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The New Zealand Railways Magazine, Volume 8, Issue 7 (November 1, 1933)

Railway Pioneer Passes — Death of Mr. C. Crutch

Railway Pioneer Passes
Death of Mr. C. Crutch.

The death occurred at Wanganui recently of Mr. C. Crutch, one of the few remaining pioneers of railway construction of the last century.

(Photo. M. A. Brennan) Nature of the country traversed by the North Island Main Trunk Railway. View taken from a point overlooking the Makohine Viaduct.

(Photo. M. A. Brennan)
Nature of the country traversed by the North Island Main Trunk Railway. View taken from a point overlooking the Makohine Viaduct.

The late Mr. C. Crutch was eighty-five years of age at the time of his death, and for the past twenty-five years had resided at Gonville, Wanganui. He arrived in New Zealand in 1874, by the ship “Ballochmyle,” which anchored at Lyttelton. Having previous experience in railway work in England, he secured employment with the contractors then engaged upon railway construction work in Canterbury. Just how much the immigrants of those early days must have been impressed by the prospects in this country can be judged by the fact that the late Mr. C. Crutch never forgot, and often repeated the wording of the posters which were to be seen in many parts of the Homeland before his departure for New Zealand. “Eight hours work—eight hours play—eight hours sleep and eight shillings a day.”

In 1877 he joined the staff of the New Zealand Railways as a ganger at Cave, and four years later, he was appointed Inspector of Permanent Way at Lumsden. At Invercargill he spent sixteen years, and was in charge of the network of lines and branches of Southland, as they were opened up. In 1899 he was transferred to the North Island, and took over the position of Inspector of Permanent Way at Aramoho. During his sojourn at Aramoho he was in charge of the development of the North Island Main Trunk Line, from a short branch to an important section, tapping the very heart of the Island. The late Mr. C. Crutch was transferred to Hawera in 1905, and before retiring on superannuation two years later, he was again connected with another arterial railway (which today is an established fact), namely, the Stratford-Okahukura line. His last important work was associated with the deviation of the Main Line, from the centre of the town of New Plymouth to its present position along the coast.