AFTER 40 YEARS

Marlborough Express, Volume LXXVI, Issue 247, 20 October 1942, Page 4

AFTER 40 YEARS

BY RAU. TO CLARENCE JOURNEY OF FIRST TRAIN BUS TRANSFER WORKS SMOOTHLY. Forty years ago to within a few days, on October 10, 1902, Sir Joseph Ward declared the northernmost section of the South Island Main Trunk railway open as far as Seddon. Yesterday a daily train service was inaugurated to a point 76 miles by rail from Picton terminal, at Clarence River — with a promise of carrying the service through to Kaikoura in four months. The line has had a chequered career. It has been the plaything of political parties and vested interests. Nelson, in spite of the insuperable argument of geography and arithmetic, fought hard to become the terminal of the main line to Christchurch and the untiring opposition of Nelsonians held up the project time and again. The first section from Blenheim south ward was completed to Riverlands in 1883 and that is near enough to 60 years ago. The Dashwood section, another 3i miles, was ready for use in 1888 and the line had crawled ahead another 2i miles by 1892. When the Ballance-Seddon closer settlement policy was instituted things moved rather faster. Starborough estate was bought for just over £100,000, and later Flaxbourne was acquired. Settlers began to move in and the railway began to move out. A contract of £22,000 was iet for the Awatere bridge and on October 10, 1902, Sir Joseph Ward declared the line open to Seddon, nearly 20 years after it had first left Blenheim. CAME, SAW AND PROMISED. Nine years later the rails had reached Ward and then another Prime Minister guided the destinies oi New Zealand. The Right Hon. W. F. Massey came and saw and pron.ised. He said that the South Island Main Trunk would be linked up from Picton to the Bluff in eight years. A real start was mad'e. The two lines of metals strolled on as far as Wharanui, 56 miles from Picton, and there they stayed, so far as train running went, until October 19, 1942. World War No. 1 intervened to nullify a Premier's promise. Construction ceased abruptly until Sir Joseph Ward appeared on the scene again at the head of the United Party. Political influences and the depression again stopped the line, but with the election of the Labour Government in 1935 the construction of the trunk line achieved its nearest approach to express speed. The events of the period since the Great War are too recent to require recapitulation now. It is enough that the line went another 20 miles to Clarence before World War No. 2 came over the horizon and once again construction was stopped. The men were wanted for what was regarded as more urgent work. GIFT FROM THE MIKADO. We don't owe very much to Japan — though there is a wide desire to pay them off prettiiy heavily, but, curiously, the opening of the new 20 miles section to Clarehce, now a reality, and the prospect of running through the additional 25 miles to Kaikoura by the end of the present financial year, is a gift from the Mikado. His men collected and still hold 90 per cent. of the world's rubber. There wasn't enough reserve of tyres to continue, the long motor run from Blenheim to Hundalee. There was coal in the country and it was rather less difficult to deal with the miners for that than with General Tojo of Tokio for fresh rubber supplies. The line had to go on. Twice the Germans had stopped it. It took the Japs. to start it again. There's more than a ohance they'll help us to finish the job, whether they want to or not. There are 25 miles to go to reach Kaikoura in the predicted four months, but 'the metals have been laid and bolted for 15 miles and although ballasting still has to be done, there is no major work to be done. All bridges have been completed, though there is one pile to be renewed in the Clarence bridge, and all the tunuels are ready for the rails — and the first through train.

FIRST TRAIN TO CLARENCE. The first train that left Blenheim i'or the Clarence run yesterday was well filled, and there was a large muster on the Blenheim station to see it off, plus a flock of swans and cygnets just below the Omaka railway bridge. There were six eoaches and two vans, so that the little W.F. engine with the Main Trunk whistle really had a load such as is pulled by the A.B. engines of the main line system. But in her way that W.F. — pronouneed Wiff , not Waaf — was an A.B,, if that means what it does at sea, which is able-bodied. She started off at a brisk 45 miles clip, dashed at the long Dashwood climb and took it at better than a Lovelock lope, which is a lot snappier than slov/ motion walking. The shee* alongside the line had seen and heard trains before. The new Clarence train didn't mean very much in their young lives— -but when that strange whistle sounded they -put dov/ii their heads and ganoped as if Gabriel's trumpet were calling. Seddon, with a large gathering on the platform, was beside the c'arriage windows at 8,45. It was a warm morning, and the little engine was fhirsty after her strenuous hill climb. She took a big drink here, another at Ward and yet another before she pulled in at Clarence. There's luck in odd numbers and she deserved it, anyway. She'd done a good job of work. There was no official ceremony when the first passenger train to run over it went on to the new section of line at Wharanui. But there were those aboard to see that all was well here and at the terminal. Messrs H. L. P. Smith, District Railways Engineer, Wellington, F. K. MacKay, Dominion Superintendent of Railway Road Services, S. Jenkinson, of the Locomotive branch, from Wellington, and H, A. Pope, Stationmaster-in-Charge of the Picton- Clarence section, were all aboard, and the organisation for which they were responsible, enabled the arrangements to work smoothly. The new section, ballasted and ironed to main line standard with 701b. rails, gave notably smooth running. Mr MacKay explained the bus arrangements to an Express representative. Three large buses, with seating aocommodetion for 83 passengers, were held at Clarence and a

similar numher at the Hundalee end. If more people were travelling from Blenheim, Seddon rang through to Kaikoura, the main garage eentre, and the required number of buses was sent on. Yesterday, with 73 "passengers, there was ample accomjrmdation. The process, in reverse, is the same at the other end. It was needed there, too, for 133 through passengers came up from the south', plus a considerable number who came on at Kaikoura. "All aboard i'or the Clarence Express," the service clrivers called when the southerners were slow to leave Kaikoura luncheon tables. "Can't wait for a last one. Even if we have to leave you behind we'll catch that train! All seats, please!" The buses reached the train in good order and well up to schedule. But there was a minor contretemps. Tne only first-elass carriage hacl been commandeered by men with second class passes. "This train doesn't start till all men with second class tickets go into the second class carriages. There are people who've paid first class i'are and have no seats," declared the guard. After a little jocularity the men went, came back when the train was in motion and in response to a second firm, yet tactful appeal finaliy departed to the ample accommodation of the second class. "Got to start as we'll have to go on," the guard explained cheerfully. So he had. It was a sign of the line's new status. Things from now on have to be just so. We're fast approaching Main Trunk standards — even in war- time. After 40 years the Picton-south line has grown up overnight,