New Plymouth Express
Encyclopedia
The New Plymouth Express was a passenger express train
operated by the New Zealand Railways Department
(NZR) between Wellington
and New Plymouth
. It ran from 1886 until 1955 and was sometimes known as the New Plymouth Mail due to the Railway Travelling Post Office carriages included in its consist. The Express was notable amongst NZR's provincial expresses as being both the first and, until the commencement of the Gisborne Express in 1942, the longest in distance travelled.
and New Plymouth, with a short branch from Aramoho to Wanganui
. A year and a half later, on 3 November 1886, the privately-owned Wellington and Manawatu Railway Company opened from Wellington to Longburn
, a small village just south of Palmerston North, where it interchanged with NZR. This allowed a direct train to be run between Wellington and New Plymouth; this also formed part of a newer, quicker route to Auckland through connections with steamers between New Plymouth and Auckland's Onehunga
Wharf.
station in Wellington at 7am on Tuesdays and Fridays, with NZR's southbound service departing New Plymouth at the same time; the two trains met at Longburn, where passengers had to change. The WMR introduced dining car
s not long after it began operating, but NZR trains made refreshment stops at Halcombe
and Patea
.
In 1901, NZR and the WMR co-operated to accelerate the train by eliminating the change of trains at Longburn. By this stage, the train ran every day except Sunday, and on four days a week NZR's train ran all the way through to Wellington, while on the other two days the WMR's train ran to New Plymouth. This cut the travelling time down to 12 hours and 50 minutes, and in 1902, NZR eliminated refreshment stops by introducing dining cars of its own. The Express was the second train in New Zealand to be equipped with dining cars, after the South Express, and thus the first in the North Island
.
On 7 December 1908 the WMR was acquired by NZR, although the already established practice of through running meant this acquisition had little effect on the Express, except for some changes to the Railway Travelling Post Office and the north- and southbound trains crossing at Marton
rather than Longburn. A more dramatic change for the Express was the 1908 opening of the North Island Main Trunk Railway, providing a more direct and quicker route between Wellington and Auckland than the combination of the Express and Onehunga steamship. Another change was forced on the train in 1917 by restrictions due to World War I
: refreshment stops were re-introduced when the dining cars were withdrawn, never to return.
In 1925, AB class
steam locomotive
s were allocated to the Express, allowing its journey time to be reduced from 12 hours to 9 hours 38 minutes. Although the Express had always been augmented by slower mixed train
s, the Taranaki Flyer
was introduced in 1926 as an alternative service between Wanganui and New Plymouth, and in April 1938 the RM class
Standard
railcar
s began operating an evening service between Wellington and New Plymouth. The railcars eventually took over from the Express, but not for almost two decades. During the 1930s, the Great Depression
impacted the Express's loadings, reducing it from nine or ten carriages to only six, but as the economy improved it expanded to eight or nine carriages by the start of World War II
, equipped with the most modern carriages. During the War, the Express's carriages were dispersed and it ran with a wide variety of rolling stock; this situation was not rectified until it was re-equipped in 1948. The Turakina Deviation on the Marton - New Plymouth Line opened in 1947, allowing the journey time to be reduced to 9.25 hours.
and 17
hauled the train over the hilly section between Wellington and Paekakariki
, sometimes banked
by No. 3 "Jumbo"
. From Paekakariki to Longburn, Nos. 19 and 20
took the train across the plains of the Kapiti Coast
and Horowhenua. After the WMR was acquired by NZR, Nos. 19 and 20, now classified as UD class, worked the train through to Marton for a few years before being replaced by A class
locomotives.
Tank locomotive
s were the primary motive power on the Marton - New Plymouth Line for many years. These included E
, M, WA, WB
, WD
, WF
, and WW classes at various times between 1886 and 1925, plus BB
class tender locomotive
s. 1925 saw AB class tender engines used throughout, and in the late 1930s the K
and KA
classes were phased in, followed by the JA class
after WWII. The final regular steam-hauled Express was hauled by JA 1289.
When the K and KA locomotives were introduced, The Ferry was retained. However in later years the locomotive change took place in Palmerston North, with the same locomotive running the train between New Plymouth and Palmerston North. This eliminated the locomotive workings around which The Ferry was based, and it was replaced with a bus service.
were introduced, allowing redeployed Standard railcars to replace the Express. This took effect on 31 October 1955, with the journey accelerated to be quickened to 7.25 hours. As the 88-seater fleet expanded, they joined the Standards on the Wellington-New Plymouth run and operated it until 17 December 1972. In 1968 three 88-seaters were extensively refurbished and renamed "Blue Streaks" because of their distinctive paint scheme, and in 1972 they were allocated to the Wellington-New Plymouth service. The Blue Streaks operated the Express's former run while unrefurbished 88-seaters continued on the evening service, which was reduced to running on Fridays and Sundays. The evening service was soon withdrawn, and the Blue Streaks were cancelled on 30 July 1977.
Express train
Express trains are a form of rail service. Express trains make only a small number of stops, instead of stopping at every single station...
operated by 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...
(NZR) between Wellington
Wellington
Wellington is the capital city and third most populous urban area of New Zealand, although it is likely to have surpassed Christchurch due to the exodus following the Canterbury Earthquake. It is at the southwestern tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range...
and New Plymouth
New Plymouth
New Plymouth is the major city of the Taranaki Region on the west coast of the North Island of New Zealand. It is named after Plymouth, Devon, England, from where the first English settlers migrated....
. It ran from 1886 until 1955 and was sometimes known as the New Plymouth Mail due to the Railway Travelling Post Office carriages included in its consist. The Express was notable amongst NZR's provincial expresses as being both the first and, until the commencement of the Gisborne Express in 1942, the longest in distance travelled.
Introduction
On 23 March 1885, NZR opened the railway line between Palmerston NorthPalmerston North
Palmerston North is the main city of the Manawatu-Wanganui region of the North Island of New Zealand. It is an inland city with a population of and is the country's seventh largest city and eighth largest urban area. Palmerston North is located in the eastern Manawatu Plains near the north bank...
and New Plymouth, with a short branch from Aramoho to Wanganui
Wanganui
Whanganui , also spelled Wanganui, is an urban area and district on the west coast of the North Island of New Zealand. It is part of the Manawatu-Wanganui region....
. A year and a half later, on 3 November 1886, the privately-owned Wellington and Manawatu Railway Company opened from Wellington to Longburn
Longburn
Longburn is a rural settlement just outside of Palmerston North in the Manawatu-Wanganui area of New Zealand. Made up of large dairy processing plants Longburn is often mistaken to be a small township and not seen as a large satellite town of Palmerston North...
, a small village just south of Palmerston North, where it interchanged with NZR. This allowed a direct train to be run between Wellington and New Plymouth; this also formed part of a newer, quicker route to Auckland through connections with steamers between New Plymouth and Auckland's Onehunga
Onehunga
Onehunga is a suburb of Auckland City, New Zealand and the location of the Port of Onehunga, the city's small port on the Manukau Harbour. It is eight kilometres south of the city centre, close to the volcanic cone of One Tree Hill, Maungakiekie....
Wharf.
Operation
The earliest incarnation of the Express took 14 hours 50 minutes to complete its journey, with a change of trains at Longburn. It began operating from the start of December 1886 and ran twice weekly. Its northbound run left the WMR's ThorndonThorndon
Thorndon is an inner suburb of Wellington, the capital city of New Zealand. It combines residential accommodation and the home of government, and is located at the northern end of the Central Business District...
station in Wellington at 7am on Tuesdays and Fridays, with NZR's southbound service departing New Plymouth at the same time; the two trains met at Longburn, where passengers had to change. The WMR introduced dining car
Dining car
A dining car or restaurant carriage , also diner, is a railroad passenger car that serves meals in the manner of a full-service, sit-down restaurant....
s not long after it began operating, but NZR trains made refreshment stops at Halcombe
Halcombe
Halcombe is a small settlement in the Manawatu-Wanganui region of the North Island, New Zealand. It is situated 10 km north west of Feilding and 4 km east of the Rangitikei River....
and Patea
Patea
Patea is the third-largest town in South Taranaki, New Zealand. It is on the western bank of the Patea River, 61 kilometres north-west of Wanganui on State Highway 3. Hawera is 27 km to the north-west, and Waverley 17 km to the east. The Patea River flows through the town from the...
.
In 1901, NZR and the WMR co-operated to accelerate the train by eliminating the change of trains at Longburn. By this stage, the train ran every day except Sunday, and on four days a week NZR's train ran all the way through to Wellington, while on the other two days the WMR's train ran to New Plymouth. This cut the travelling time down to 12 hours and 50 minutes, and in 1902, NZR eliminated refreshment stops by introducing dining cars of its own. The Express was the second train in New Zealand to be equipped with dining cars, after the South Express, and thus the first in the North Island
North Island
The North Island is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, separated from the much less populous South Island by Cook Strait. The island is in area, making it the world's 14th-largest island...
.
On 7 December 1908 the WMR was acquired by NZR, although the already established practice of through running meant this acquisition had little effect on the Express, except for some changes to the Railway Travelling Post Office and the north- and southbound trains crossing at Marton
Marton, New Zealand
Marton is the hub of the Rangitikei district of the Manawatu-Wanganui region of New Zealand's North Island. It is situated 35 kilometres southeast of Wanganui and 40 kilometres northwest of Palmerston North. The population was 4752 .-History:...
rather than Longburn. A more dramatic change for the Express was the 1908 opening of the North Island Main Trunk Railway, providing a more direct and quicker route between Wellington and Auckland than the combination of the Express and Onehunga steamship. Another change was forced on the train in 1917 by restrictions due to World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
: refreshment stops were re-introduced when the dining cars were withdrawn, never to return.
In 1925, 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 allocated to the Express, allowing its journey time to be reduced from 12 hours to 9 hours 38 minutes. Although the Express had always been augmented by slower mixed train
Mixed train
A mixed train is a train that hauls both passenger and freight cars or wagons. In the early days of railways they were quite common, but by the 20th century they were largely confined to branch lines with little traffic. As the trains provided passengers with very slow service, mixed trains have...
s, the Taranaki Flyer
Taranaki Flyer
The Taranaki Flyer was the name given to a passenger train that was operated by the New Zealand Railways Department between Wanganui and New Plymouth.- Introduction :...
was introduced in 1926 as an alternative service between Wanganui and New Plymouth, and in April 1938 the RM class
NZR RM class
The RM class is the classification used by the New Zealand Railways Department and its successors given to most railcars and railbuses that have operated on New Zealand's national rail network. As NZR and its successors has operated many diverse types of railcars, alternate names have been given...
Standard
NZR RM class (Standard)
The NZR RM class Standard railcars were a class of railcar operated by the New Zealand Railways Department in the North Island of New Zealand. Officially classified as RM like all other railcar classes in New Zealand, they acquired the designation of 'Standard' to differentiate them from others...
railcar
Railcar
A railcar, in British English and Australian English, is a self-propelled railway vehicle designed to transport passengers. The term "railcar" is usually used in reference to a train consisting of a single coach , with a driver's cab at one or both ends. Some railways, e.g., the Great Western...
s began operating an evening service between Wellington and New Plymouth. The railcars eventually took over from the Express, but not for almost two decades. During the 1930s, the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
impacted the Express's loadings, reducing it from nine or ten carriages to only six, but as the economy improved it expanded to eight or nine carriages by the start 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...
, equipped with the most modern carriages. During the War, the Express's carriages were dispersed and it ran with a wide variety of rolling stock; this situation was not rectified until it was re-equipped in 1948. The Turakina Deviation on the Marton - New Plymouth Line opened in 1947, allowing the journey time to be reduced to 9.25 hours.
Motive power
The WMR typically operated the New Plymouth Express with its premier locomotives: Nos. 16NZR Oc class
The OC class, built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works for the Wellington and Manawatu Railway in New Zealand, consists of a solitary steam locomotive. Ordered in 1896 as an externally similar but more powerful version of the OA class locomotive ordered in 1894, it entered service in June 1897 as No....
and 17
NZR Bc class
The BC class comprised a single steam locomotive that operated on New Zealand's national rail network. Built for the Wellington and Manawatu Railway and classified simply as No...
hauled the train over the hilly section between Wellington and Paekakariki
Paekakariki
Paekakariki is a town in the Kapiti Coast District in the south-western North Island of New Zealand. It is 22 km north of Porirua and 45 km north-east of Wellington, the nation's capital city....
, sometimes banked
Bank engine
A bank engine or helper engine or pusher engine is a railway locomotive that temporarily assists a train that requires additional power or traction to climb a grade...
by No. 3 "Jumbo"
NZR WJ class
The NZR WJ class was a class of one steam locomotive built by Baldwin Locomotive Works for service on New Zealand's private Wellington and Manawatu Railway . She acquired the WJ classification when the publicly owned New Zealand Railways Department purchased the WMR and its locomotive fleet in...
. From Paekakariki to Longburn, Nos. 19 and 20
NZR UD class
The NZR UD class was a class of two 4-6-0 steam locomotivesbuilt by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1904 for the Wellington and Manawatu Railway Company...
took the train across the plains of the Kapiti Coast
Kapiti Coast
The Kapiti Coast is the name of the section of the coast of the south-western North Island of New Zealand that is north of Wellington and opposite Kapiti Island. It falls under the jurisdiction of the Wellington Regional Council...
and Horowhenua. After the WMR was acquired by NZR, Nos. 19 and 20, now classified as UD class, worked the train through to Marton for a few years before being replaced by A class
NZR A class (1906)
The A class were steam locomotives built in 1906 with a 4-6-2 wheel arrangement for New Zealand's national railway network, and described by some as the most handsome engines to run on New Zealand rails. The class should not be confused with the older and more obscure A class of 1873. They were...
locomotives.
Tank locomotive
Tank locomotive
A tank locomotive or tank engine is a steam locomotive that carries its water in one or more on-board water tanks, instead of pulling it behind it in a tender. It will most likely also have some kind of bunker to hold the fuel. There are several different types of tank locomotive dependent upon...
s were the primary motive power on the Marton - New Plymouth Line for many years. These included E
NZR E class (1872)
The NZR E class of Double Fairlie steam locomotives were two different types of Fairlie locomotive, and were the first classes to take that designation, followed by the E class Mallet compound locomotive of 1906 and then the E class battery electric locomotive of 1922...
, M, WA, WB
NZR Wb class
The NZR WB class was a class of tank locomotives that operated in New Zealand. Built in 1898 by the Baldwin Locomotive Works, the twelve members of the class entered service during the first five months of 1899...
, WD
NZR Wd class
The NZR WD class was a class of tank locomotive built by Baldwin Locomotive Works to operate on New Zealand's national rail network. Essentially a more advanced version of 1898's WB class, the eighteen members of the WD class were ordered in 1901 and most entered service that year, though three...
, WF
NZR Wf class
The NZR WF class were steam locomotives designed, built and used by New Zealand Railways Department. Their wheel arrangement is described by the Whyte notation 2-6-4T and the first members of the class entered service in 1904. The locomotives were tank engines designed by the Railways Department's...
, and WW classes at various times between 1886 and 1925, plus BB
NZR Bb class
The BB class of steam locomotives comprised 30 engines operated by New Zealand Railways in the North Island of New Zealand. Similar in design and appearance to the preceding B and BA classes, the first BB class locomotive entered service in February 1915, with the last to commence operations doing...
class tender locomotive
Tender locomotive
A tender or coal-car is a special rail vehicle hauled by a steam locomotive containing the locomotive's fuel and water. Steam locomotives consume large quantities of water compared to the quantity of fuel, so tenders are necessary to keep the locomotive running over long distances. A locomotive...
s. 1925 saw AB class tender engines used throughout, and in the late 1930s the K
NZR K class (1932)
The NZR K class of 1932 was a class of mixed traffic 4-8-4 steam locomotives that operated on New Zealand's railway network. The locomotives were developed following the failure of the G class Garratts...
and KA
NZR Ka class
The NZR KA class of 1939 was a class of mixed traffic 4-8-4 steam locomotives that operated on New Zealand's railway network. They were built after the success of the K class to meet the increasing traffic demands of the New Zealand Railways Department...
classes were phased in, followed by the JA class
NZR Ja class
The NZR JA class were a type of 4-8-2 steam locomotive used on the New Zealand railway network. The class was built in two batches, with the second batch possessing some differences from the first...
after WWII. The final regular steam-hauled Express was hauled by JA 1289.
The Ferry
The Ferry was a short twice-daily passenger service between Wanganui and Aramoho on the main line, where the Express stopped. During the era of the AB class working the Express locomotives were changed at Aramoho, and The Ferry was closely tied to this procedure. The first Ferry of the day from Wanganui met the southbound Express to Wellington at Aramoho. The Ferry's AB and any carriages from Wanganui for Wellington were attached to the Express, and the Express's AB and any New Plymouth carriages for Wanganui were detached. The Express continued south, while its original engine hauled The Ferry back to Wanganui. This engine and The Ferry returned to Aramoho to meet the northbound Express to New Plymouth, where the engine and any Wanganui carriages for New Plymouth were attached to the Express after the Express's AB and any Wellington carriages for Wanganui were detached. The Express then continued to New Plymouth, headed by the engine that had hauled the southbound Express to Aramoho and the Ferry to Wanganui and back, while the engine from Wellington took the final Ferry of the day to Wanganui.When the K and KA locomotives were introduced, The Ferry was retained. However in later years the locomotive change took place in Palmerston North, with the same locomotive running the train between New Plymouth and Palmerston North. This eliminated the locomotive workings around which The Ferry was based, and it was replaced with a bus service.
Replacement
The demise of the Express came in 1955. That year the 88-seater railcarsNZR RM class (88 seater)
The NZR RM class 88-seaters were a class of railcar used in New Zealand, known unofficially as 'articulateds', 'twinsets', 'Drewrys' and 'Fiats'. They were purchased to replace steam-hauled provincial passenger trains and mixed trains...
were introduced, allowing redeployed Standard railcars to replace the Express. This took effect on 31 October 1955, with the journey accelerated to be quickened to 7.25 hours. As the 88-seater fleet expanded, they joined the Standards on the Wellington-New Plymouth run and operated it until 17 December 1972. In 1968 three 88-seaters were extensively refurbished and renamed "Blue Streaks" because of their distinctive paint scheme, and in 1972 they were allocated to the Wellington-New Plymouth service. The Blue Streaks operated the Express's former run while unrefurbished 88-seaters continued on the evening service, which was reduced to running on Fridays and Sundays. The evening service was soon withdrawn, and the Blue Streaks were cancelled on 30 July 1977.