New Zealand Government Railways
Originally, New Zealand's railways were constructed by provincial governments and private firms. The largest provincial operation was the Canterbury Provincial Railways, which opened the first public railway at Ferrymead on 1 December 1863. During The Vogel Era of the late 1860s to the 1870s, railway construction by central government expanded greatly, from just 80 kilometres (50 miles) in 1869 to 1,900 kilometres (1,200 miles) in 1880.
The Railways Department was formed in 1880 during the premiership of Sir John Hall. That year, the private Port Chalmers Railway Company Limited was acquired by the department and new workshops at Addington opened. Ironically, the first few years of NZR were marked by the Long Depression, which led to great financial constraint on the department. As a result, the central government passed legislation to allow for the construction of more private railways.
1910 New Zealand State Railways. 2,474 miles (1908). Officers: T. Ronayne, General Manager; J. Burnett, Chief Engineer; A. L. Beattie, Chief Mechanical Engineer.[1]
See Also
Sources of Information
- ↑ 1911 Bradshaw’s Railway Manual