Waimate Branch
| Waimate & Waimate Gorge Branch | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Overview | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Type | Heavy Rail | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| System | New Zealand Government Railways (NZGR) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Status | Closed | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Locale | Canterbury, New Zealand | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Termini | Studholme Waihao Downs |
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| Stations | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Operation | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Opened | 19 March 1877 (Waimate Branch) 24 April 1883 (Waimate Gorge Branch) |
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| Closed | 12 November 1953 (Waimate Gorge Branch) 31 March 1966 (Waimate Branch) |
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| Owner | Railways Department | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Operator(s) | Railways Department | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Character | Rural | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Technical | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Line length | 7.42 km (Waimate Branch) 13.32 km (Waimate Gorge Branch) |
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| Number of tracks | Single | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Track gauge | 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The Waimate Branch was a branch line railway built in southern Canterbury, New Zealand to link the Main South Line with the town of Waimate, the centre of the surrounding rural area. It opened in 1877 and operated until 1966; for some of this time, it included an extension to Waihao Downs that was known as the Waimate Gorge Branch or Waihao Downs Branch. When the line closed, Waimate received the dubious distinction of being New Zealand's first major town to lose its railway line.
Located roughly halfway between Timaru and Oamaru, Waimate is the major market and service town for the surrounding district, but when the Main South Line between Christchurch and Dunedin was constructed, it was built some 7 km to the east of the township so that it could follow a direct route along the coastal plain without deviating. Both government and residents agreed that a link from the main line village of Studholme to Waimate was necessary. In 1876, tenders were called for the line and the winning offer, George Pratt's of ₤4,831, was accepted on 10 March 1876. Construction was not difficult and the branch opened on 19 March 1877. The first train was hauled by an A class tank locomotive and had three carriages plus a guard's van.
Two proposals for an extension were made, of which only one eventuated. The plan which did not eventuate was to link Waimate to either Duntroon or Livingstone. One of the proposals for the Otago Central Railway was to build a line from Oamaru to Naseby, and in 1877 an invitation was extended to the Waimate County Council to partake in a plan to connect Waimate to the Oamaru-Naseby line in either Duntroon or Livingstone and thus establish a through route from Central Otago to Canterbury. A deputation representing the advocates of the Oamaru-Naseby line made a presentation before the Waimate County Council on 12 July 1877, but the Council did not view the proposal as desirable. The Oamaru-Naseby proposal itself failed to come to fruition, with Duntroon ultimately served by the Kurow Branch and Livingstone located near the terminus of the Tokarahi Branch.
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Wikipedia