Branch Lines Becoming A Memory

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30710, 27 March 1965, Page 5

Branch Lines Becoming A Memory

(Specially wi Press” by

DON GRADY)

TROTTED in little clusters about Canterbury are nearly 20 railway stations and as many goods sheds, either up for sale, or sold.

For the last few years, the Lands Department has been steadily disposing of five “ghost branch lines” in Canterbury, including railway stations.

Railway officials in Christchurch say they hope to sell their last available railway station within a year. The toot of an engine’s whistle, or, the rattle of rolling stock on the rails, has not been heard on the Canterbury “ghost lines” for periods varying from about two to five years.

The reasons for the closing of the branch lines were economic. The closing of nonpaying railway branch lines in Canterbury has been steady but not as dramatic as the twobladed axe Dr. Beeching wielded through the British Railways, when he closed countless unprofitable branch lines in England. The branch lines that have closed in Canterbury in the last five years are: The Whitecliffs branch line from Darfield to Coalgate and Glentunnel; the Lincoln—Little River line; Lincoln—Southbridge line; the Rangiora— Oxford line and the Mt. Somers to Springburn line.

An hour’s drive from Christchurch these days, will bring the passengers to many of the “for sale/’ or, “sold” railway stations. The names of the stations have teen familiar to Canterbury residents for 50 years or more. They include names such as Southbridge, Leeston, Ellesmere, Motukarara, Doyleston, Springston, Little River, East Oxford, West Oxford, Coalgate, Glentunnel, Whitecliffs and Hawkins.

Much of the actual railway track itself and all the trainrunning equipment, such as signals and rolling stock has been removed. The Lands Department, which took over the property from the Railway’s Department, has been disposing of the larger assets by tender, or, by putting it up for application. Where there are more than one applicant ballots are called. In most instances the “ghost railway stations” throughout Canterbury have fetched a few hundred pounds each. The miles of old railway track land has been offered to adjoining property owners. About half of it has been sold. In some cases, the profusion of gorse and broom on the railway line has lessened their attractiveness to prospective buyers. Some of the land too, is fairly rough. The rural railway stations have in some cases, been sold along with the land to farmers, most of them now are in use as hay barns, or sheds.

Here and there, spotted over the countryside of Can-

terbury, the nostalgic memories of the branch-line era is revived by such railway paraphernalia as a rack for holding fire buckets, or an old platform peeping out from behind thistles.

So as the years go by, Sunday drivers from Christchurch, will have to look harder for signs of the province’s “ghost railways.”

Some of the old station buildings are already rotting timbers, inhabited by starlings, mice and small boys.

In other instances, the old station buildings are serving useful purposes in the local communities. The old Coalgate Station now is the Coalgate post office. And at Little River, most of the railway station property has been bought by the Wairewa County Council, for council expansion. But soon little of the glory of the five pioneering branch railway lines will be left. They will belong to histop’ and the memories of the dis-

trict inhabitants. Meanwhile the local farmers are finding that railway sleepers of Australian hardwood make fine fence posts.

The picture shows thistles in profusion along the old railway track at Hawkins, on the White-cliffs-Darfield line. The old goods shed is now used as a storage shed by farmers. The last goods train to use the line ran on March 29, 1962.