Wyndham Branch
Encyclopedia
The Wyndham Branch, also known as the Glenham Branch, was a branch line
railway in Southland, New Zealand
. The first section was opened in 1882 and it operated until 1962. Although its name would imply that it terminated in Wyndham
, an extension to a terminus in Glenham operated for forty years. It was operated by the New Zealand Railways Department
.
from Dunedin
to Invercargill
was built on the west side of the Mataura River
north of Edendale
, thereby leaving the small east bank town of Wyndham off the route. To satisfy local residents, a 6.5 km long branch was built from Edendale to the town and it opened on 2 October 1882. A further section had been let to a contractor, but with half of the works complete, they abandoned the project. Further processes of plan review and granting of contracts meant that the branch did not reach the town of Glenham until 1 May 1890. There were proposals to continue the branch into the lower Mataura River
area, but in August 1888, the Public Works Department
stated that no further expenditure on the line was proposed once it was complete to Glenham, and the Tokanui Branch
(which at the time terminated in Mokotua
) was extended into the lower Mataura instead. As Glenham was now established as the terminus, a locomotive depot was established in the town. Along the route from Wyndham to Glenham, a tunnel was required, and it became the second to southernmost railway tunnel in New Zealand and thereby one of the most southern railway tunnels in the world.
The tunnel between Wyndham and Glenham was approximately 301 metres (987.5 ft) long.
bus equipment was used as the basis for two railcar
s in 1925, and in May 1926, the RM class
Model T Ford railcars
began providing a service on the line as well as on the Waikaia Branch
. They were economic, consuming 18.8 litres per 100 km and capable of running at 48 km/h, a reasonable speed for rural branch lines at the time. Despite that, they did not prove sufficiently successful: problems related to rough riding and overheating made them unpopular with the public and they were discarded in 1931.
A 1930 commission of New Zealand's railway network recommended that passenger traffic be discontinued on the Wyndham Branch, as well as reducing staff and closing the locomotive depot. The administration of the railways went one step further than that, closing the entire section from Wyndham to Glenham on 14 July 1930. Soon afterwards, passenger services on the rest of the line were cancelled on 9 February 1931 and goods services were modified to run from Invercargill and return rather than from the branch's terminus and return. The only passenger trains on the line after 1931 were infrequent chartered excursions, such as one from Waikaka at the end of the Waikaka Branch
on 26 March 1962 that carried almost 800 passengers. World War II
provided a temporary boost in traffic and the line lost less money, but due to a lack of significant traffic, a 1952 commission recommended full closure. This did not occur for another ten years, however; the line essentially became an extended siding from Edendale's yard that was shunted by passing services on the main line. Closure was announced on 20 June 1962 and the last services ran a few months later on 9 September 1962.
cleared access to the tunnel as part of a summer works programme, but their work has been somewhat undone by nature. In the tiny village of Glenham, the flat area of the yard remains, though it lacks any distinguishing features or railway remnants of note.
Branch line
A branch line is a secondary railway line which branches off a more important through route, usually a main line. A very short branch line may be called a spur line...
railway in Southland, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. The first section was opened in 1882 and it operated until 1962. Although its name would imply that it terminated in Wyndham
Wyndham, New Zealand
Wyndham is a rural town of 550 people in the South Island of New Zealand in the Southland region, 45 km east of Invercargill and 25 km south of Gore. The original Māori name of the locality was Mokoreta .Wyndham was named for General Sir Charles Ashe Windham who fought in the Crimean War...
, an extension to a terminus in Glenham operated for forty years. It was operated by the New Zealand Railways Department
New Zealand Railways Department
The New Zealand Railways Department, NZR or NZGR and often known as the "Railways", was a government department charged with owning and maintaining New Zealand's railway infrastructure and operating the railway system. The Department was created in 1880 and was reformed in 1981 into the New...
.
Construction
The Main South LineMain South Line
The Main South Line, sometimes referred to as part of the South Island Main Trunk Railway, is a railroad line that runs north and south from Lyttelton in New Zealand through Christchurch and along the east coast of the South Island to Invercargill via Dunedin...
from Dunedin
Dunedin
Dunedin is the second-largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the principal city of the Otago Region. It is considered to be one of the four main urban centres of New Zealand for historic, cultural, and geographic reasons. Dunedin was the largest city by territorial land area until...
to Invercargill
Invercargill
Invercargill is the southernmost and westernmost city in New Zealand, and one of the southernmost cities in the world. It is the commercial centre of the Southland region. It lies in the heart of the wide expanse of the Southland Plains on the Oreti or New River some 18 km north of Bluff,...
was built on the west side of the Mataura River
Mataura River
The Mataura River is in the Southland Region of the South Island of New Zealand. It is 190 kilometres in length.The river's headwaters are located in mountains to the south of Lake Wakatipu. From there it flows southeast towards Gore, where it turns southward...
north of Edendale
Edendale, New Zealand
Edendale is a town in the Southland region of New Zealand's South Island. According to the 2001 New Zealand Census of Population and Dwellings, it has a population of 570 , representing a rise of 0.5% or 3 people since the 1996 census.State Highway 1 passes through Edendale as it runs between...
, thereby leaving the small east bank town of Wyndham off the route. To satisfy local residents, a 6.5 km long branch was built from Edendale to the town and it opened on 2 October 1882. A further section had been let to a contractor, but with half of the works complete, they abandoned the project. Further processes of plan review and granting of contracts meant that the branch did not reach the town of Glenham until 1 May 1890. There were proposals to continue the branch into the lower Mataura River
Mataura River
The Mataura River is in the Southland Region of the South Island of New Zealand. It is 190 kilometres in length.The river's headwaters are located in mountains to the south of Lake Wakatipu. From there it flows southeast towards Gore, where it turns southward...
area, but in August 1888, the Public Works Department
New Zealand Ministry of Works
The New Zealand Ministry of Works, formerly the Department of Public Works and sometimes referred to as the Public Works Department or PWD, was founded in 1876 and disestablished and privatised in 1988...
stated that no further expenditure on the line was proposed once it was complete to Glenham, and the Tokanui Branch
Tokanui Branch
The Tokanui Branch, also known as the Seaward Bush Branch, was a branch line railway located in Southland, New Zealand. It diverged from the Bluff Branch south of the main railway station in Invercargill and ran for 54 kilometres in a southeasterly direction...
(which at the time terminated in Mokotua
Mokotua
Mokotua is a locality in the Southland Region of New Zealand's South Island. It is situated in a rural area east of Invercargill, between Timpanys and Kapuka on the Southern Scenic Route. To the south are Toetoes Bay and Waituna Lagoon; Rimu is to the north....
) was extended into the lower Mataura instead. As Glenham was now established as the terminus, a locomotive depot was established in the town. Along the route from Wyndham to Glenham, a tunnel was required, and it became the second to southernmost railway tunnel in New Zealand and thereby one of the most southern railway tunnels in the world.
Stations
The following stations were located on the Wyndham Branch (in brackets is the distance from the junction in Edendale):- Menzies Ferry (?? km)
- Wyndham Racecourse (?? km)
- Wyndham (6.5 km)
- Glenham (15.17)
The tunnel between Wyndham and Glenham was approximately 301 metres (987.5 ft) long.
Operation
Traffic on the Wyndham Branch was light from the beginning, and in its early years, it was described as being "in fine running trim". It adequately served the needs of the local community and provided access to markets before the establishment of a modern road network, but as the 20th century progressed, it began to lose money. Ford Model TFord Model T
The Ford Model T is an automobile that was produced by Henry Ford's Ford Motor Company from September 1908 to May 1927...
bus equipment was used as the basis for two railcar
Railcar
A railcar, in British English and Australian English, is a self-propelled railway vehicle designed to transport passengers. The term "railcar" is usually used in reference to a train consisting of a single coach , with a driver's cab at one or both ends. Some railways, e.g., the Great Western...
s in 1925, and in May 1926, the RM class
NZR RM class
The RM class is the classification used by the New Zealand Railways Department and its successors given to most railcars and railbuses that have operated on New Zealand's national rail network. As NZR and its successors has operated many diverse types of railcars, alternate names have been given...
Model T Ford railcars
NZR RM class (Model T Ford)
The NZR RM class Model T Ford railcar was a type of railcar that operated on New Zealand's national rail network. Only two were built, classified as RM 4 and RM 5, and they were experimental railcars designed in an attempt to offer improved passenger services on quiet country branch lines that...
began providing a service on the line as well as on the Waikaia Branch
Waikaia Branch
The Waikaia Branch, also known as the Switzers Branch, was a branch line railway in Southland, New Zealand. Proposed as early as the 1870s, it was not opened until 1909 and was operated by the New Zealand Railways Department for half a century until its closure in 1959.-Construction:In the late...
. They were economic, consuming 18.8 litres per 100 km and capable of running at 48 km/h, a reasonable speed for rural branch lines at the time. Despite that, they did not prove sufficiently successful: problems related to rough riding and overheating made them unpopular with the public and they were discarded in 1931.
A 1930 commission of New Zealand's railway network recommended that passenger traffic be discontinued on the Wyndham Branch, as well as reducing staff and closing the locomotive depot. The administration of the railways went one step further than that, closing the entire section from Wyndham to Glenham on 14 July 1930. Soon afterwards, passenger services on the rest of the line were cancelled on 9 February 1931 and goods services were modified to run from Invercargill and return rather than from the branch's terminus and return. The only passenger trains on the line after 1931 were infrequent chartered excursions, such as one from Waikaka at the end of the Waikaka Branch
Waikaka Branch
The Waikaka Branch was a branch line railway of the Main South Line that ran through agricultural and gold-mining country in Southland, New Zealand...
on 26 March 1962 that carried almost 800 passengers. World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
provided a temporary boost in traffic and the line lost less money, but due to a lack of significant traffic, a 1952 commission recommended full closure. This did not occur for another ten years, however; the line essentially became an extended siding from Edendale's yard that was shunted by passing services on the main line. Closure was announced on 20 June 1962 and the last services ran a few months later on 9 September 1962.
The branch today
Remnants of old railways typically fade with time or wholly disappear, and this is true for the Wyndham Branch. Very little of the route from Edendale to Wyndham is evident, except some traces of the formation around Edendale. Traces of the formation to Glenham are clearer and include embankments and cuttings, and the tunnel is difficult to find but viewable. At some point in the 1990s, the Department of ConservationNew Zealand Department of Conservation
The Department of Conservation , commonly known by its acronym, "DOC", is the state sector organisation which deals with the conservation of New Zealand’s natural and historic heritage...
cleared access to the tunnel as part of a summer works programme, but their work has been somewhat undone by nature. In the tiny village of Glenham, the flat area of the yard remains, though it lacks any distinguishing features or railway remnants of note.