FIRST TARANAKI TRAINS

Taranaki Daily News, 15 October 1934, Page 4

FIRST TARANAKI TRAINS

NEW PLYMOUTH-WAITARA OPENING EXACTLY 59 YEARS AGO. MR. BROWNE’S RECOLLECTIONS. GAY PROGRAMME OF FESTIVITY. In these days of bustle and ra change the opening of new transport routes is a matter for quiet congratulation. The ceremony last year of opening the Auckland-New Plymouth railway line was a dull affair compared with a similar event 59 years ago yesterday. Taranaki members of Parliament in the early days of the province made it one of their chief aims to force the Government into building a railway to link the province with Auckland • and Wellington. Unremitting efforts were at last successful and on July 21, 1873, Messrs. Brogden and Sons were contractors for the construction of a line between Wanganui and New Plymouth, at an estimated cost of £42,000. In charge of the building of the bridges and of the wharf at Waitara was Mr. G. W. Browne, who is now living at Vogel town, New Plymouth. When interviewed he said that the original railroad ran from the site of the present station, which was close Jo the then unlevelled Mt. Eliot, across Devon Street at the point roughly marked by King’s Buildings, over the Huatoki River at the intersection of Carrington Road and Vivian Street, behind the Baptist Tabernacle now standing in Liardet Street, and up Leach Street, finally joining the present line near Paynter’s Avenue. It was not until many years later that Sir Julius Vogel took the line along the coast. On August 21 the first sod of the new route was turned amid general public excitement. The newspapers proclaimed a new era beginning for the province. “The work now commenced must not be allowed to stop until we are connected with both Auckland and Wellington,” said a leading article. LAST SPIKE DRIVEN. Two years later on Wednesday evening, September 22, 1875, between seven o’clock and eight the last spike of the line connecting New Plymouth with Waitara was driven. Next day New Plymouth was gay with flags and bunting and the first run was made. A train passed across Devon Street to the boatsheds, sleepers were placed on the trucks and shortly after eight o’clock a start was made for Waitara. A return trip was made in the evening and on the following day the remainder of the sleepers was taken to Waitara. The big day in the history of the line, however, was Thursday, October 14 of the same year—the date fixed for the official opening. The Minister of Public Works proclaimed a holiday, it was stated that three trains would take passengers to Waitara and back at the cost of 2s 6d and the town was tense with excitement. The day dawned cloudily but the skies were not sufficiently threatening to prevent hundreds of spectators from attending the ceremony, performed midway between the Huatoki River and the New Plymouth station. The engine, coupled to three carriages, was decked with flowers, fronds of nikau palm, tree fem and flags. Bunting and flags were' hung in the town. A bottle, of champagne had been tied with white and blue ribbons and suspended on the engine. At nine o’clock, according to an old report, Miss Carrington took the bottle, “gracefully swang it from her,” and dashed it against the side saying “I name this engine ‘Fox.’ ” A draped flag was then withdrawn showing the name written in black letters on a red ground across the engine. ENGINE BREAKS SILKEN CORD.

Carrying a select company of officials and women, the train left New Plymouth at 9.15 a.m. and arrived at Raleigh, the old name of Waitara, at 9.58, having taken just 43 minutes to cover the distance. Puffing into the crowded Waitara station the engine broke a silken cord stretched across the line and the official opening speech was delivered amid immense enthusiasm. The names of the prime movers in having the railway instituted, Sir Julius Vogel, Mr. Standish, deputy superintendent, and Mr. T. Kelly, M.P., were cheered vociferously. Souvenir-hunters then fought for portions of the ribbons of the champagne bottle and for the cord, but so great was the demand, says one report, that many succeeded in getting not the original ribbon but merely strips off the same roll. Meanwhile the citizens left at New Plymouth were by no means neglected. A last-minute message from the Minister announced that trains would run free that day for whoever cared to use them. Placards were hurriedly pasted and the bellman sent round the town to announce the concession. Finally 400 to 500 people crowded into the first train, which consisted of nine carriages drawn by two engines. So heavy was the load that it was only with the greatest difficulty that it was pulled up the steep incline leading out of town and round the sharper curves. However, everyone was evidently in the best of spirits and some of them were so thrilled by the novelty of railroad travelling that they never left their seats throughout the whole journey. After the last train had crawled in at seven o’clock “one of the pleasantest balls for many years” was given by Brogden and Sons. Taken all in all it had been a great day which had “passed without an accident of any kind, the utmost order and goodwill having prevailed.”

“We may safely say," said a newspaper, “that the opening of the WaitaraNew Plymouth railway was a grand success that will be long remembered by the inhabitants of Taranaki.”