Friday 11 November 2011

The Palmerston North–Gisborne Line (Part 2)

Continuing from our previous article here are more features of the line. As the Gisborne section includes two branches, these are also detailed.

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Heading out of Napier there are industrial sidings at Pandora. The route then turns north to cross the Westshore Bridge which is a side by side road-rail structure. The road portion was bypassed with another bridge about 20 years ago. North of Napier is Bay View with a question mark indicating the assumed location of a ballast pit.

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As the line heads inland and country gets more difficult the first tunnels since Woodville are encountered. At Kahika, the highway was recently deviated onto a new bridge next to the Matahorua Viaduct.

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Near Raupunga, at 97 metres the Mohaka Viaduct is the highest in NZ. Wairoa is a junction of the abandoned inland route via Ngatapa. Some formation works (green) were undertaken to Frasertown. Nearby is a freezing works siding.

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Nuhaka is near the coast. The Nuhaka River rail bridge east of the station collapsed several years ago while being repaired, its piers eaten away by the teredo worm. A double horseshoe curve is encountered at Waikokopu, site of an early harbour development now abandoned.

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The Kopuawhara Monument was erected in 1942 at the scene of a flash flood that claimed the lives of 21 railway construction workers. The ? symbol indicates the approximate location of Tunnel 24 which was bypassed after it collapsed.

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The lengthy Waipaoa River Bridge had to be extended in 1988 after it was washed out by flooding. Nearby is a sawmill siding. Gisborne has the only railway line crossing an airport runway in New Zealand. Another siding is just to the south.

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The Moutohora Branch joined the main line 1.7 km from Gisborne. This was intended to link up with the East Coast Main Trunk at Taneatua but the route was never completed. The Ngatapa Branch left the Moutohora Branch at Makaraka, site of the East Coast Museum of Transport and Technology.

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The Gentle Annie Tramway was operated by Gisborne City Council until 1917. Above is shown the site of a bridge that crossed now-disused riverbed. The Ngatapa Branch reached its terminus at 18.5 km. The plan for this to be the main line south to Wairoa was abandoned due to unstable land and the branch closed 1931.

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The Moutohora Branch crossed the Waipaoa River near a freezing works site. The first two tunnels (triangle symbol) on the Moutohora Branch are between Waipaoa and Puha. Part of Tunnel 2 has been demolished.

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Tunnel No.3 took the Moutohora Branch under a disused former section of the highway. This tunnel was recently reopened. Just south of Matawai is Tunnel No.4 on the Moutohora Branch.

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The centre span of the Motu River Bridge is still in place just south of Moutohora. Gisborne station yards and the site of the Gisborne City Vintage Railway.

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Gisborne Port was served by a short branch that crossed over the river and connected numerous industrial sidings. The bridge and track remain today. Nearby was a tramway.