CONSTRUCTION OF THE
WAITARA - NEW PLYMOUTH RAILWAY
1873 - 75
It was not until 1872 when the first survey was made by Julius Vogel for a railway link between Waitara and New Plymouth. With a inland route of some 11 miles and 14 chains. A seaward route about a mile from the coast was rejected for the favour of a inland route which is more convenient for the future extension to the south.
Material was ordered for the new railway in January 1872 composed of 10 miles of 40lb rails, two 11 ton ' A ' class ' 0-4-0 ' tank steam locomotives, (to be named ' Fox ' and ' Ferret '). Which were built by Dubs & Co., of Glasgow. Three carriages, three covered wagons, six high-sides and six low-sides wagons, two brake vans, two wagon weigh-bridges and twelve tarpaulins. Later five set of points and crossings and two miles of 40lb rail.
The contract for the first railway in Taranaki, the railway line from Waitara to New Plymouth of, 11 miles, 13 chains and 16 links, was accepted on the 21st July 1873. The builders of a number of New Zealand railways, J Brogden & Sons. The contract price being £41,000.00. With the completion date of April 1st 1875.
A public holiday was announced on Thursday 21st August 1873 for the turning of the first sod of the Waitara - New Plymouth Railway. A gun was fired at midday to assemble the spectators to the start of a procession to the site of the first sod to turn. The construction of the railway commenced the next day.
Tenders were called in 1874 for the building of the goods and engine sheds, passenger stations at Waitara and New Plymouth. 1874 - 75 a passenger station was built at Sentry Hill, and later at Waiwakaiho and Henui bridges. Along the line at regular intervals there were water vats built for the filling of the engines.
With the unexpected necessity of importing of all timber products required for the sleepers and bridges saw the delay in the completion of the railway. The Official Opening of the railway for passenger traffic was on the Thursday 14th October and the goods traffic 25th October 1875.
The 1 - 40 climb out from Waitara is one of the steepest in New Zealand. If the shunt from Waitara was too heavy the engine would do two trips with leaving the first half at Waitara Road yards. The journey took about 43 minutes between the two towns. There was a bit of a climb out from New Plymouth Station up Liadaret Street, where often in the later years a shunting engine was required to help push trains from behind.
There also were stations at;- Waitara Road, Sentry Hill,
Kaipakopako, Corbett Road, Henwood Road, Egmont Road, Smarts Road, Eliot Street.
If one were to stop before the road bridge on highway '3A' from highway '3', heading toward the old Lepperton Station Yards in the distance, on the left, and back about 50 meters, is where the original railway line went directly from Waitara to New Plymouth. From Sentry Hill at the time, a curve coming from the left, under the road, through a cutting on the right of the road, and used to join up with the railway line toward New Plymouth. Where the now railway line that curves to the left to go under the road bridge toward Lepperton yards.
