Methven Branch
Encyclopedia
The Methven Branch was a branch line
railway that was part of New Zealand
's national rail network
in Canterbury
. It opened in 1880 and operated until 1976.
in Rakaia
to the township of Methven
. Construction started from Rakaia in November 1878, and as the railway did not have to pass through any difficult terrain, it was built swiftly and the full 35.6 kilometre line was opened on 26 February 1880. Settlers began petitioning the government to acquire the line in 1884, and negotiations resulted in the line being incorporated into the national network in April 1885, though formal permission from the shareholders did not come until May.
T tank locomotives built by Rogers Locomotive Works and they were used to operate trains from the opening of the line. As of 13 December 1880, the government operated the Methven Branch, but the company provided the motive power and rolling stock. After the full acquisition of the line by the government in 1885, it was operated much like other rural branch lines in New Zealand, with a crew in Methven operating a daily "mixed" train of both passengers and freight to the main line junction and return. The branch's main traffic was associated with agriculture, with the main inbound freight being fertiliser and outbound being livestock, and the busiest period for goods cartage came in the 1940s when 37,000 tonnes was carried annually. Passenger numbers, however, hit their peak in the 1920s, and subsequently declined until the passenger service service was cancelled on 7 September 1958.
Methven was naturally aligned to Christchurch
and its port in Lyttelton
rather than a regional centre such as Ashburton
, and trains began operating from Christchurch rather than Methven not long before the conclusion of World War II
. AB class
steam locomotive
s were the typical form of motive power for many years on the line until it was dieselised in September 1967. Despite trains being cut to run only thrice weekly in 1969, Methven still retained a small diesel shunting locomotive in 1972. However, traffic simply was not sufficient to justify the continued existence of the line and it was closed on 31 July 1976.
and Lyndhurst. In the latter town, loading platforms built to serve sidings from the railway can still be seen at two businesses. Only one railway building now remains in Methven, though the embankment the railway used as it approached the town is still apparent. The 'Railway Reserve' in the centre of Methven is a small park adjacent to the Blue Pub and Medical Centre, which was the site of the railway station.
Branch line
A branch line is a secondary railway line which branches off a more important through route, usually a main line. A very short branch line may be called a spur line...
railway that was part of 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...
's national rail network
Rail transport in New Zealand
Rail transport in New Zealand consists of a network of gauge railway lines in both the North and South Islands. Rail services are focused primarily on freight, particularly bulk freight, with limited passenger services on some lines...
in Canterbury
Canterbury, New Zealand
The New Zealand region of Canterbury is mainly composed of the Canterbury Plains and the surrounding mountains. Its main city, Christchurch, hosts the main office of the Christchurch City Council, the Canterbury Regional Council - called Environment Canterbury - and the University of Canterbury.-...
. It opened in 1880 and operated until 1976.
Construction
In 1877, the District Railways Act was passed to enable districts to construct railway lines whose construction would not be financed by the government, and in May 1878, the Rakaia and Ashburton Forks Railway Company Ltd was established to construct a line inland from the Main South LineMain South Line
The Main South Line, sometimes referred to as part of the South Island Main Trunk Railway, is a railroad line that runs north and south from Lyttelton in New Zealand through Christchurch and along the east coast of the South Island to Invercargill via Dunedin...
in Rakaia
Rakaia
The town of Rakaia is seated close to the southern banks of the Rakaia River on the Canterbury Plains in New Zealand's South Island, on State Highway 1 and the Main South Line. Immediately north of the township are the country's longest road bridge and longest rail bridge, both of which cross the...
to the township of Methven
Methven, New Zealand
Methven is a small town in the Canterbury region of the South Island of New Zealand. It is located near the western edge of the Canterbury Plains, 35 kilometres north of Ashburton. It was originally the railhead of a short branch railway off the Main South Line...
. Construction started from Rakaia in November 1878, and as the railway did not have to pass through any difficult terrain, it was built swiftly and the full 35.6 kilometre line was opened on 26 February 1880. Settlers began petitioning the government to acquire the line in 1884, and negotiations resulted in the line being incorporated into the national network in April 1885, though formal permission from the shareholders did not come until May.
Operation
The Rakaia and Ashburton Forks Railway Company possessed two 2-4-42-4-4
In Whyte notation, a 2-4-4 is a steam locomotive with two unpowered leading wheels followed by four powered driving wheels and four unpowered trailing wheels.-Equivalent classifications:Other equivalent classifications are:...
T tank locomotives built by Rogers Locomotive Works and they were used to operate trains from the opening of the line. As of 13 December 1880, the government operated the Methven Branch, but the company provided the motive power and rolling stock. After the full acquisition of the line by the government in 1885, it was operated much like other rural branch lines in New Zealand, with a crew in Methven operating a daily "mixed" train of both passengers and freight to the main line junction and return. The branch's main traffic was associated with agriculture, with the main inbound freight being fertiliser and outbound being livestock, and the busiest period for goods cartage came in the 1940s when 37,000 tonnes was carried annually. Passenger numbers, however, hit their peak in the 1920s, and subsequently declined until the passenger service service was cancelled on 7 September 1958.
Methven was naturally aligned 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...
and its port in Lyttelton
Lyttelton, New Zealand
Lyttelton is a port town on the north shore of Lyttelton Harbour close to Banks Peninsula, a suburb of Christchurch on the eastern coast of the South Island of New Zealand....
rather than a regional centre such as Ashburton
Ashburton, New Zealand
Ashburton is a town and district in the Canterbury Region on the east coast of the South Island of New Zealand. It is the third-largest centre in Canterbury, after Christchurch and Timaru. The area around Ashburton is frequently referred to as Mid Canterbury, which is also the name of the...
, and trains began operating from Christchurch rather than Methven not long before the conclusion of 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...
. AB class
NZR 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 the typical form of motive power for many years on the line until it was dieselised in September 1967. Despite trains being cut to run only thrice weekly in 1969, Methven still retained a small diesel shunting locomotive in 1972. However, traffic simply was not sufficient to justify the continued existence of the line and it was closed on 31 July 1976.
The branch today
Remnants of closed railway lines naturally diminish and disappear over time due to both natural and human impacts, though some relics of the Methven Branch can still be found. As recently as the late 1990s, the station sign in Rakaia still stated "Rakaia: change here for Methven Branch", despite the fact passenger services on the branch had concluded roughly four decades previously, and down the south end of the yard where the branch left the main line, some rails remained in place. The line required little in the way of significant earthworks, but the formation closely followed a road known as Thompson Track out of Rakaia and can still be traced; some rails remain embedded in the road surface where Jamieson's Road meets Thompson Track. Some bridge abutments can also be sighted, and goods sheds remain in LauristonLauriston
Lauriston is an area of central Edinburgh, Scotland. The former location of the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, the area is undergoing a major re-development known as Quartermile...
and Lyndhurst. In the latter town, loading platforms built to serve sidings from the railway can still be seen at two businesses. Only one railway building now remains in Methven, though the embankment the railway used as it approached the town is still apparent. The 'Railway Reserve' in the centre of Methven is a small park adjacent to the Blue Pub and Medical Centre, which was the site of the railway station.
Resources
- An Ab locomotive and train approaching Rakaia on the Methven-Rakaia Branch c1940 (photo)
- Churchman, Geoffrey B., and Hurst, Tony; The Railways Of New Zealand: A Journey Through History, HarperCollins Publishers (New Zealand), 1991 reprint
- Leitch, David, and Scott, Brian; Exploring New Zealand's Ghost Railways, Grantham House, 1998 revised edition