Rail celebration reminder of early link up
by
Dennis
Beytagh
With last week's official inauguration of the Main Trunk Line's electrification service by the Govemor Gen-
eral it is perhaps appropriate to look back to the time, 80 years ago, when track construction was in its fi-
nal stages and the two railheads were still 20 miles (32kms) apart. This account of progress on the Main
Trunk Line was taken from the Waimarino County Call. The bracketed figures and information did not appear in the original article: they are for the benefit of today's readers of the Bulletin. "This year (1908), we are told and have reason to believe, the great arterial railway which will b r i n g Wellington and Auckland within 20 hours journey will be completed. Eight months ago the southern railhead was pushed on to Rangataua while the northern terminus was at Raurimu and, now with the railheads at Ohakune and Waimarino (now National Park) respectively, only 20 miles (32kms) of the great line remains to be completed. The latest calculation - coming from the Rt. Hon. HallJones - is that next October will see the closing scenes of a remarkable chapter o f railway construction in the history of the Dominion. This last chapter, too, will not be the least interesting on the long journey from Wellington to Auckland. From Raurimu to Waiouru - some 50 miles (80kms) - there is a continuous panorama of scenic beauties which will ever be a delightful attraction to the overlander. Ruapehu, Ngauruhoe and Tongariro are in full view for miles and, from Ohakune t o Makatote, deep gorges containing magnificent
scenery abound and immense tracts of forest lie on either side. Near Raurimu there is a wonderful spiral, a piece of ingenuity which has already acquired a measure of fame. Perhaps the most remarkable feature of this central section is the large number o f viaducts - great and small - which have had to be constructed to bridge the numerous gorges. Foremost among these is the famous Makatote viaduct now within three months of completion. Travelling north, the magnificent gorge is seen suddenly from a sweep in the road and the great viaduct looms into view. From water to rails the height is over 260ft (79 metres) and the length is all but 900ft (274m). One thousand tons of steel are contained in its cast framework supports, the centre ones having the appearance of small Eiffel towers. In the concrete foundations upon which the supports rest there are 6,000 tons of concrete. Quite a small township exists round the
viaduct and at one time in the building stage 150 men were employed as against the 50 men now engaged. The great work which is in the hands of the well-known contractors, Messrs J. and A. Anderson, has been in hand about two years but much time was lost through the difficulty of getting material to the scene of operations. Late months however the work has progressed at a great rate. Two other large viaducts under construction by this firm are those crossing the Manganui (Manganui-a-te-ao) and Mangatura (Mangaturuturu?) streams. These works are also well on the way to completion. A great rival to the Makatote viaduct is the Hapuawhenua, a little north of Ohakune. The structure exceeds 900ft in length but is not as lofty as its northern ri-
val. This work is in the hands of the Department and is also in its finishing stages. A viaduct not long finishecl is the Taonui, a few miles south of Horopito. Though not as large as those mentioned above it is of formidable dimensions and is a fine sight. Being in rugged country this viaduct is slightly curved as are many of the smaller ones on this section. From Makatote to Horopito is a comparatively even surface but the section from Horopito to Ohakune, owing to rough conformation, will require a long succession of cuttings, fillings and embankments and most likely this will be the last section of the great Main Trunk Line to be completed." (From the Waimarino County Call, Wednesday, February 2 6 1908).
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Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 6, Issue 249, 5 July 1988, Page 12
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683Rail celebration reminder of early link up Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 6, Issue 249, 5 July 1988, Page 12
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