In September 1880, a public meeting was called and the Hall Government was approached when it agreed to a proposal to legalise the granting of a charter. As a result in 1881, the Wellington and Manawatu Railway Company was formed, and Longburn was fixed as the terminus of the line, a total length of 84 miles.
Construction was carried out on both northward and southward, and on 3rd November, 1886, at Otaihanga, at the point where the northern and southern sections met, the last spike was driven in by the Governor, Sir William Jervois.
On this historic occasion a train from Wellington, bearing some 700 excursionists, steamed over the connecting point as a sister train from Longburn came into sight with over 300 passengers bent on witnessing this important ceremony.
The finalising of this important project proved a wonderful step forward in the opening up of the lands of the West Coast at this southern end of the North Island.
Up till 1897, the carriages were lighted with acetylene gas which was generated at the end of each carriage. This system then gave way to electric lighting on the express trains; the slow trains which were passenger and goods combined continued the gas system for some time after. This gas system sometimes failed to function probably through failure to replenish the carbide to the generating cylinder. The writer remembers several occasions journeying to Wellington and passing through the tunnels in the dark, which to a boy was rather a weird experience.
The smoke from the engine would percolate through the crevices of the windows and doors, and was at times almost suffocating, especially on the upward journey which was somewhat uphill and the speed much slower.
Seats were wooden benches running the full length of the carriage on both sides, and the passengers sat with their backs to the windows.
The braking system at this time was individual to the carriages; these were operated by a wheel situated on the carriage platform and turned by hand. On approaching a station or a very steep incline the guard or ticket clerk would go through each carriage and screw on the brake. This system was superseded by the Westinghouse brakes and operated throughout, being operated from the engine.
A telephone was connected at each station where there was a stationmaster. The intermediate stations, known as flag stations, of which Ohau was one, had no one in charge. The guard did all that was necessary on the arrival of the train.
During the early part of the century when the Palmerston North Agricultural and Pastoral Show was on in November, a ticket clerk would be sent down from Levin to Ohau prior to the arrival of the early morning train furnished with train tickets which were at excursion fare rates to Palmerston North for the occasion, and which he sold to the passengers waiting for the train.
Prior to the turn of turn of the century wood was much used by the railway for fuel, and this proved a boon to the settlers whose bush farms joined the railway. This was cut into 4 ft. lengths and stacked along the railway and sold to the Railway Company at so much per cord. No Sunday trains were run those days.
In 1908 the Wellington Manawatu Railway Company was bought out by the Government. The price paid was £933,759, and this private enterprise, which proved to be a success as far as the company was concerned, and of great benefit to the settlers now came under Government control.
At this time the country was still young as far as settlement by the Pakehas was concerned, but was gradually being opened up, and the Government began pushing on with the line through the main trunk to link with Auckland.
The first train to leave Wellington for Auckland was a limited special carrying members of the Government. It left Wellington, at 10 p.m. on Friday, 7th August, 1908, and had to take a sideline at Pokaka, as the main line apparently was not yet quite complete.
The first ordinary passenger through train to Auckland left Wellington, on 9th November, 1908. This was a very important event in the history of New Zealand. It was made a free trip and some 700 people availed themselves of the opportunity. But the fact that it was free was not published until a day or so after. The passengers who benefited were those who were “in the know”. There appears to have been a measure of strategy even in those far off days.
The writer remembers this event quite well but was not one of the fortunate ones.
The first express train to Auckland left Wellington, at 11.45 a.m., on Monday, 15th February, 1909.
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