Tunnels in rimutaka cycle trail, wellington by rimutaka cycle trail. This offroad ride starts at a kaitoke car park off state highway 2 and follows the old steam engine route between upper hutt and cross creek. Other lines in new zealand and overseas continued to use the fell centrerail system for braking purposes, the rimutaka incline was the longestlasting line in the world that used a fell centrerail. The rimutaka incline is the most elevated section of the original rail route from wellington to the wairarapa.
The climb up the ranges eastern flank, where the line rose 265 m in 4 km, required special fell mountain locomotives, which grip a raised centre rail with horizontal inner wheels. The rimutaka rail tunnel, which runs under the rimutaka range between the hutt valley and the wairarapa, opened in late 1955. The roa incline on the west coast of the south island used a fell rail for braking from its opening in. The incline was closed on 29 october 1955, being replaced on 3 november of that year by the 8,798m 5 mile 821 yard rimutaka tunnel and associated deviation. The rail trail is a gently graded 18 km walk or mountain bike ride. It was this system that was used for the rimutaka incline. Okaihau on the neveropened extension of the okaihau branch to rangiahua, unused but can be walked through easily spotted from sh1. I recently biked the track from the maymorn side to the summit with a group of friends. A gently graded 18 km walk or mountain bike ride, the trail features. It has four sequels so far, which are entitled deeperpublished in 2008, freefallpublished in 2009, closerpublished in 2010, and.
Feb 11, 2017 michaels ride up the rimutaka incline, through the summit tunnel and back down again. Givealittle is the place to donate and fundraise for causes and charities online. Road tunnels for the rimutaka hill are back in the mix after completion of a study commissioned by transit new zealand. Remutaka rail trail tourism information from destination wairarapa. Rimutaka cycle trail and wairarapa shuttles and tours. Railway took its place as the backbone of the nation from the early days, as settlers drove lines through some of. It is open to cyclists and walkers and runs between maymorn and cross creek. Remutaka rimutaka cycle trail 2day tuffy green jersey. The rimutaka incline was the third and last fell system to be built. The h class locomotives were showing their age, the incline was in bad shape, and. Rimutaka incline tunnel bell spot the remains of where. The most challenging part of the railway was locating a route to descend from summit to the wairarapa plains, due to the steep and rugged topography on the eastern side of the rimutaka ranges. It is the longest, singletrack rail tunnel in new zealand through which both freight and passenger trains operate.
Remutaka cycle trail faqs tourism information from. The story of an outcast boy, his eccentric dad, and the scary underground world they discover through secret tunnels. For 77 years specially built fell engines climbed the rimutaka incline. Summit 584 m, and three shorter tunnels, opened 12 october 1878 on the rimutaka incline. New zealands hilly terrain and many rivers made bridges and tunnels a necessity, and their opening was often celebrated by large crowds. Tunnels is a book series written by roderick gordon and brian williams. Two world wars and a depression delayed this until 1955. Remutaka tunnel collapse, 1952 nzhistory, new zealand. On 11 september 1880, the morning train to wellington rounded horseshoe gully a notoriously exposed section near the summit. Check out other day rides on the trail or ride the full trail. The term rimutaka incline is sometimes used incorrectly to refer to other parts or all of the closed and deviated section of the wairarapa line between upper hutt and speedys crossing, near featherston. Apr 30, 2020 running from kaitoke to summit, the rimutaka rail trail links with the docmanaged incline down to cross creek in the wairarapa. This is followed by a nice, 7km downhill ride on the remutaka rimutaka incline into the beautiful wineregion of wairarapa.
Rimutaka rail trail wellington 2020 all you need to know. There are six tunnels on the rimutaka incline route between upper hutt. Rimutaka incline railway heritage trust home facebook. The incline is a classic new zealand day cyclewalk tripadvisor. The rimutaka incline is now one of the 10 most significant railway heritage sites in the world.
The men working on the eastern face had to excavate three tunnels, the largest just below the summit. Several alterations were made to the contract both prior to and during construction, including the replacement of one of three tunnels by a. The rimutaka railway was built as part of an ambitious 1871 government policy to construct a national railway network to attract immigrants and to help. The exceedingly slow and labourintensive operation of the rimutaka incline, together with the high cost of maintaining ageing engines, ultimately led to the construction of a tunnel under the range. Due to its solid construction it has required minimal maintenance over its life and is set to last for another 100 years. Rimutaka cycle trail highlights mountain biking adventure. Railway technology continued to evolve swiftly, and within a few decades the innovative fell system became old technology. Rimutaka incline this article does not cite any references or sources. Follow the track through siberia tunnels and onto cross creek.
Little updating was done on this temporary solution, because. In fact, the only bond he shares with his eccentric father is a passion for archaeological excavation. Now a familyfriendly walking and mountain biking track, the rimutaka incline was the site of new zealands first rail disaster. This track follows the former rimutaka incline railway line. Here the fell locos finished their work for conventional locos to take over on the less severe run down to kaitoke and maymorn in the hutt valley. The rimutaka tunnel officially tunnel 2, wairarapa line is a railway tunnel through new zealands remutaka range, between maymorn, near upper hutt, and featherston, on the wairarapa line. Rimutaka trail race 2017 rimutaka rail trail, wellington. Tunnels including the whole series is another incredibly wellwritten and plotted series for its age group and genre. In the photograph taken in the 1890s there are houses and lots of bush on the hills. Tunnels is the first book of the tunnels series, which is written by roderick gordon and brian williams. Rimutaka cycle trail and wairarapa shuttles and tours based in martinborough, we can provide transport for weddings, martinborough wineries, chartered tours of the region, conference groups and cycle transfers for the rimutaka cycle trail, wellington airport shuttles and festivals.
Okaihau on the neveropened extension of the okaihau branch to rangiahua, unused but can be walked through easily spotted from sh1 passing okaihau township. The line descended at a grade of 1 in 15, to pass through the 396 foot long horseshoe gully tunnel later to be known as siberia tunnel. In 2017 there is easy public access to five of the six disused tunnels. This section of railway was closed in 1955 when the rimutaka deviation opened. The incline formation is now part of the remutaka rail trail. Remutaka rail trail tourism information from destination. The remutaka incline, completed in 1878, was one of new zealands most ambitious early engineering projects. Rimutaka incline railway heritage trust 247a parkes line road maymorn, upper hutt 5018 new zealand. The rimutaka tunnel is a railway tunnel through new zealands rimutaka ranges, between maymorn, near upper hutt, and. The books take place in england and an underground world, with will burrows as the main character. Travelling from masterton to wellington, with 169 passengers in the train.
This claim was also made by j a kelleher in his book upper hutt. Explore the rimutaka inclines native bush and rail history, then shuttle down through the wairarapa to discover the wild coast trail from ocean beach to orongorongo. The rimutaka tunnel officially tunnel 2, wairarapa line is a railway tunnel through new zealands remutaka range, between maymorn, near upper hutt, and featherston, on the wairarapa line the tunnel, which was opened to traffic on 3 november 1955, is 8. Its excellent for families with children who can be coaxed along by the next railway ruin, old rail bridge or tunnel definitely take a torch. Prebook a shuttle to accommodation, towns and train services from cross creek with rimutaka shuttles. Spent the forenoon at the rimutaka incline railway heritage trust, weather wasnt the greatest for their open day but the sun did pop out for some brief moments. Rimutaka rail trail wellington all you need to know. Head south on sh2 from featherston across the rimutaka hill then turn left following the signpost to pakuratahi forest. Starting from cross creek, the worldfamous rimutaka incline wound its way up to summit station. The remutaka rail trail is a gently graded 18 km bike ride its also a hugely popular walk. Conquer the rimutaka if ya looking for a family day out or a nice ride with the mrs then this would probably cut the mustard.
Search the list rimutaka incline rail trail heritage. I heard that it was going to have been made into a movie at one point, but was really disappointed when it got canceled, however, this is a book that one must read. However, the rimutaka route and remaining structures. Railway tunnels of new zealand rail heritage trust of new. Remutaka rail trail greater wellington regional council.
It is well maintained with nice picnic areas and toilets at the start and the summit. The fells on the rimutaka incline the summit where the fells stopped and an ordinary locomotive took the train onto wellington. Remutaka tunnel collapse, 1952 an interior view of the remutaka rail tunnel showing the rock fall of 9 september 1952. How long is the remutaka cycle trail and how fit do i need to be. The afternoon leads you over the remutaka rimutaka rail trail, through several historic tunnels to remutaka rimutaka summit 348m. The tunnels are fun and the new swing bridge at siberia is amazing. It was the longest tunnel in new zealand, superseding the otira tunnel in the south island until the completion of the kaimai tunnel 8. The remains of where the bell was stored inside the tunnel just after the summit on the rimutaka incline. The full trail from start to finish is 115km long, however it can easily be ridden in sections and completed over a couple of days. Its 60 years since the rimutaka rail tunnel opened. Rimutaka incline, state highway 2, kaitoke, upper hutt. Theyre generally comprised of pictures but they dont have to be, be creative.
The sixth is cruickshanks, the closest to upper hutt. Tunnel books are simple to make and they look awesome too. People wanted to sell their meat and vegetables to people in wellington and to get machinery and goods from the ships but there was a. The tunnel, which was opened to traffic on 3 november 1955, is 8. The book traces the trains journey up the incline during a particularly stormy night. The rimutaka incline was a 3 mile 5 kilometre long, railgauge. Rimutaka remains the longest tunnel in new zealand.
You can choose to continue on the trail skirting around the wild southern coast to. The trail whizzes down to cross creek in the wairarapa, wellingtons rural neighbour, where eager riders can detour to featherston or martinborough. Rimutaka incline railway heritage trust posts facebook. Fell incline, and the current kiwirail line through the rimutaka tunnel. Rail tragedy on the remutaka incline nzhistory, new zealand. You can enter track from either end, the hutt side is a lot easier and more family friendly going up to the summit. It has a fantastic plot which constantly keeps the reader into it. When looking for wills missing father, will burrows and his friend chester accidentally discover a secret underground city filled. Rimutaka incline academic dictionaries and encyclopedias. The rimutaka incline railway accident occurred on 11 september 1880 when the leading three carriages on a greytown to wellington train were blown off the track in strong winds near the siberia tunnel. Use of the line ceased in 1955 when the much more direct rimutaka rail tunnel opened. Development of the route in the 1870s is an internationally renowned engineering achievement. Rimutaka rail trail wellington 2020 all you need to.
Tunnels, deeper, freefall, closer, spiral, and terminal. Matthew wright the story of new zealand rail is rich with challenges met by audacious engineering. A base fitness is required to cycle this trail, however different sections require a higher level of fitness and rider ability than others. Buy any experience now, book later with 3 years to use your voucher. A gently graded 18 km walk or mountain bike ride, the trail features restored railway bridges and historic tunnels. The rimutaka incline bike ride offers this and more. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Most other instances of fell railways were shortlived affairs, but the rimutaka incline was not made obsolete by tunnel replacement until 1955. A guide to the rimutaka incline national walkway graeme jupp on. The rimutaka incline railway heritage trust aims to reinstate and operate a worldclass heritage railway between wellington and the wairarapa. Apr 28, 2020 the rimutaka incline railway heritage trust aims to reinstate and operate a worldclass heritage railway between wellington and the wairarapa.
A resurgence of public interest in the incline followed the publication of a book in 1976 and the opening of the fell engine museum in the early 1980s, prompting the new zealand forest. Rimutaka rail trail, day 2 wallaceville to waiorongomai. Maymorn marks the 35km mark, from where the trail heads into bushy mountain foothills and follows the old rimutaka rail trail up to a spooky 576m tunnel and other historic relics near the summit. The railway will be a unique tourist attraction for wellington and new zealand, and a major contributor to the regional economy. Notable bridges include the kilometrelong auckland harbour bridge, and the impressive series of elegant railway viaducts on the north island main trunk line. Running from kaitoke to summit, the remutaka rail trail links with the. There are six tunnels on the rimutaka incline route between upper hutt and featherston. Rimutaka road tunnels back on the agenda nz herald. The term rimutaka incline is sometimes used incorrectly to refer to other parts or all of the closed and. The weather was brilliant, the grades gentle and the track surface well maintained. Its also one of the most popular and historic and photogenic tracks in the wellington region. A new york times bestseller, tunnels is the first book in a series which features fourteenyearold will burrows. The rimutaka incline on the wairarapa line near featherston in the north island opened in 1878 and closed in 1955. It was the longest tunnel in new zealand, superseding the otira tunnel in the.
Rimutaka incline railway building a sanctuary for steam. Book your tickets online for rimutaka rail trail, wellington. The rimutaka incline railway heritage trust aims to reinstate and operate a heritage railway between wellington and the wairarapa. Rimutaka forest park environmental education resource. The rimutaka incline over a hundred years ago more and more people came to the wairarapa to make farms with animals and vegetables for food. The rimutaka rail trail is managed by doc from one end and wellington council. Rimutaka incline railway heritage trust, upper hutt, new zealand. Jackie breen from the heritage team tells the story. Nov 05, 20 fix and ride installing a new electronic shifter, wheels, and tires on my syncr hardtail duration. The incline is a classic new zealand day cyclewalk. The journey even inspired a childrens book, freddy the fell engine. Little updating was done on this temporary solution, because a replacement tunnel would be built.