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EspañolOTAGO CENTRAL RAILWAY
The 'Otago Central Railway' or 'Otago Central Branch Railway' (Now often known as the Taieri Gorge Railway) was a secondary railway line in Central Otago, in the South Island of New Zealand.
Construction of the Otago Central Branch Railway began in 1877 and the 27-km section to Hindon was opened in 1889. The line was completed to Middlemarch two years later. The line was eventually extended to Cromwell, 236 km, by 1921. The Clyde - Cromwell section (20 km) was closed in 1980 due to construction of the Clyde Dam, a hydro-electric power station in the Cromwell Gorge (the gorge of the Clutha River).
The branch begins at Wingatui, a station on the Main South Line south of Dunedin. After the branch line closed, the first four kilometers of track were retained in the national railway network as a service line to local industries. The Taieri Gorge Railway officially begins at the 4 km peg and shortly thereafter passes around a spectacular horseshoe curve at the foot of the Salisbury bank and begins a climb at 1 in 50 to the summit at 145 m, the entrance to the Taieri gorge. The railway remains in the gorge for 35 km, crossing 16 major bridges with a total length of 1020 m and passing through 10 tunnels with a total length of 1491 m. In the second half of the gorge section the line climbs steadily to exit the gorge at Pukerangi (45 km, 254 m altitude) and then descends into the Taieri Plains before reaching Middlemarch at 64 km. Features of interest are the many high viaducts, the biggest, at 13 km, being also the highest (47 m) and longest (198 m).
The line remained open until 30 April 1990, and was used to move construction materials for the dam project. With the completion of the dam in that year, there was little other traffic for the line and with permission of the Minister of Railways, Roger Sowry, the line was closed by the New Zealand Railways Corporation later that year. The section closest to Dunedin became a tourist railway, the Taieri Gorge Railway. The remainder of the line was lifted and the trackbed developed into the Otago Central Rail Trail.
| Contents |
| Construction |
| Topography |
| Closure |
Construction
Construction of the Otago Central Branch Railway began in 1877 and the 27-km section to Hindon was opened in 1889. The line was completed to Middlemarch two years later. The line was eventually extended to Cromwell, 236 km, by 1921. The Clyde - Cromwell section (20 km) was closed in 1980 due to construction of the Clyde Dam, a hydro-electric power station in the Cromwell Gorge (the gorge of the Clutha River).
Topography
The branch begins at Wingatui, a station on the Main South Line south of Dunedin. After the branch line closed, the first four kilometers of track were retained in the national railway network as a service line to local industries. The Taieri Gorge Railway officially begins at the 4 km peg and shortly thereafter passes around a spectacular horseshoe curve at the foot of the Salisbury bank and begins a climb at 1 in 50 to the summit at 145 m, the entrance to the Taieri gorge. The railway remains in the gorge for 35 km, crossing 16 major bridges with a total length of 1020 m and passing through 10 tunnels with a total length of 1491 m. In the second half of the gorge section the line climbs steadily to exit the gorge at Pukerangi (45 km, 254 m altitude) and then descends into the Taieri Plains before reaching Middlemarch at 64 km. Features of interest are the many high viaducts, the biggest, at 13 km, being also the highest (47 m) and longest (198 m).
Closure
The line remained open until 30 April 1990, and was used to move construction materials for the dam project. With the completion of the dam in that year, there was little other traffic for the line and with permission of the Minister of Railways, Roger Sowry, the line was closed by the New Zealand Railways Corporation later that year. The section closest to Dunedin became a tourist railway, the Taieri Gorge Railway. The remainder of the line was lifted and the trackbed developed into the Otago Central Rail Trail.
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