Junction revived

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 11, Issue 533, 17 May 1994, Page 12

Junction revived

By

Graham

Parker

Continued from last week. With the arrival of diesel locomotives, steam 'banking' duties at Ohakune were no longer required, nor was remarshalling of trains so important. The decline in Railway people in the community saw demand for goods and services decline and so too the number of shops. 1 968 saw a major blow to the Junction community with the closure of the Raetihi Branch line. Heavy losses, declining tonnage, and the need for major track reconditioning, as well as competition from road transport, caused the closure of the line in January 1968. With it went the need for a locomotive facility. The turntable was removed and the pit filled in. The early 1970's saw the introduction of the DX Class 2750 horsepower diesel-electric locomotive which could hall even longer trains without servicing. The introduction of Centralised Traffic Control (CTC) saw the end of the manned tablet stations such as Horopito, Pokaka, Karioi and Tangiwai. These remote controlled stations now had signals and electric points all controlled by one man at a central panel in "Train Control". The crossing loops were also extended to enable the longer trains to pass. Stay of execution For 11 years, 1965 - 1977, Ohakune had a stay of execution as the Junction was the operations centre for the Taumarunui - Waiouru section but in 1977 the CTC staff and equipment were transferred to the new Taumarunui Station. The next blow came with the changes in the New Zealand economy in the mid 1980's. The decision was made to de-regulate the road transport industry and make Railways compete on the so-called level playing field. The long term plan began to become clear - the Government intended to sell Railways. Initially Railways was a poor competitor in the open environment. It was grossly over manned as it had been used as a social employment tool by successi ve Governments for years. It went through a huge res'tructuring exercise that lasted a decade and got staff levels down from 22,000 to 5500. From a staff of 85 in the 1970s, Ohakune dropped to foUr permanent staff by the time of sale in 1993. The

station and all freight facilities had been closed. The four remaining staff are two track gangers and two signal maintenance staff. Most of the buildings were demolished or allowed to lie derelict. The effect on the Junction settlement has beendevastating. The Railway houses have been either sold, moved or demolished. All retail shops have closed or been demolished. By the mid 1970s the Junction had reached an all-time low. There was a brief respite in the mid 1980s when the Government decided to electrify the Main Trunk Line between Palmerston North and Frankton. At the same time the decision was made to ease some curves and gradients. In addition some viaducts were judged to be reaching the end of their economic life. The section of line between Ohakune and Horopito was deemed to be in need of upgrading. Curves were too tight, viaducts worn out, and embankments were unstable. In addition the curved Hapuawhenua Tunnel was too small to provide the clearances necessary for electrification. The section of track severely limited the speed of trains and the loads they could carry. To overcome these problems the Ohakune - Horopito section of the Railway was upgraded. A new line was built with eased curves, two new concrete viaducts, the elimination of the tunnel, wide berm areas and new cuttings. Overall the gradient was eased and made more constant allowing consistent speeds. Environment protected Because part of the line passes through Tongariro National Park specialised consultants were called in to'protect the natural environment to the greatest possible extent and to ensure rehabilitation of the landscape. The project had a spin-off effect on the Junction as many project workers stayed in the Junction area for the duration of the project. However it did not lead to an increase in permanent railway personnel. At the same time as the electrification went in the Centralised Train Control system was significantly upgraded, as were communications using

computer technology and fibre-optic cables. By the close of the 1980s the Railway at Ohakune had declined almost completely. All that was left was a derelict station building, half of which had been demolished. An equally-derelict Way and Works Office and a concrete block amenities building. The yard tracks were overgrown and littered with rubbish. The platform surface was crumbling to bits. It appeared that this was the sad end to a once-vibrant transport node that employed 100 people at its peak of operation. The rebirth By the mid 70's and into the 80's the Junction was a sad sight. Derelict buildings with boarded up or broken windows, a scruffy seldom-used railway yard. Seemingly nobody cared. Fortunately Ohakune people are a resourceful lot. They were not going to see their town die like so many other Central North Island towns had done with the downturn in Rail transport. They looked at Horopito, Pokaka, Tangiwai and said 'no-way'. Mountain Road pioneers The rebirth actually had its origins way back at the close of World War One. Those pioneers would have had no idea that what they were doing would lay the foundations for the future of Ohakune Junction. Joe Blyth, the local school teacher, could see a huge future in the development of the south side of the mountain for tramping and skiing. Along with a host of other locals he pioneered a track up the mountain and took tramping and skiing parties up the Turoa side. It soon became clear that for any real development a proper road needed to be built. Through the late 40s and into the 50s intense lobbying of central government took place with little result. In November 1 952 in typical local fashion the Mountain Road Association was set up and the decision made to do it themselves. The foresight of those people and their hard work and dedication ensured Ohakune' s future. Initially locals developed the ski fields, until Alex Harvey Industries moved in and formed Turoa Ski Fields Ltd. Turn to Page 13

Junction now revived

FROMPAGE12 The Junction being the first place at the bottom of the mountain, there was no better site for an apres ski village. Apres ski development took off with the freeing up of the New Zealand economy in the mid 80s. Ohakune, particularly the Junction area, took on the appearance of a Coromandel Beach resort town of the opposite season. The Kings Court and Turoa Lodge took on a new lease of life. Ski shops and restaurants took up the old derelict shops at the Junction in Thames Street. The picture theatre even became a night club. This crazy pace of development slowed with the sharemarket crash in 1 987. Development has since been at a slower pace and tends to be seasonal, many out-of-towners coming in during the season then leaving. In 1990 the old Ohutu Grazing homestead was bought, truckedit to the Junction and made it into the Powderkeg Tavern in conjunction with the Powderhorn ski shop. Development is still proceeding. Interestingly it is local people that are providing the long-term visionary development, not out of towners on a boom and bust approach. Railway's part By 1989 the Railway activity had reached a virtual standstill in Ohakune. A local business operator had entered into an agreement to buy the station but negotiations had slowed and the station was derelict and an eyesore. The Ruapehu South Business Association had commissioned development plans for the station, but with the sharemarket crash no one was prepared to invest. By July 1990 it looked like the station would be demolished. The Ruapehu Bulletin can claim some credit for the revival of the station. As a result of a series of articles, photographs of the derelict, vandalised building and letters to the editor (from a former Bulletin editor) interest was generated in the future of the station not only locally but with Railways management who were sent regular copies of the paper (by the same former editor). On a cold winter's day in 1990 a small group of locals met in the derelict waiting room of the station and decided to do something about the station. A public meeting was called for the following week and out of it came PORS - Preservation of Ohakune Railway Station. As with the development of the skifield and the Mountain Road a group of local people had a vision for the future. They could see what a restored Railway station could do for Ohakune and the Waimarino. The first aim was to save the station from demolition, then to repair and restore it. The long term aim is to create a Railway Heritage Precinct with a restored Signal Box, static display line, turntable and museum. With an operational turntable steam excursions could be encouraged from Auckland, Wellington, Palmerston North, and Hamilton, bringing in visitors to sample the Waimarino and thus boost business, particularly in the summer off season. Fortunately the group has been well supported by the Ruapehu District Council. Simultaneously Railcorp Properties redeveloped the Ohakune Rail yard and upgraded Railway Row. The Railway tracks have been pulled up and the area rezoned residential, and surplus Railway houses brought in from Taihape. Critics have been very vocal, but the scheme must be viewed long term. Once these houses get owners and landscaping takes place the development precinct should take shape as planned and complement the Railway station and its environs. Four years of achievement The Railway project is now in its fourth year of development and is now an incorporated society, Main Trunk Rail Ohakune Inc. (MTRO). Achievements for MTRO so far have been: The station has been saved and restored; the turntable has been restored ready for use; the Way and Works building has been secured and is in uSe; a museum building has been bought, moved on site ready for development; a complicated track system has been laid in the yard; the locomotive shed area has been cleaned up and drained; a signal box has been leased and is in the process of restoration; the yard area is maintained and kept tidy ; an altemative railway restaurant has operated in the station; three successful excursions have been run out of Ohakune. Plans for the future are: Complete the restoration of the Signal box; lay a static display line beside the signal box with a locomotive and wagons on it; erect semaphore signals; attain planning approval and set up the museum; build a locomotive shed to house steam engines; market the Waimarino in the cities to attract summer steam excursions; purchase the Kingston Flyer; employ a fulltime curator caretaker; continue to run Ohakune-organ-ised excursions to Taumarunui and Taihape; co-operate with Taumarunui and Taihape groups to form a Central North Island rail preservation network. The future The future of the Junction has been secured. Thanks to local people with courage and vision it will be an Apres Ski area and tourist attraction. Development will not be spectacular, but will be based on a solid local foundation, not on speculators coming from outside to make a fast buck. ▲ Acknowledgements: Merrylin George & Bill Pierre.