Waitara Railway Preservation Society
Encyclopedia
The Waitara Railway Preservation Society is a society established in 1999 to operate a heritage railway over the former Waitara Branch Railway that operated between Lepperton
and Waitara
in the New Plymouth District
of New Zealand
's North Island
. The line had been closed that year after 124 years of operation, after the closure of the local AFFCO
freezing works in the town.
at Big Jim's Overpass. Finally, the line drops into the Wairata Valley and into the township of Waitara, finishing just before the Waitara River
.
In Waitara, most of the infustructure is gone with only the main line and one loop remaining in the yard. The former Tahora station has been relocated to Waitara Road , where the societys rolling stock is stored. The site of the Lepperton railway station & yard is still owned and operated by Kiwirail
, where the station building was removed in 1994
Locomotives formerly owned/leased by the society include:
consists of both passenger carriages and freight wagons, and is either owned outright by the society or is leased from the New Zealand Rail Heritage Trust.
Lepperton
Lepperton is a small village in north Taranaki, New Zealand. It is approximately 6 km inland from Waitara township, 5 km west of the Waitara River, and 1 km east of State Highway 3A, which connects Inglewood to Waitara....
and Waitara
Waitara, New Zealand
Waitara is the name of a town and a river in the northern part of the Taranaki Region of the North Island of New Zealand. Waitara is located just off State Highway 3, 15 km northeast of New Plymouth....
in the New Plymouth District
New Plymouth District
New Plymouth District is one of the districts of New Zealand. It includes the city of New Plymouth and smaller towns such as Inglewood and Waitara....
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 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...
. The line had been closed that year after 124 years of operation, after the closure of the local AFFCO
AFFCO Holdings
AFFCO Holdings Limited, commonly referred to as AFFCO, is one of New Zealand's leading meat companies, having operated in this competitive and innovative sector of New Zealand’s primary sector since 1904....
freezing works in the town.
The preserved line
The preserved line begins at the northern end of the Lepperton Railway Yards (just past the main line turnout) and continues parallel to the Marton - New Plymouth Railway for a few hundred metres before turning right towards the Waiongana Stream. After crossing the stream the line runs to the former Waitara Road stating in Brixton. The line continues from here towards Waitara, passing underneath State Highway 3New Zealand State Highway 3
State Highway 3 is one of New Zealand's eight national highways. It serves the west coast of the country's North Island and forms a link between State Highway 1 and State Highway 2...
at Big Jim's Overpass. Finally, the line drops into the Wairata Valley and into the township of Waitara, finishing just before the Waitara River
Waitara River
The source of the Waitara River lies in the very steep hill country to the east of Mount Taranaki/Egmont, near Tahora. After proceeding in a southwesterly direction toward Central Taranaki, the river abruptly turns to flow in a northeasterly direction to the Tasman Sea: meeting it at the coastal...
.
In Waitara, most of the infustructure is gone with only the main line and one loop remaining in the yard. The former Tahora station has been relocated to Waitara Road , where the societys rolling stock is stored. The site of the Lepperton railway station & yard is still owned and operated by Kiwirail
KiwiRail
KiwiRail Holdings Limited is the rail operations subsidiary of the New Zealand Railways Corporation, which trades as KiwiRail. Headquartered in Wellington, New Zealand, KiwiRail is the largest rail transport operator in New Zealand. Since July 2010 John Spencer has been the Chairman...
, where the station building was removed in 1994
Locomotives
The Waitara Railway Preservation Society owns a number of diesel shunting locomotives, either operational or awaiting restoration. These include:- DrewryDrewry Car Co.Drewry Car Co, strictly speaking, was a railway locomotive and railcar sales organisation for most of its life. Only at the start and the end of its life did it build its own products, relying on sub-contractors for the rest of its time...
0-4-00-4-0Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 0-4-0 represents one of the simplest possible types, that with two axles and four coupled wheels, all of which are driven...
Makers number 2507, diesel locomotive built in 1954 for Northland Fertiliser Co, Whangarei - Dsa 240 0-6-00-6-0Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 0-6-0 represents the wheel arrangement of no leading wheels, six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles, and no trailing wheels...
diesel locomotive, built by BagnallW.G. BagnallW. G. Bagnall was a locomotive manufacturer from Stafford, England. It was founded in 1875 by William Gordon Bagnall and ceased trading in 1962 when it was taken over by English Electric Co Ltd. The company was located at the Castle Engine Works, in Castle Town, Stafford...
in 1956 - Dsc 453NZR DSC classThe NZR DSC class is a heavy shunting locomotive used throughout New Zealand. The class was built in seven batches, the first 18 locomotives being built by British Thomson-Houston of the United Kingdom, with the remainder being built by New Zealand Railways....
Bo-BoBo-BoA Bo-Bo or Bo′Bo′ is a locomotive with two independent four-wheeled bogies with all axles powered by individual traction motors...
diesel locomotive, built by NZR Addinton WorkshopsAddington WorkshopsThe Addington Railway Workshops was a major railway facility established in the Christchurch suburb of Addington in May 1880 by the New Zealand Railways Department. The workshops were previously in Carlyle Street and closed in 1990.-Description:...
in 1966 - Tr 108NZR TR classThe NZR TR class is a class of diesel shunting locomotives built by many different manufacturers. Many of these locomotives have been withdrawn, but some are still in service. The first locomotives of this class were built by the Drewry Car Co in 1936, and had 52 kW or 90 kW petrol engines...
0-4-00-4-0Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 0-4-0 represents one of the simplest possible types, that with two axles and four coupled wheels, all of which are driven...
diesel locomotive, built by A & G Price Ltd in 1957
Locomotives formerly owned/leased by the society include:
- BagnallW.G. BagnallW. G. Bagnall was a locomotive manufacturer from Stafford, England. It was founded in 1875 by William Gordon Bagnall and ceased trading in 1962 when it was taken over by English Electric Co Ltd. The company was located at the Castle Engine Works, in Castle Town, Stafford...
0-6-00-6-0Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 0-6-0 represents the wheel arrangement of no leading wheels, six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles, and no trailing wheels...
Makers number 3144, diesel locomotive built in 1958 for Portland Cement (numbered PC11). Now with The Taranaki Flyer Society Incorporated. - FA 250 0-6-20-6-2Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 0-6-2 represents the wheel arrangement of no leading wheels, six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles, and two trailing wheels on one axle...
T steam locomotive, built 1892, leased from the Waikato branch of the NZR&LSNew Zealand Railway and Locomotive SocietyThe New Zealand Railway and Locomotive Society Inc is a society of railway enthusiasts, based in Wellington.The Society publishes a magazine, the New Zealand Railway Observer and a newsletter Turntable. The Society publishes books on railway subjects. There are currently about 25 books available,...
Rolling stock
The WRPS's collection of rolling stockRolling stock
Rolling stock comprises all the vehicles that move on a railway. It usually includes both powered and unpowered vehicles, for example locomotives, railroad cars, coaches and wagons...
consists of both passenger carriages and freight wagons, and is either owned outright by the society or is leased from the New Zealand Rail Heritage Trust.
Operation
Trains are run thrice daily from Waitara to Lepperton and return. The trip takes 45 minutes return, including a stop at The Former Tahora Station on the return journey for refreshments. The railway also offers charter services by arrangement.External links
- Official website of the Waitara Railway Preservation Society
- Personal View of the Waitara Railway Preservation Society Inc
- http://www.facebook.com/pages/Waitara-Railway-Preservation-Society-Inc/183151155041934Waitara Railway Preservation Society's FacebookFacebookFacebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
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