention toilets, a comfortable chair located each side of the van beside a lookout window, a desk and additional accommodation for train crews travelling to and from jobs. The FM van weighed an impressive 30.8 tonnes when fully equipped.
73 FM vans were built by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries of Japan in 1976/77, along with ten spare guard’s modules and twenty spare luggage modules. An additional 50 vans were built by Daewoo Industrial Company Limited in 1980, and entered service during 1980 and 1981.
The NZR also experimented with a 4-wheel FX class guard’s van consisting of a single GM guard’s module mounted on an NH class high-speed 4-wheel flat-top wagon. This proved to be a one-off, as guards were dissatisfied with the quality of ride.
An historical view of an FM guard’s van forming part of a Tranz Alpine train consist at Greymouth in 1989, dated by the dark blue “Intercity” livery with red stripe, DJ motive power, the footbridge and the 1980’s hair cuts. Photo: Hugh McCracken.
The FM vans date from an interesting period of NZR’s history, contemporary developments including 44 electric units built by Ganz Mavag of Hungary, thirty DF class diesel-electric locomotives built by General Motors that entered service in 1979 and 1981, 24 DSG class diesel-electric shunting locomotives built in 1981 by Toshiba Ltd of Japan, the rebuilding of 10 DB class and 85 DA class to DBR and DC class diesel-electrics, opening of the Kaimai and Porootaroa Tunnels in 1978 and 1980 respectively and the transformation of the government-run department into the state-owned enterprise “Railways Corporation” on 1 April 1982, which traded as “NZ Rail” until its later sale and further rebranding as “Tranz Rail”.
Guards and the associated guard’s vans were discontinued on freight trains in 1987 (the last being FM969 on train S-47 from Palmerston North to Wellington on 30 May 1987), resulting in mass withdrawal of guard’s vans — many of which only saw 6–10 years’ service. A small number of FM vans remain in active service with Tranz Scenic and Tranz Metro, used as originally intended for luggage and train management, but also to house generator plant providing power to carriages. A limited number of FM vans and modules are with rail heritage groups, including the experimental 4-wheel FX class van based at Ferrymead, Christchurch. Many other modules were sold into private use, as can be seen in the Wellington region at the Te Marua Speedway and on farms.
References
Quail Map Company, New Zealand Railway and Tramway Altas, 3rd edition.
Rails Magazine, March, April 1977, August, September, December 1979, March 1980, January 1981, August 1987.
New Zealand Railway Observer #165, Autumn 1981.
Rimutaka Railway
Rimutaka Incline — the world’s last Fell engine railway.
VHS: $29.95; DVD: $34.95; + $3.20 p&p
Order online at www.rimutaka-incline-railway.org.nz/shop.
Rimutaka Incline Railway display on Main Street during Upper Hutt’s 40th anniversary celebrations on 26 May 2006. Photo: Hugh McCracken.
Upper Hutt 40th Celebrations
On 26 May Upper Hutt City Council celebrated its 40th anniversary, having been proclaimed as a city on 26 May 1966. It was formerly known as the Upper Hutt Borough Council. Portions of the former Hutt County and Heretaunga/Pinehaven District Community Councils have also been incorporated into the city since then.
Main Street was closed off to vehicles to honour the occasion, and late night shoppers enjoyed many stalls, including one set up by the Trust near the Noel Leeming store. One of many street murals planned for the city was unveiled, which includes a rendition of a steam locomotive, symbolising the importance of railways to the development of the city.
The Trust had the demonstration Fell centre rail track on display, along with information about the Maymorn site, and the overall objectives of the Trust to build a heritage railway on the old route over the Rimutaka Range. The public showed a lot of interest in the display, a few stories of travel on the old line were heard, and the Fell track generated a lot of curiosity.
FRONZ Conference
The 2006 FRONZ Conference was held at Nelson over Queen’s Birthday weekend, 3-5 June. Delegates and observers came together from most of the rail groups around the country, including heritage and tourist operators, museums and groups organised to protect and conserve heritage station buildings. The conference presents a great opportunity to meet, liaise and network with like-minded folk from other groups.
Howard Phillips and Hugh McCracken were delegates for the Trust, with Steve Porter, Clark Simmonds and other members of the Trust attending in a variety of roles.
Conference session
Trust Chairperson Hugh McCracken presented a session on “E-newsletters and websites — efficiencies from multi-purposing content”. This covered the ways in which the Trust is publishing information for members, stakeholders and the general public, through its newsletter and on its website. Content may first appear in the newsletter, but is essentially ready for further publishing on the website, or for use in the Annual Report or other documents — e.g. as supporting information for a funding application. Attention was drawn to the possibility of reusing information that groups currently publish in their newsletter in order to keep their website up to date (or vice versa).
We also make the newsletter available to the public on the website after a short delay, as the information contained within it is suitable and intended for public consumption. Making this material available in this way also makes a contribution towards some of the Trust’s main objectives — to promote knowledge, facilitate research, education and interchange of information about the Rimutaka Incline Railway.
As some will have noticed, the newsletter is intended for both viewing on-screen and for printing, and stylesheets are provided for both media. Some time is taken to check that the newsletter prints reasonably well, as a sizable number are printed and distributed to stakeholders (including Councillors, officers of Councils, Department of Conservation, Historic Places Trust, Rail Heritage Trust of New Zealand, landowners and neighbours, other rail heritage groups, to name but a few...).
The session was well received, and numerous questions were fielded from those attending.
Hugh McCracken captured FRONZ delegates at the Nelson Railway, Founders Park. Pleasingly the following people can be recognised, left to right: Reid McNaught, Paul Heighton (in doorway), Peter McCallum, Grant Craig.
Field trip to Nelson Railway
On Monday 5 June we visited the Nelson Railway Society’s line located at Founder’s Park, a short walk from the conference venue. An ex-NZR Hunslet diesel shunting locomotive Dsa 262 was waiting with a short train at the Grove terminal, where the former Spring Grove station building has been relocated and restored. A short train ride later we arrived at the park, where locomotives and wagons were outside on display for the benefit of the delegates. Inside the railway’s main shed Wf 403 could be inspected, currently under overhaul for future operation on the railway. New side tanks are currently being fabricated and work will shortly start on the boiler.
FRONZ delegates on former Z wagon “party wagon” at the Nelson Railway. Photo: Hugh McCracken.
Engineering exploration
Work continues in the background on locating a connection route between Maymorn and the heritage formation. Alex Maciver and Hugh McCracken explored part of the old route between the old 23½ and 24 mile pegs on 10 June to gain a better perspective on possible connecting routes.
Uphill from Maymorn, looking towards Kaitoke, the old line crossed a gully on a deep but short embankment, curving first to the left and then to the right through a pair of 5-chain (100 metres) radius curves as it climbed out of the Mangaroa Valley at a gradient of 1 in 44. The Maymorn portal of the Rimutaka Tunnel is located in the next gully to the north (to the right distance in this view), some 40 metres lower than the old line. Photo: Hugh McCracken.
Portion of the 1885 survey of the Wairarapa Line, as it relates to the formation in the image above. The left-hand curve in the foreground of the photo is that to the lower left of the plan. Source: Archives New Zealand / Te Rua Mahara o te Kawangatanga Wellington Office: [Archives reference: ABJP W4423 sheet 24].
Members Henry Steele and Philip Valance inspect the new interpretation displayed at Cross Creek in the form of plaques affixed to longitudinal sleepers positioned on a ballast bed consisting of round river boulders. Photo: Hugh McCracken.
Visit to Cross Creek
On Wednesday 7th May a small number of members paid a visit to Cross Creek via Featherston and Western Lake Road. We timed our visit to permit travel from Wellington and the Hutt Valley by scheduled morning Tranz Metro train service to Featherston, to give an additional dimension to the journey.
The weather was cool but fine, much better than our previous visit to ‘the Creek’ in September 2005, which was aborted at the car park due to threatening rain (with hasty retreat to the safety and comfort of the Lady of Featherston cafe).
Since our last visit a number of interpretation panels have been erected, displaying information and photographs of the Cross Creek yard in its heyday. The panels were developed following a workshop facilitated by the Department of Conservation and Greater Wellington Regional Council at the Historic Places Trust’s Antrim House office, attended by both Friends of the Fell and Rimutaka Incline Railway representatives. The panels were unveiled at a ceremony held at Cross Creek to commemorate 50 years since the closure of the Rimutaka Incline on 29 October 1955.
Contacts
Full contact details may be had on the Trust’s website at www.rimutaka-incline-railway.org.nz/contacts.html
Electronic copy
An electronic copy of this newsletter will be available on the Trust’s website at www.rimutaka-incline-railway.org.nz/member-pages/newsletter-16.html from 5 August 2006. Further copies can be printed, or images viewed in colour (where applicable).
The views and opinions expressed in this newsletter are not necessarily those of the Rimutaka Incline Railway Heritage Trust.
Grateful thanks to Jean McCracken and Tim McKenzie for editorial assistance.
3 August 2006.