Title: The Wreck of the Hydrabad

Author: Ian Church

Publication details: Dunmore Press, 1978, Palmerston North

Digital publication kindly authorised by: Ian Church

Part of: New Zealand Texts Collection

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The Wreck of the Hydrabad

3: The railways of two colonies

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3: The railways of two colonies

Had New Zealand's southern provinces agreed on a standard gauge for their several railways Hydrabad might never have made her voyage to Lyttelton. As it was Nelson opened its horse-drawn Dun Mountain Railway on 3 February 1862 with a three-foot gauge. Canterbury's first line, from Christchurch to Ferrymead, opened on 1 December 1863 with the Irish 5' 3" gauge. Southland built its railway between Invercargill and Bluff to the 4' 8 1/2" gauge, while Otago linked Dunedin and Port Chalmers with the narrow 3' 6" gauge. However, only 47 miles of railway had been built when in 1870 the New Zealand government's public works proposals stipulated a gauge not exceeding 3' 6". This did not immediately make Canterbury's rolling stock redundant for the province was permitted to complete the lines to Rakaia and Amberley using the broad gauge.

Canterbury had intended to have a 5' 6" gauge but adopted 5' 3" largely because the contractors for the Ferrymead line, Holmes and Company of Melbourne, were able to secure an unused 5' 3" locomotive from the Melbourne and Essendon Railway. This company had been formed in 1859 but never prospered and closed its lines in July 1864. Since Victoria's railways were constructed to page 35
The shunting locomotive 'Dolly Varden' (New Zealand Locomotive and Railway Society).

The shunting locomotive 'Dolly Varden' (New Zealand Locomotive and Railway Society).

the broad gauge there was a cheap and immediately available supply of contractor's equipment and ordinary rolling stock.

Holmes and Company purchased two other 2-4-OT locomotives with side tanks for the 'Great South Line'. Between 1867 and 1874 they were joined by five 0-4-2 T locomotives ordered from the Avonside Engine Co. Ltd of Bristol, England. Instead of a tender they had a well tank beneath the boiler. In England they operated fast express trains or lightly congested local traffic in thickly populated suburban areas and they can hardly have been very suitable page 36 for lightly populated Canterbury where the demand was more likely to be for infrequent mixed trains running to a leisurely timetable. They were in fact often out of service, for the axle-loads were ill-proportioned to the rails, causing flange troubles, and before 1874 maintenance was poor. A light 0-4-OT shunting locomotive was built by Neilson and Company of Glasgow. This was nick-named 'Dolly Varden' after the character in Dickens's Barnaby Rudge described as 'the very impersonation of good humour and blooming beauty.'

Most of Canterbury's rolling stock of composite carriages, low, medium and high-sided wagons, horse-boxes and goods-brake vans was supplied by the Metropolitan Carriage Company of Birmingham, England. A small number of second-class carriages were built by Williams of Melbourne.

Conversion of the railway to the 3' 6" gauge began in August 1874 and was completed by the end of 1877. By then the Canterbury Provincial Council had been abolished (1876) and it was the New Zealand Government which put up for sale all the broad gauge locomotives, carriages and wagons. The Victorian Government not being interested, G. S. Whitmore, acting for the Minister of Public Works, inquired on 24 January 1878 if the South Australian Government wanted to purchase the surplus rolling stock.

By coincidence the General Traffic Manager of the South Australian Railways, Alan G. Pendleton, had written on the same day to his Commissioner of Public Works, George C. Hawker, of the need to increase the number of carriages to keep up with the growth, allow a margin for accidents and cope with Easter and Christmas traffic. The South Australian Cabinet approved Pendleton's request for eight carriages and two brake vans and at the same time page break
The Ellora, shown here in barque rig, was nearly engaged to carry the Canterbury rolling stock to Adelaide (State Library of South Australia).

The Ellora, shown here in barque rig, was nearly engaged to carry the Canterbury rolling stock to Adelaide (State Library of South Australia).

page 38 expressed interest in the New Zealand Government's offer.

South Australia had undergone 'railway mania' in the late 1840s when wealth from its silver-lead and copper mines and from its increasing acreage of wheatfields made Adelaide briefly the most prosperous of the Australian capitals. Its first line, between Adelaide and Port Adelaide, was opened on 21 April 1856, the first government planned railway in the British Empire. The line was soon extended to Gawlor in October 1857, to the mining centre of Morgan and to the wheat ports in the north. The growth of farming, mining and population meant continued expansion for the railways and the offer of the Canterbury equipment came at an opportune time. H. C. Mais, the Engineer-in-chief, reported to his Commissioner that all the rolling stock and especially the wagons, could be utilised.

Included in the offer were 8 six-wheel locomotives, 1 four-wheel shunting locomotive, 22 four-wheel carriages, (11 composite and 11 second-class), 2 brake vans, 4 horse boxes, 2 carriage trucks and 281 traffic trucks. The price asked was $50,000 free on board at Lyttelton. Mais was concerned that the freight bill would be very high unless the wagons could be dismantled but at the same time he told his government that if the equipment was truly 'as good as new' it would be worth $70,730 and if bought new would cost $107,630.

Mais was a public servant; the South Australian Government was keeper of the public purse. In instructing Mais to proceed to Lyttelton to thoroughly inspect the rolling stock Commissioner Hawker shrewdly pointed out that they were the only possible purchasers of the rolling stock. Any sum agreed on was to be off-set against 'what must be almost a total loss to the New Zealand Government.' page 39 Within six weeks of the original telegram Mais landed at Bluff from the Union Steam Ship Company's Arawata on 4 March 1878, and spent four days travelling to Christchurch inspecting railway works on the way. At Christchurch he examined the rolling stock and found it in very good order, with the engines and carriages excellent. This was a testimony to the work of J. G. Warner, Canterbury's locomotive engineer. All the boilers and machinery were minutely inspected by Mr Grayson, foreman of the Adelaide Railway Workshops. Faithfully carrying out his instructions Mais offered the New Zealand Government $26,000 for the equipment on 13 March. The government took six days to swallow its pride and recognise the reality of its situation. On 19 March the offer was accepted and at the same time Mais was invited to purchase the store of brass tubes, sheaves, rods, springs and other duplicate items. For these Mais paid $3,000, an apparently high price when compared with the amount paid for the rolling stock. Enquiries had already been made to charter one of the large vessels lying idle at Port Adelaide to transport the equipment. While Captain Holmwood was offering Hydrabad to the authorities in Adelaide, Mais was dealing with the agents of the ship Ellora which was the only ship available at Lyttelton. At 1,727 tons she was larger than Hydrabad and had a third 'orlop deck' which gave greater stowage facilities. She was owned by J. Blyth of Melbourne. Mais was a little put out by his government's acceptance of the Hydrabad. He pointed out the advantages of the Ellora and said that its agents' price of $6,000 for the freight included $1,319.50 for stowage.

By the time Hydrabad's charter was arranged the New Zealand Railways had already packed six of the nine page 40 engines and ninety wagons. It had been decided to take the sides off the trucks but to ship most of the rest intact. Mais departed Christchurch on 7 April, leaving Mr Grayson to oversee the dismantling and packing of the rolling stock.

Hydrabad berthed at Lyttelton on 22 April and her agents, Cuff and Graham, commenced loading the cargo on 1 May 1878. Altogether 2,511 separate packages were hoisted on board, a total weight of 1,050 tons including 20 tons on deck. The Hydrabad could not quite carry all the plant but Mais, who reported back to his government on 23 April, did not expect any difficulty in chartering space for the three locomotives and the balance remaining.

Hydrabad completed loading on Thursday 20 June. The wharf labourers went ashore for the last time, the debris of two months' stay in port was cleared away, and once customs clearance was obtained a tug towed Hydrabad out into the stream.