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The Waikaia Branch, also known as the Switzers Branch, was a branch line railway in Southland, New Zealand. Proposed as early as 1880, it was not opened until 1909 and operated for half a century until its closure in 1959.
[edit] Construction
A commission in 1880 of New Zealand's railway network favoured the construction of a line to the Waikaia area and suggested that it be built from Kelso on the Tapanui Branch. However, in 1884, construction instead commenced northwards from Riversdale on the Waimea Plains Railway. The terrain made construction easy and ten kilometres of formation had been completed with 3.2 kilometres of track laid before economic difficulties associated with the Long Depression brought work to a halt. At some point over the next twenty years, the track was removed to be used elsewhere. Work on the line recommenced in 1905 and by 1908, the 3.2 kilometres had been relaid. Beyond this point, construction was swift and the 22 kilometre long line opened on 1 October 1909. The only work of significance required was a bridge over the Mataura River.
[edit] Stations
The following were stations on the Waikaia Branch, in order from the junction at Riversdale:
- Waipounamu
- Freshford
- Dome
- Switzers/Waikaia (22 km from the junction)
[edit] Operation
The Waikaia Branch was essentially a line to nowhere. Roughly 1700 people lived in the area served by the line when it opened, and Switzers (now known as Waikaia), the settlement near the terminus, was home to a mere 250 people. Photos of the grand opening, attended by the Prime Minister, show that the Switzers station was essentially in the middle of a field. Initially, there was some traffic generated by gold mining and dredging near Switzers, but the line was far too late to serve the gold fields of the 19th century and it mainly carried agricultural traffic. Its role was essentially to open up the surrounding land to farming and to provide a convenient link to major centres before the development of modern road transportation.
In 1925, Ford Model T bus equipment was used as the basis for two railcars, the RM class Model T Ford railcars. They began operating on the Waikaia Branch as well as the Wyndham Branch in late May 1926 in an attempt to provide a more efficient passenger service at a lower operating cost. However, as the railcars rode roughly and were prone to overheating, they were unpopular and unsuccessful and the line became freight only from 9 February 1931. By the 1950s, the region's population had dwindled to a meagre 200 and trains ran twice weekly. What traffic did exist was being transferred to the expanding road network, and with no reason to justify the line's continued existence, the Waikaia Branch closed on 16 May 1959.
In the early years of the line, small tank locomotives such as the F class were used to run trains from the junction in Riversdale, but in the later years, considerably larger engines such as the A class were used. These locomotives would have looked quite out of place heading small trains on this quiet rural branch.
[edit] The branch today
It is not unusual for relics from closed railway lines to deteriorate and disappear over time, but remnants can be found the length of the Waikaia Branch. Much of the formation is still visible from local roads, and a span from the old combined road/rail bridge across the Mataura River is located at the site of the old Freshford yard. Freshford also still possesses its loading chutes and goods shed. Loading banks can also be found at the sites of the Waipounamu and Dome stations, with ramps for sheep still in place at the former. In Waikaia, the locomotive water tank has been preserved by locals, and on its side, "Switzers - Estd 1909" is written in large letters. Nearby, the goods shed remains standing, with both "Switzers" and "Waikaia" visible on the ends.
[edit] References
- Churchman, Geoffrey B., and Hurst, Tony; The Railways Of New Zealand: A Journey Through History, HarperCollins Publishers (New Zealand), 1991 reprint
- Leitch, David, and Scott, Brian; Exploring New Zealand's Ghost Railways, Grantham House, 1998 revised edition
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