By John Gurney
A hundred years ago, dozens of navvies began cutting bush and digging tunnels for a tramway into the depths of the Waitakere Ranges. 100 years later Waitakere Tramline Society members and WaterCare Services Ltd personnel have been celebrating those navvies' efforts. Some of the personnel involved in presenting this event feel "100 years old" after organising and running the event so far, but at the end of the day, we all go home with a smile.
I arrived at the Waitakere Water Treatment Plant at 0700 hours on the first public day of Labour weekend, Saturday morning, in pouring rain, Auckland having had heavy rain all night. By the time I had opened everything up and got up to George's Depot the rain had almost stopped and by the time we loaded the first train the rain had stopped.
The brave souls who had come for that first trip at 0930 hours were in for a treat. The Waitakere Falls below the Waitakere Dam was in full flow. The thunderous roar could be heard over the locomotive and rail noise. Kelly's Stream flowing onto Kelly's Chute over the tramline was blasting so hard it was going straight over the cliff face missing the top of the cliff. Very spectacular and a real treat for our Passengers.
The trains have been leaving George's Depot every 30 minutes from 0930 hours. We had three trains sets, WaterCare Services Ltd brought their two locomotives and four carriages over from the Nihotupu Line to make up two trains. The Waitakere Tramline Societies Dam Tram "Harvey Stewart" Locomotive with 4 carriages makes up the third.
As a 'down' train arrives into George's Depot, it hands over a 'tablet' for the 1st section of line to the waiting train, allowing this train to depart up the line. The 'up' train, as it is called, passes the next 'down' train at Picnic Flats. As it does so, the 1st section tablet is exchanged for the 2nd section one, giving the up train permission to proceed on to the Dam Terminus.
The waiting down train, now having the 1st tablet, can now proceed down the line to Georges Depot. Arriving at the Dam Terminus, passengers disembark and are taken by "Ark in the Park" personnel for a tour onto the Waitakere Dam. The return trip has them back to the depot ready for the next part of their tour.
Merv Smith, one of the founding members of the Waitakere Tramline Society, had never seen so much action at George's Depot. Train crews, "Slim" Controller, Depot Manager and support personnel all working together to get passengers on and off the trains, trains away on time, history talk, trains loaded ready for the next up train and safety talk to the passengers. A train enthusiasts delight, shown by Mervs' big smile!
Once off the train, The passengers walk back down the road to where they are treated to a tour of the Water Treatment plant, gaining an understanding on the potable water supply to Auckland.
After that they were free to view an interesting Stationary Engine Display and wander over to a Marquee of Historical photos, stalls and displays, ending with refreshments in the park like settings in the grounds of the treatment plant.
A booklet "Waitakere Tramline Centennial" outlining 100 Years of the history of the longest continuously running bush tramline in New Zealand, showing photos and details of the tramline history was on sale at the "Check In" caravan and at Georges Depot.
Question: Why do the trains not go right up to the foot of the dam?
Answer: The trains have not gone to the foot of the dam since that part of the track was closed off in 1995. The track ran around the edge of a 100m high cliff face which is undercut in the closed off section. This section, which the water pipe is still on, was found to have a weaker rock structure than the rest of the rock in the area, hence the huge valley below. This weak section is moving slowly away from the stronger rock at about 5-mm per 10 years.
Question: Why does the track not go down to the Treatment Plant?
Answer: The track was lifted from Swanson Railway Station to the Treatment Plant at the end of the construction of the Dam 1910. The remaining track, now starting at Georges Depot, was then narrowed from 2ft 6 inches to 2ft (610mm) in 1967 allowing the then "new" Yellow Terror" Locomotive to be used on all three tramlines which WaterCare Services Ltd, formally Auckland Regional Authority, operate.
The Waitakere Tramline Society are in the process of gaining a Resource Consent to extend the tramline a further 160 metres back towards the Water Treatment Plant. This is all we can afford to do with the track we have on hand. All this is on hold with the 100-year event taking over our time recently.
A comment from Evan: "It would be nice to see the line go all the way back to Swanson Station and the Orenstein and Koppel (locomotive) restored to work it - just dreaming."
NO! Please do not tell the WTS committee about another extension! I have a Safety Case to make, tramline to extend 160 metres, existing tramline to maintain plus write a GM's report on the recent events. Enough!
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