“SERPENTINE RAILWAY”

Greymouth Evening Star, 25 February 1928, Page 19 (Supplement)

“SERPENTINE RAILWAY”

! | Bruiiner to Greymouth | ‘ I J 31- , — E One of the “red letter” days in the 1 lives of the" early residents was June 3 11, 1873. On that day the first sod 1 of the railway to link up Greymouth ’ and Brunnerton was turned by the then member of Parliament for Grey L (Mr. W. H. Harrison). Great enthusiasm was displayed on the oe- [ casion, and the usual banquet fbl- . lowed. The eight miles of constfiuc- * tion was speedily put through, and the [ line opened for coal and passenger ; traffic in April, 1876, with free rides and a banquet on the opening day. Six hundred children took part in the festivities. This railway line had its peculiarities, and was dubbed “The Serpentine,” owing to its numerous curves to evade many old-man stumps on the way to Brunnerton, and to avoid the necessity of stumping. The line was afterwards, straightened. Connected with the line was an expensive suspension bridge (value £4000), engineered by the Public Works Department in .the ’seventies. It crossed the river at Brunnerton, to connect the coal mine v with' the railway station on the south Side. On July 28, 1876, a cold, frosty morning Brunnerton was shaken to its foundations by the collapse of the bridge, which fell like a pack of cards into the river. The noise made was- heard fot miles ardund. The “king froSt” wKs responsible for the disaster, the anchors on the south Side, holding the supporting ropes of the bridge, snapping like carrots. The bridge was nearly completed, and luckily the men had not started work, no lives being lost. It was contended that the arlfliors should'have been buried in concrete to withstand the frost. The bridge was again erected, and still spans the river at Brunnerton. Within the past few years, the top deck was removed, and repairs were effected to make the structure safe for traffic.