Kingston Branch facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Kingston Branch |
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Railway station of Invercargill in the 1860s with the wooden rails in use on the line to Makarewa until 1867
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| Overview | |
| Status | Closed (Makarewa to Fairlight) |
| Owner | Railways Department |
| Locale | Southland, New Zealand |
| Coordinates | 45°22′03″S 168°40′34″E / 45.3676°S 168.6761°E |
| Termini | Invercargill Kingston |
| Stations | 34 (total) 2 (operational) |
| Service | |
| Type | regional rail |
| System | New Zealand Government Railways |
| Operator(s) | Railways Department KiwiRail (Invercargill to Makarewa) The Kingston Flyer (Fairlight to Kingston) |
| History | |
| Opened | 18 October 1864 (Invercargill to Makarewa) 22 February 1871 (Makarewa to Winton) 1875 (Winton to Lumsden) 10 July 1878 (Lumsden to Kingston) |
| Closed | 25 November 1979 (Mararoa Junction to Fairlight) 13 December 1982 (Makarewa to Mararoa) |
| Technical | |
| Line length | 139.92 km (86.94 mi) |
| Number of tracks | single |
| Character | Secondary Main Line |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) (until 20 December 1875) 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) (20 December 1875 to present) |
The Kingston Branch was an important railway line in Southland, New Zealand. It was part of New Zealand's train network for over 100 years. Building started in 1864. The line reached Kingston in 1878. It closed in 1979. For a long time, people saw it as a main railway line. It was sometimes called the "Great Northern Railway." Today, part of the southern end is now used by the Wairio Branch. The northernmost 14.25 kilometers are used by the famous Kingston Flyer heritage train.
Contents
Building the Railway: From Wood to Iron Tracks
The Kingston Branch was built to be a main railway line. It went north from Invercargill to improve travel in the Southland region. It also aimed to connect to the Central Otago gold fields. The local government in Southland did not have much money. So, they decided to build the railway with wooden rails first.
Early Days: Wooden Rails and Standard Gauge
A 12.25-kilometer line opened between Invercargill and Makarewa on October 18, 1864. The wooden tracks quickly showed they were not good enough. This railway was also built using the international standard gauge (1435mm). This was different from most other railways in New Zealand. In June 1866, they decided to change to stronger iron rails.
Changing Tracks: From Standard to Narrow Gauge
The iron rails were put in while the line was extended to Winton. This section opened on February 22, 1871. This was the furthest the standard gauge went in Southland. Later lines were built using the national narrow gauge (1067mm).
The first part of the Kingston Branch built with the new narrow gauge was from Winton to Caroline. It opened on October 20, 1875. Two months later, on December 20, the rest of the line to Invercargill was also changed to the narrow gauge. The old standard gauge trains were sold to Australia. However, the ship carrying them was wrecked, so the trains never arrived.
Reaching Kingston: A Swift Expansion
After Caroline, building the railway went quickly. The line opened to Lumsden on February 7, 1876. Then it reached Lowther on January 15, 1877. It continued to Athol on January 20, 1878. Finally, it reached Kingston on July 10, 1878. This was about 140 kilometers from Invercargill. In February 1879, a steamboat connection started on Lake Wakatipu. It linked Kingston to Queenstown.
Key Stations Along the Line
The Kingston Branch had 31 stations in total. Three of these stations were important junctions where other railway lines connected:
- Makarewa: Connected to the Tuatapere Branch (which also linked to the Wairio Branch).
- Winton: Connected to the Hedgehope Branch.
- Lumsden: Connected to the Waimea Plains Railway (to Gore) and the Mossburn Branch.
How the Railway Operated
In the early days, trains ran six days a week. There was a return trip to Kingston and another train to Lumsden in the afternoon. When the Waimea Plains Railway opened, it was privately owned. It competed with the Kingston Branch. This caused services to be cut back to only Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays for three years.
Return of Daily Trains and the First Kingston Flyer
By 1883, daily trains were back. When the Waimea Plains Railway joined the national network, train services changed again. Besides the daily "mixed" trains (carrying both people and goods), five passenger express trains ran from Kingston each week. Two went all the way to Invercargill. Three left the line at Lumsden to travel through the Waimea Plains. These passenger services were the first "Kingston Flyer" trains.
Changes in Passenger and Freight Services
In the 1930s and 1950s, the Kingston route was seen as a main line. Regular passenger services stopped, but special holiday trains ran for another 20 years. The last one ran in Easter 1957. Passenger trains were rare on the line in the 1960s. The Friday mixed train between Invercargill and Lumsden also stopped in November 1956. After this, daily freight trains ran from Lumsden to Invercargill and back. A twice-weekly service continued to Kingston.
The Famous Kingston Flyer Returns
By 1970, traffic on the Lumsden to Kingston section was very low. But then, New Zealand Railways announced a surprise. They would run a special heritage train from Lumsden to Kingston. It would use the "Kingston Flyer" name again! Two old steam locomotives (AB class) were used. The train started on December 21, 1971. This was two months after regular steam trains had stopped running. Two return trips ran daily from December to April. They were very popular, carrying over 30,000 passengers each season. Goods were also carried on the first train to Kingston and the last train back to Lumsden.
Closure of Parts of the Line
The line between Lumsden and Garston was damaged by floods in February 1979. The last Kingston Flyer from Garston ran on April 17. The last goods train to Kingston ran on November 22. The line between Lumsden and Garston officially closed on November 26, 1979. For the next three years, the Kingston Flyer ran elsewhere. But in 1982, it came back to Kingston. There were plans to run it all the way to Garston. However, these plans changed to Fairlight instead. The six kilometers between Garston and Fairlight were closed. The 14.25 kilometers between Fairlight and Kingston are still open for the Kingston Flyer today. There are ideas to put tracks back to Garston, as the land is still set aside for a railway.
South of Lumsden, the Kingston Branch was busy with trains going to the Mossburn Branch. These trains carried materials for big projects, like the Manapouri hydro scheme. Once this work stopped, the line became very quiet. Only two trains a week ran in its last year. On December 13, 1982, the line from Makarewa to Lumsden closed. The 12.25-kilometer section from Invercargill to Makarewa is still open. It is now part of the Wairio Branch.
What Remains Today
The two ends of what was once a main railway line are still open. But the middle section has mostly disappeared over time. For example, the special triangular platform at Makarewa is gone. It once served the Kingston and Wairio Branches. The large Freezing Works building also disappeared. From Makarewa to Winton, intense dairy farming has removed most signs of the old railway.
Discovering Railway History Along the Route
From Winton to Centre Bush, not much is left except for the old railway path and a few small bridges. The first old goods shed that is still standing is at the site of the old Centre Bush yard. Well-preserved parts can be found in Lumsden. These include the water tower, a small wooden bridge, and the station building. The station building is now used as a tourist center.
From just north of Lumsden to Fairlight, the Around the Mountains Cycle Trail mostly follows the old railway line. In Lowther, the loading bank is still there. Not far away, some rails are still in the old level crossing on Ellis Road. Another level crossing is still complete in Athol. One of the furthest north parts of the line is just outside Garston. It is an old bridge used by both roads and trains. Just south of Garston, an old goods shed can be seen. It was moved there after the line closed. At the old Fairlight bridge, the line becomes active. This is the southern end of the Kingston Flyer's historic railway.
