At last, the story has commenced about Westland’s fascinating sawmills and bush tramways, with the first two books of a series covering sawmills and tramways of the Grey and Westland counties.  Ian Tibbles takes us on a journey through Stillwater, Coal Creek, the Grey district coalfield and lower Arnold Valley through to Kaimata, with these… Read more »

This weeks article is from the New Zealand Railway Observer Volume 30, No 4, Summer 1973-74 and is: To Waiareka Valley by Rail – A History of the Ngapara Branch Railway in North Otago by W J Cowan  Article 43, Volume 30, No 4, Summer 1973-74 Each week a new Article from early issues of… Read more »

Since our last report for the web site, we have been working mainly on the finishing of restoring WMR No 48 and on repairing rot in the framing of No 52. WMR 48 The interior of WMR 48 is substantially complete. Slow progress has been made on incomplete exterior work: Most castings and the springs… Read more »

In the King’s Birthday Honours announcements at the end of May, our in-coming President , Grant Craig, was awarded a King’s Service Medal for services to rail heritage. Grant is a Past President of the Federation of Rail Organisations of New Zealand and has been a driving force within Dunedin Railways for many years. His… Read more »

Designed to transport produce from the productive hinterland farms, plus limestone and coal deposits to the port and beyond, North Otago’s numerous branch lines successfully fulfilled these tasks through the decades. Author Arthur De Maine covers in detail the features and operation of each line. Branches covered are: Kurow, Waitaki dam extension, Ngapara, Tokarahi, Dunback… Read more »