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The Cyclopedia of New Zealand [Otago & Southland Provincial Districts]
Railways
Railways.
A general description has been given, in a former section, of the Otago system of railways. Though still inadequate to the needs of the province, the lines already completed provide communication between Dunedin and the more important towns and settlements throughout the provincial district.
The northern express leaves Dunedin for Christchurch every day at 11 o'clock The total distance, 230 miles, is done in nine hours and a quarter; the fares are:—Single first 22s 5d, second 12s 10d; return 44s 10d and 25s 8d. But the northern boundary of the province, the Waitaki, is less than 100 miles from Dunedin. By far the most important town in North Otago is Oamaru (seventy-eight miles), but Palmerston (forty-one miles) is a growing centre of population and trade. There is a train from Palmerston to Oamaru every day leaving at 7.15, and arriving at 10.45; fares, first 4s, second 2s 6d. Again, both Oamaru and Palmerston can be reached daily from Dunedin by the “slow” train, which leaves at 7.42, and covers the distance in five hours and a half, arriving at 1.10 p.m. From Oamaru to Timaru (fifty-three miles), a train runs three times daily, starting at 7.20, and arriving at 10.50, starting at 2.40 (express), and arriving at 4.26, starting at 4.45 and arriving at 8.20. As far north as Palmerston there are two other special trains from Dunedin—on Monday starting at 7.50 and arriving at 10.50; on Saturday starting at 1.15 and arriving at 4 p.m. Then there is always a 4 o'clock train from Dunedin to Palmerston, reaching its destination at 8 o'clock. Lastly there is the afternoon train for Oamaru which leaves Dunedin at 3 o'clock, and reaches its journey's end at 8 o'clock. The fare to Palmerston is; First class 5s 3d, second 3s 6d; to Oamaru, first class 9s 3d, second 6s; returns as usual are double the single fares.
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Milton. Armstrong, photo.
Beyond Windsor Junction another branch runs off to Ngapara, seventeen miles from Oamaru. The morning train leaves Oamaru at 6.50 and reaches Ngapara at 8.20. The afternoon train leaves at 4.50, and gets to Ngapara at 6.20. These trains, however, do not run past Windsor Junction on Wednesday and Friday. Fares to Ngapara; first 2s 3d, second 1s 6d.
From Palmerston a branch line runs to Dunback, nine miles away. This train can be caught by the 7.42 from Dunedin on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, reaching Palmerston at 10.50. The branch train starts for Dunback at 11.10. On Tuesdays the afternoon train from Dunedin to Palmerston leaving at 4 o'clock, meets with the Dunback train leaving Palmerston at 7.40, and reaching Dunback at 8.15. Fares from Palmerston; first 1s 1d, second 9d.
The port line from Dunedin to Port Chalmers is naturally one of the busiest sections of the New Zealand railway system. The distance is only eight miles, and occupies about thirty-five minutes; fares, first 1s 1d, second 9d. Ordinarily there are eleven passenger trains on weekdays between 7 a.m. and 11.30 p.m., and three trains on Sundays.
The total distance from Dunedin to Invercargill by rail is 139 miles. Two trains run daily from Dunedin; the slower starting at 8, reaches Invercargill at 5.45; the express leaving at 9.5 gets to Invercargill by 3.15. The northern express leaves Invercargill daily at 11.15, and arrives at its destination at 5.5.
There is daily connection along this line between Dunedin and Mosgiel Junction, which lies ten miles south of Dunedin. Thirteen trains run daily as far as this point. In addition to the two Invercargill trains, an afternoon train leaves Dunedin for the south at 4.20, and gets to Clinton (seventy-four miles) by 9.13. From Clinton there is daily connection with Invercargill by two trains, in addition to the through trains from Dunedin. One leaves Clinton at 6.35, and covers the sixty-five miles to Invercargill by 10.35; the other leaves Clinton at 2.35 p.m., and reaches its destination at 7.30.
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Horse Range, Near Palmerston South. Appleby, photo.
Twice a week—on Tuesdays and Thursdays—trains run from Edendale to Invercargill (twenty-three miles), and on Saturdays an extra train leaves Woodlands for Invercargill at 10.35—eleven miles. The fare from Dunedin to Invercargill is, first 14s 10d, second 9s, and to the intermediate stations on a proportionate scale. From Mosgiel Junction a short line runs west to Outram—nine miles away. A morning and an afternoon train cover the distance in about forty minutes; fares, first 1s, second 8d. From Milton—thirty-six miles south of Dunedin—two trains run daily, in a north-west direction to Lawrence—twenty-four miles. The time occupied in covering the distance is about one hour and fifty minutes. Two trains also run daily back to Mosgiel; fares, 2s 10d, second 1s 10d.
The Otago Central Railway has now been opened as far as Ida Valley, 106 miles from Dunedin. The line diverges from the main south line at Wingatui. Two trains leave Dunedin every day at 8.15 and 2.10, and reach Ida Valley at 3o' clock and 11.5 respectively. Only one train runs to Dunedin, starting from Ida page 53 valley at 11 o'clock, and reaching Dunedin at 5.48; the fares are, first 12s 1d, second 7s 8d. The average rate of less than sixteen miles per hour gives some idea of the natural difficulties that impede rapid inter-communication in Otago.
From Stirling—fifty miles from Dunedin on the main south line—a line runs to Kaitangata, the coal mining district, four miles away. Trains from Dunedin pass Stirling four times a day between 7.30 a.m. and 7.36 p.m. Ordinarily there are two trains a day on to Kaitangata, leaving Stirling at 11.20 and 4.20; but on Saturday there is one early train in addition.
From Balclutha—fifty-three miles from Dunedin on the south line—a train runs every morning to Owaka (nineteen miles). Kaitangata lies due east of Balclutha, and Owaka nearly due south toward Waikawa; fares, first 2s, second 1s 3d. The journey occupies nearly one hour and a half—an average of less than thirteen miles an hour.
From Waipahi, ten miles beyond Clinton, and therefore eighty-four miles from Dunedin, there is another branch line due north to Heriot. The trains run twice a day about 9 o'clock and 1.30, completing the twenty mile trip in one hour and a half; fares, first 2s 6d, second 1s 8d.
In Southland district, what is known as the Waimea Plains line, connects Gore with Lumsden. Gore is forty miles from Invercargill, and Lumsden Junction is thirty-seven miles nor-west of Gore, and due south of Lake Wakatipu. A train leaves Gore daily at 1.45 and reaches Lumsden at 3.30. There is an evening train at 4.30, altered to 6.35 on Friday. The time on these trips varies from one hour and three-quarters to two hours and a quarter—a difference which shows that trains on these outlying railroads seldom attain their maximum speed; fares, first 4s 9d, second 3s 2d.
From Edendale, again on the main south line, 116 miles from Dunedin, and twenty-three miles from Invercargill, a line runs to Glenham, ten miles southeast. One train runs daily and takes nearly an hour to cover ten miles.
From Invercargill a line runs due east to Waimakaka, twenty-six miles, toward the Seaward Bush country. Two trains daily take two hours on the journey, though on Saturdays it is done in one hour and a half; fares, first 3s 7d, second 2s 3d.
The port line from Invercargill to the Bluff is seventeen miles in length. The journey generally occupies about fifty minutes; but it is noticeable that the special train to connect with the Melbourne mail boat at the Bluff gets to port in thirty-five minutes, at a rate of about thirty miles per hour. There are five ordinary weekday trains between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. from Invercargill to the Bluff, and the same number of returns from 8.5 a.m. to 6.23 p.m., with a late train each way on Saturday night, and a special Sunday train leaving Invercargill at 2.15 and returning from Bluff at 5 p.m.; fares, first 2s, second 1s 2d.
The direct train route from Invercargill to the Otago Lakes is by the Lumsden-Kingston line. There are two regular daily trains from Invercargill to Lumsden—fifty miles due north—and an extra train at 1 o'clock on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. The fifty mile trip takes from two hours twenty minutes to three hours twenty minutes—a wide margin. The first train leaves at 7.5 a.m., and the last at 4.30 p.m. There are two daily returns to Invercargill from Lumsden at 6.30 and 3.55, and an extra train at 11.5 on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Three other trains leave Invercargill daily in the direction of Lumsden, but two, leaving at 8.55 and 4.10, stop at Makarewa Junction, eight miles up the line, and another 3.20 train goes no further than Winton—nineteen miles.
From Lumsden, the centre of the inland railway system, the line runs on to Kingston, on the southern extremity of Lake Wakatipu, thirty-seven miles from Lumsden and eight-seven from Invercargill. The ordinary daily train leaves Lumsden at 3.40, and reaches Kingston at 5.30—thirty-seven miles in one hour fifty minutes. On every day but Monday there is an additional train leaving Lumsden at 10.45, and arriving at Kingston at 12.55. The fare from Invercargill to Lumsden is, first 6s 4d, and second 4s 3d; to Kingston, first 10s 2d, and second 6s 7d.
From Lumsden a line runs north-west towards Lake Te Anau, for eleven miles to Mossburn. Trains run three times a week—Monday 11 a.m., Saturday 4.40 a.m. and 8.5 p.m., with returns on the same days. This eleven mile trip takes forty-five minutes; fares, first 1s 7d, second 1s 1d.
From Invercargill there is a railway to Orepuki, where the shale works are a matter of considerable commercial importance. The line runs west from Makarewa Junction, eight miles from Invercargill to Thornbury Junction—twelve miles—then south-west to Riverton—sixteen miles—thence west to Orepuki—forty-two miles from Invercargill. There are two daily trains each way, leaving Invercargill at 8.55 and 4.10, and Orepuki at 7.30 and 2.30. The distance can be covered in two hours and a half, but some trains take three hours and a quarter. The fares from Invercargill are, first 5s 6d, and second 3s 8d.
From Thornbury Junction—twenty miles from Invercargill—a line runs twenty-five miles north-west and north to Nightcaps. There are four trains daily from Invercargill to Thornbury; but there is only one morning train thence to Nightcaps on alternate days; at 10.35 on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. An afternoon train leaves daily at 5.18, arriving at Nightcaps at 6.50. The morning train takes over two hours, at a rate of about twelve miles an hour. Corresponding return trains leave Nightcaps daily for Invercargill via Thornbury. Fares from Thornbury to Nightcaps are, first 3s 3d, second 2s 2d.
The Hedgehope branch runs off from Winton on the Lumsden line, for thirteen miles to the south-east. There is one train daily from Hedgehope to Winton, and a return from Winton to Hedgehope; fares, first 1s 9d, second 1s 2d.
Otago and Southland are thus tolerably well provided with internal means of communication, and, when the intended extensions are completed, most of the country districts will be in direct and fairly frequent communication with the coast, and the chief centres of population. It must be allowed, however, that the rato of travel on most of these lines leaves room for great improvement. On the main line, the Dunedin-Invercargill journey of 139 miles takes nine hours and three-quarters, or an average of about fourteen miles an hour. On the Otago Central the average varies from sixteen miles an hour, down to thirteen miles an hour; and an average of twelve miles is by no means uncommon on the country lines. At such speeds it is clear that it is impossible to get the maximum of advantage or convenience out of the railway system.