37 Ngati Maniapoto and the North Island Main Trunk In 1883 Ngati Maniapoto leader, Te Wahanui, allowed the railway through Ngati Maniapoto land. The first sod turning of the NIMT was done by Rewi Maniapoto, Te Wahanui and Premier Sir Robert Stout on the banks of the Puniu River in April 1885.
38 Coaching the Gap The first sod turning of the North Island Main Trunk was done by Rewi Maniapoto, Te Wahanui and Premier Sir Robert Stout on the banks of the Puniu River in April 1885. It took 23 years to complete the North Island Main Trunk. Until then travellers had to train to the middle of the North Island, coach the gap, and then train the remainder of the journey. W.W. Stewart Collection, Archives New Zealand
39 Completion of the NIMT The North Island Main Trunk was completed on 6 November 1908 at Maunganui-o-te-Ao (Pokaka) when Prime Minister Sir Joseph Ward drove a silver spike into the track connecting the North and South railheads. There is an obelisk near the original location commemorating the occasion. NZR Publicity
40 Navvies Rail construction in the mid-1800s relied on dynamite and workers using pick axes and shovels. 1,300 men known as Navvies (common name for men who dug Britain s 18th century canals) were contracted to build a range of railway projects. Innovative engineers, Navvies and early settlers went about building the railway network we still use today. Image by Fraser Family of Levin
41 TrackSAFE Foundation of New Zealand TrackSAFE Foundation New Zealand (formerly the Chris Cairns Foundation) was launched at Parliament on 15 October 2013 by the Associate Minister of Transport Hon Michael Woodhouse. The charitable trust will continue the work of the Chris Cairns Foundation by raising awareness about rail safety and promoting safe behaviour around the railway corridor.
42 Early Railway Builders New Zealand was the last country in the British Empire to build a rail system. Experienced rail builders from England immigrated to New Zealand to achieve Sir Julius Vogel s vision of building a railway system of national importance, but hard physical work and difficult terrain made for tough living conditions for workers and their families. Alexander Turnbull Library
43 Makohine Viaduct Public Works Department Engineer, Peter Seton Hay (1852/53 1907), designed the Makohine Viaduct. Work began in 1897, but weather and delays in steel supply hampered progress. It was completed and opened by Minister for Public Works, William Hall Jones, in June 1902. Today, it is the seventh highest and fourth longest viaduct on the North Island Main Trunk line. Image by Fraser Family of Levin
44 Rail Heritage Trust of New Zealand RAIL HERITAGE TRUST OF NEW ZEALAND To cope with the demand to preserve and restore heritage rail assets and rolling stock, railway management established the Rail Heritage Trust of New Zealand in 1991. Working alongside KiwiRail the Trust represents the interests of many railway heritage groups aiming to conserve, preserve and maintain New Zealand s rail heritage property.
45 Provincial Railways The first main-line railway in New Zealand was constructed by Canterbury Provincial Railways, which ran the first steam locomotive hauled passenger service on 1 December 1863 between Christchurch and Ferrymead. The Midland Railway Company and Wellington & Manawatu Railway tried to survive but eventually all railways were soon controlled by central government following the abolition of provinces. Alexander Turnbull Library
46 Wellington & Manawatu Railway Company The WMR Company was a private railway company that built, owned and operated the line from Thorndon (Wellington) and Longburn (near Palmerston North) between 1881 and 1908. WMR s operations were considered advanced for their time having comfortable carriages, dining cars, electric lighting, and telephone between stations. A N Palmer collection