This article explians how we started way back in 1975

Tucked away in Auckland's heavily forested Waitakere Ranges, a bush tramline is a living tribute to the pioneers of the region's expanding water catchments. To secure reliable supplies replacing Western Springs at the turn of the century, the city looked to the abundant resources of the Ranges. A network of concrete impounding dams was built, the first completed being Waitakere in 1910. At present the western dams supply 30% of Auckland's needs, drawing off 109,000 cu/m per day.

To enable transport of materials to be horse drawn, a 6km tramline was laid from Swanson Railway Station to the dam site, piercing 700m of solid rock beneath the main ranges. Pipeline and rail were laid in tandem to feed the Ponsonby Reservoir. The dam is built above one of the highest waterfalls in the North Island, and when the dam is full and overflowing, its plume of water plunges over 100m onto the valley floor. As Harvey Stewart -the WaterCare Area Engineer-pointed out once, no one would consider locating a dam there nowadays, it would be heartbreaking to destroy such a sight.

But time has allowed nature to re-establish herself so well that the dam seems part of the original design. Its concrete has aged and merged with the rich native bush surrounding it. Somehow it seems to belong in the silence of this unique spot. The tramline hugs the side of the mountain, and shortly after emerging from the second tunnel the falls can be heard and seen in the distance.

Converging on this scene in 1975 were two railway buffs, Jim Pilkington and Merv Smith, who were exploring the old Tram Valley pipeline, following it until it petered out. There they encountered Harvey Stewart working on a viaduct. Harvey asked if they were interested in the pipeline. Merv Smith replied, "We're interested in anything that has rails!" A mutual spark was struck. Harvey invited them to look over the Nihotupu dam tramline (5km southeast of them) that they were rebuilding. A year later they were riding a narrow gauge, 2 foot wide tramline through some of New Zealand's beautiful bush. Says Merv, "By this time we got to know the Waitakere tramline, scenically the most splendid of WaterCare's two lines, and Jim and myself shared a dream to run our own train on such a line."

Harvey thought it was an unusual request, but saw no problems. "We don't use it at weekends, and if you offer to work on the track occasionally, keep the weeds down, don't fall off the cliff or start up a Still, why not ask for permission?"

Soon after, the fledgling club wrote its first letter to the caretakers of the land, the Auckland Regional Authority (ARA, now called Auckland Regional Council). An agreement was reached, so the club lifted rails and point work from several moribund mines in the Waikato, and added their own facilities to those of the ARA's at Christian Rd Filter Station.

Keith Wright-president of the Waitakere Tramline Society - "A locomotive was built, funded by members, with funds going into a debenture through sponsorship from English Sewing Co., an employer of one member. " In April 1976 the blue and white "lokie" was taken up the line for official inspection by the ARA and, to honour the club's best friend, advisor and fellow train buff, was christened "The Harvey Stewart Flyer".

Harvey was no instant success. He went too slowly, threw away his clutch and fell off the rails twice. But the ARA agreed the club had made a good start, with no sign of an illicit Still, and granted approval for a year's operation, much to the club's jubilation.

Speedily, Harvey was re-powered, re-geared and attached to a clutch in more permanent form, and for 9 years performed with flawless reliability and economy. In 1985 the 3.5hp Kawasaki petrol motor was replaced by a 10hp Kubota diesel that develops 25hp traction effort to grip the rails. Dimensions of the two tunnels dictate the equipment's size. In the larger tunnel live glow-worms that can be seen when the train's lights are turned off for short bursts of time.

Says Merv, "Recently we decided, at the request of the Land Transport Authority, to conduct a trial of the worst possible things that could go wrong, so we took a carriage up to the top of the line by the Waitakere dam. Five "idiots" clambered aboard, letting gravity take over after a gentle push. We RACED around a couple of tight bends on roller bearing wheels, and the pedestal supported carriage travelled even faster!"

Merv's been a fan of train travel for most of his life but this particular ride didn't rate highly." The Society Engineer decided that was an absolute 10/10 dangerous thing that could possibly go wrong, and having escaped with our lives twice, we all agreed".

Humour has its better moments in the club, with Keith-Wright being on the receiving end. "A Wally award was presented for "non-meritorious" club efforts, or idiotic things done by members. It's been awarded once so far to myself', says Keith, " because they reckon 1 never do any work around the place. It consists of an N gauge rail with three miniature guys on top of it. One leaning on a shovel, one with a pick axe, and the person sitting on the end they say is the president of the club; me". Keith has the honour of relegating the award to the next biggest "Wally". Merv Smith was a contender when, on a regular check on the locomotive, he mistakenly filled up the air cleaner barrel with oil, instead of pouring it around the air cleaner as instructed. Says Keith, "I've had the award for a while now, and the choice is becoming difficult. The inventor of the award advised me to pass it on pretty smartly, but he didn't realise he was a candidate!"

At a local council meeting recently, Dorothy Wilson, Deputy Mayor for Waitakere City, presented the Two Foot Gauge Tramway Society a plaque "in recognition of work over the last 20 years and commitment to the tourist industry of Waitakere City."

Keith Wright shed light on how the society was "discovered" by the council. He said a few weeks before the award ceremony they found "some idiot" jogging near the lines when they were moving the train. Said "idiot" turned out to be Mayor Bob Harvey (there's that Harvey name again), who stopped to chat and was impressed with what the group was doing and promised it some recognition. "We took it with a pinch of salt, but he was as good as his word and here we are," said Mr. Wright.

© James Eyre, 1995 (used by permission May 2004)