Weka Pass line lives on

Press, 9 November 1988, Page 22

Weka Pass line lives on

By

HEATHER CHALMERS

Most Sundays there is a flurry of activity along a railway track at Waipara, North Canterbury. At work are a band of railway enthusiasts who are members of the Weka Pass Railway Incorporated.

As well as restoring vintage railway engines and carriages the group is upgrading 13km of line between Waipara and Waikari.

This stretch of track was part of a longer line which once continued past Waikari to Waiau. At one time it was expected this would be the main route to Picton. But as that was not feasible in engineering terms the then New Zealand Railway opted for the existing route through Cheviot. The line to Waiau was closed by Railways 10 years ago. By the time the Weka Pass group was formed three years later the removal of the line between the Hurunui River and Waiau was already tendered. The Weka Pass Railway group bought the remaining track which stretched between the Hurunui River and Waipara. “We’re basically a group of people interested in railways and operating a railway — and when the line closed it was a golden opportunity,” says the group’s

chairman, Bob Blaikie. In its early days the group dreamed of upgrading the entire length of this line. However, it found out the hard way the amount of time, work and money this would require. Gradually the line was shortened to Medbury and then to Hawarden. Finally the group decided at a meeting in September this year to go no further than Waikari. The realignment of the State highway at Waikari and the removal of the railway crossing had made that virtually inevitable. “It was not economically or physically possible to cross that road so we decided to stop there with 13km of track,” Mr Blaikie says. In many ways it was a blessing in disguise as the group could now concentrate on bringing that stretch of line up to standard. The road alterations have also meant that there is no room at Waikari to put in a station, loop and turntable.

The group was also able to sell or re-use material uplifted from the unused line between Waikari and Hawarden.

Once the line is in operation people will be able to catch trains at either Waipara or Waikari to the commercial benefit of both townships. The track passes through the picturesque countryside of Weka Pass, an old area geographically with limestone formations and fossils. Group members can also vouch for the fact that the view of Weka Pass from a train is different to that seen by car. It is also hoped that once people have had a ride in the train they will also visit other attractions in the area.

"The railway will put this part of the country back on the map and in the future may even provide jobs,” says the group’s secretary, Kevin East. He is one of a number of members who

are either employees of, or have retired from the Railways Corporation. The group has about 210 members within New Zealand and overseas. Of these about 40 regularly contribute to workdays, which are offically held every second Sunday, but many turn up weekly to lend a hand. On work days helpers are expected to be at Waikari by 9 a.m., particularly if they are on track work, with the day usually winding up about 4.30 p.m.

Once a month when the committee meeting is held members may not head home until 10 p.m., a long day not begrudged by members. Their love of trains and railways is obvious. Bob Blaikie, from Christchurch, is a great example. Listing different train models in the way many people would name cars, he has always had an interest in railways. While some members come

from Waipara the majority are from Christchurch, Woodend, Kaiapoi and Rangiora. One member, Geoff Allen, travels from Reefton on a regular basis to attend work days. The group owns four carriages and two D.G. diesel electric engines, all formerly from Railways. It has also built an open carriage, and a second is planned. “So on a nice day, especially when we get a steam locomotive going, passengers will be able to hear the engine going and smell the smoke,” says Mr Blaikie. The group has an A 428 steam locomotive on loan but hopes to one day have its own. The carriages and possibly the trains will eventually be painted blue and yellow, the group’s colours. One of the main activities being undertaken by the group at the moment is the restoration of the former Mina Railway station, which has been renamed Glen-

mark. Opened in August, 1910, the station formerly served the end of the Cheviot branch line. It was shifted from Mina to its present site at Waipara in August, 1986. The move was not without its hiccups as the wet winter left two concrete trucks and a council truck bogged in the mud. As a result the station had to sit in a Waipara paddock for six months before it could finally be lifted the last 10 metres to its present site.

The station was “built in the days when they built things to last” with kauri panelling and doors, says Mr East. The interior, which previously contained many small separate rooms such as the ticket selling office, and the stationmaster’s office has been opened up. The station’s exterior remains unchanged, however, apart from the addition of a new verandah. Authentic materials have been used where possible including a fire surround from the Heathcote Station and a window from the Oxford East Station.

Although the group used to run train rides on the first Sunday of each month and be available for charter, it is not running trains on a regular basis at present. In order for the group to provide rides for the public it has to meet a number of requirements. Both its track and rolling stock are inspected annually by Railways on behalf of the Ministry of Transport. Any engine or carriage is also inspected prior to it using the Railways’ line. The group is also a member of the National Federation of Railways Societies. “You can’t just have a group of amateurs build a piece of railway track and start operating,” says Mr Blaikie. Safety is instilled into the members, especially as the railway track is on a grade which in many places looks deceptively flat.

Money raised by train rides and uplifting the unused track as well as a $30,000 Government grant have enabled the group to continue work on their project.

But the group’s largest resource is the enthusiasm of its members to restore and enhance a piece of North Canterbury’s railway history which would have otherwise been lost.