Ferrymead Railway
Encyclopedia
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...
heritage railway
Rail transport
Rail transport is a means of conveyance of passengers and goods by way of wheeled vehicles running on rail tracks. In contrast to road transport, where vehicles merely run on a prepared surface, rail vehicles are also directionally guided by the tracks they run on...
built upon the formation of New Zealand's first public railway, the line from Ferrymead
Ferrymead
-Geography:Ferrymead is located on the Avon Heathcote Estuary, close to the point where the Heathcote River drains into the estuary, and three km west of the eventual outflow into Pegasus Bay. To the north lie the oxidation ponds from Christchurch's main sewage treatment works, which are within a...
to Christchurch
Christchurch
Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the country's second-largest urban area after Auckland. It lies one third of the way down the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula which itself, since 2006, lies within the formal limits of...
, which opened in 1863. On the opening of the line to Lyttelton on 9 December 1867, the Ferrymead Railway became the Ferrymead Branch and was closed shortly thereafter. In 1964, rail enthusiasts began relaying track on the historic formation and the Ferrymead Railway officially opened in 1977. It now operates steam, diesel and electric trains regularly and is recognised throughout as one of the most significant rail preservation sites in New Zealand.
Early history
The original line was built to the Canterbury Provincial RailwaysCanterbury Provincial Railways
The Canterbury Provincial Railways were an early part of the railways of New Zealand. Built by the Canterbury Provincial government to the broad gauge of 5 feet 3 inches , the railway reached most of the Canterbury region by the time the province was abolished in 1876...
broad gauge
Irish gauge
Irish gauge railways use a track gauge of . It is used in* Ireland * Australia where it is also known as Victorian Broad Gauge* Brazil where it is also known as Bitola larga no Brasil....
of to suit rolling stock imported from the Melbourne and Essendon Railway Company
Melbourne and Essendon Railway Company
The Melbourne and Essendon Railway Company built a railway line from North Melbourne in Melbourne, Australia to Essendon in 1860. It subsequently built a branch line from Newmarket to Flemington Racecourse in 1861...
in the Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n state of Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
. It serviced ships which docked at the Ferrymead wharf. Construction of the Lyttelton rail tunnel
Lyttelton rail tunnel
The Lyttelton Rail Tunnel, initially called the Moorhouse Tunnel, links the city of Christchurch with the port of Lyttelton in the Canterbury region of New Zealand’s South Island. It is the country’s oldest operational rail tunnel, and is on one of the first railway lines in the district...
to the port of Lyttelton was in progress: when this was finished in 1867, the line to Ferrymead became a branch and thereafter carried little traffic. After 27 July 1868, the line was used simply as a siding, by which time the Ferrymead station buildings had been relocated to Christchurch and Heathcote (station). It therefore holds the interesting distinction of being the first railway in New Zealand to be both opened and closed.
The Museum of Science and Industry, as it was then called, began in Christchurch in the early 1960s when a group of like-minded individuals banded together to set up a pilot project at Garvins Road in Hornby. At that time the Canterbury Branch NZRLS
Canterbury Railway Society
The Canterbury Railway Society is an organisation of railway enthusiasts based in the Canterbury region of New Zealand's South Island.-Beginnings:...
applied to 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...
to lease part of the old Southbridge Branch at Prebbleton. When this was turned down, Ferrymead became a serious possibility. The Museum of Science and Industry and the Canterbury Branch decided that the historical Ferrymead site was ideal as a base for its operations. The centenary of the original line was commemorated in 1963 and the beginnings of the present Ferrymead Railway date to November 1964.
Ferrymead Historic Park
It was decided that the plans for the site, which was later named Ferrymead Historic Park, should include both railway and tram tracks, the latter operated by the Tramway Historical Society, linking the entrance with a historical village development. The Canterbury Branch started construction of the Ferrymead Railway with the necessary infrastructure and facilities including the workshop, engine shed, stations, signalling systems and other facilities. The Railway began to operate trains during 1972 and was officially opened in 1977. Up to that time, locomotives and rolling stock were transported to the site by truck. In 1978, the track was extended to permit a temporary connection with the New Zealand Railways main line near Heathcote, and this permitted the largest locomotives, the Vulcan railcars and other rolling stock to enter the Ferrymead site. The arrival of the Vulcans, the first real example of economical diesel motive power, allowed Saturday services and steam substitution to become a reality.During the late 1970s, construction began on the electrified section of the railway, using materials and equipment obtained from the former electric mainlines between Christchurch and Lyttelton, and Arthur's Pass and Otira. Following the withdrawal of the DG class diesel-electric locomotives by NZR in 1983, a separate society, the Diesel Traction Group, was formed to preserve one of the class at Ferrymead and subsequently purchased DE and DI class members. In 1988, the Ferrymead Railway was an integral and key part of the Ferrymead 125 anniversary celebrations, which saw passenger train shuttles operated daily direct between Christchurch and Ferrymead via a mainline connection, returning via Lyttelton. Locomotives and rolling stock also left Ferrymead by rail to participate in other parts of the rail festival, including several mainline excursions. DM and D class electric multiple units from Wellington arrived at Ferrymead just after the 125 Festival.
In 1990 there was another steam festival in conjunction with the New Zealand sesquicentennial
Sesqui 1990
Sesqui 1990 was a festival that was staged in February 1990 in the city of Wellington, New Zealand. A spectacular commercial and administrative failure, the Sesqui event has subsequently become an icon of corporate mismanagement within New Zealand popular culture.- History :Billed by promoters as...
, as well as a Vulcan Railcar tour of the South Island using RM 51 and RM 56. Also in that year, the NZRLS Canterbury Branch was reconstituted as the Canterbury Railway Society. Restructuring of New Zealand Railways, which had begun in the early 1980s, resulted in the closure of various local railway facilities and produced further opportunities for the Canterbury Railway Society to acquire additional equipment. Changes in employment law and its consequent effect on New Zealand society after 1990 had major impacts on nearly every railway preservation organisation in New Zealand in terms of voluntary labour supply. The economic recession of 1991 also had its effect upon the Society. Ferrymead Heritage Park was also in financial trouble as a result of the economic downturn and a dropoff in Park visitors. This era ushered in a number of changes for rail preservation groups including the introduction of new safety systems under the Land Transport Safety Authority.
Present day
In 1995, Ferrymead Historic Park was taken over by the Christchurch City Council when its financial losses became unsustainable. Since that time there have been a number of changes in the way that the Park is run, with a greater reliance on voluntary labour. The Ferrymead Railway now operates a more limited running season to take into account the reduction in visitor numbers during the winter months and to allow for track and rolling stock maintenance as required. A feature of recent years has been the Waipara Vintage Festivals held every second year from 1995. Ferrymead Railway and Diesel Traction Group locomotives and carriages have participated in each of these steam-based festivals, held on the Weka Pass RailwayWeka Pass Railway
The Weka Pass Railway is a New Zealand heritage railway based in Waipara, North Canterbury. It is operated on a 12 km length of the former Waiau Branch railway between Waipara and Waikari. The railway is operated by an incorporated society whose members come from all walks of life and are largely...
, except for the 2003 event.
In 2005 plans for a National Rail Museum were revealed. Construction of the first stage will cost approximately $3.5 million. Other plans include the electrification between Moorhouse and Ferrymead stations, and extending the line from Moorhouse to a new Valley Station.
Future plans are to connect the electrification
Electrification
Electrification originally referred to the build out of the electrical generating and distribution systems which occurred in the United States, England and other countries from the mid 1880's until around 1940 and is in progress in developing countries. This also included the change over from line...
to the main line on 1.5 v to drive EW 1805 to Addington Station.