The Mokai Tramway was a

bush tramway A bush tram and line-side log hauler owned by the Tamaki Sawmill Co., Raurimu. Photographed by Albert Percy Godber circa 1917. In New Zealand railway terminology a bush tramway is an industrial tramway, most commonly used for logging. They are ...

constructed by the Taupo Totara Timber Company (TTT Co) to link their milling centre at

Mokai Mokai ( mi, Mōkai) is a rural community in the Taupo District and Waikato region of New Zealand's North Island. The local Mōkai Marae and Pakake Taiari meeting house is a meeting place for: Pouākani, the Ngāti Tūwharetoa hapū of Ngāt ...

with the

New Zealand Government Railways The New Zealand Railways Department, NZR or NZGR (New Zealand Government Railways) and often known as the "Railways", was a government department charged with owning and maintaining New Zealand's railway infrastructure and operating the railway ...

line (NZR) at

Putāruru Putāruru is a small town in the South Waikato District and the Waikato region of New Zealand's North Island. It lies on the western side of the Mamaku Ranges and in the upper basin of the Waihou River. It is on the Oraka Stream 65 kilometres s ...

in the

Waikato Waikato () is a Regions of New Zealand, local government region of the upper North Island of New Zealand. It covers the Waikato District, Waipa District, Matamata-Piako District, South Waikato District and Hamilton, New Zealand, Hamilton City ...

region on the

North Island The North Island, also officially named Te Ika-a-Māui, is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, separated from the larger but much less populous South Island by the Cook Strait. The island's area is , making it the world's 14th-largest ...

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

. The more than long

light railway A light railway is a railway built at lower costs and to lower standards than typical "heavy rail": it uses lighter-weight track, and may have more steep gradients and tight curves to reduce civil engineering costs. These lighter standards allow ...

line was operated from 1903 to 1944 by the Taupo Totara Timber Company Tramway. It was handed over to NZR on 12 June 1950, and the section from Putāruru to

Kinleith Mill The Kinleith Mill is a pulp and paper plant located at Kinleith, Tokoroa, New Zealand. It is one of eight mills operating in the New Zealand pulp and paper industry. It is currently operated by Oji Fibre Solutions, formerly Carter Holt Harvey K ...

south of

Tokoroa Tokoroa ( mi, Te Kaokaoroa o Pātetere) is the fifth-largest town in the Waikato region of the North Island of New Zealand and largest settlement in the South Waikato District. Located 30 km southwest of Rotorua, close to the foot of the M ...

is still being used for goods transport as of 2018.

History

The long line was built in 1903 over the former Lichfield Branch line, which was originally built by the Thames Valley and Rotorua Railway Company to be part of the line to

Rotorua Rotorua () is a city in the Bay of Plenty region of New Zealand's North Island. The city lies on the southern shores of Lake Rotorua, from which it takes its name. It is the seat of the Rotorua Lakes District, a territorial authority encompass ...

. The TTT Co line then went onwards south of Lichfield through what is now

and Kinleith and crossed the

Waikato River The Waikato River is the longest river in New Zealand, running for through the North Island. It rises on the eastern slopes of Mount Ruapehu, joining the Tongariro River system and flowing through Lake Taupō, New Zealand's largest lake. It th ...

at Ongaroto. At Ongaroto the company built a large timber bridge of locally sourced totara, designed by Public Works Department engineer

Frederick Furkert Frederick William Furkert (14 October 1876 – 26 September 1949) was a New Zealand engineer. He joined the Public Works Department (PWD) in 1894, and was engineer-in-chief of the PWD for twelve years from 1920 until he retired in 1933. Furker ...

. In later years this timber bridge deteriorated and was condemned, but the company could not afford to replace it immediately because its sawmill had burned down in 1928. In the last few years of service, trains arriving at the bridge would stop and the passengers and fireman would walk across while the driver gently opened the throttle and then jumped off. The train would slowly ease across the bridge before being stopped on the other side by the fireman, where everyone would reboard the train. This bridge was replaced in 1931 by a steel truss bridge with a central pier. Taupo Totara Timber Company sawmill at Mokai ATLIB 314138

Taupo Totara Timber Company sawmill at Mokai ATLIB 314138

In general the TTT Co line was constructed to a fairly high standard for a bush tramway, with 1 in 30 grades and 30 metre radius curves. This reflected the company's ultimate intention to sell the line to NZR. In 1911 the TTT Co put forward a proposal to extend their line from Mokai into Taupo township via Oruanui. However, considerable objection was made to this proposal by the people of Rotorua. The Taupo District Railway League consequently lodged a complaint to the Member of Parliament for the district, William MacDonald, protesting the opposition being made by the Rotorua Chamber of Commerce. As time passed the proposal for the TTT Co scheme was eventually shelved. The TTT Co line eventually closed on 26 October 1944. However the Government saw that the line had greater potential and in September 1946 acquired the first 29 km between Putāruru and Kinleith. This section of line opened again on 9 June 1947 under the control of the

Public Works Department This list indicates government departments in various countries dedicated to public works or infrastructure. See also * Public works * Ministry or Board of Public Works, the imperial Chinese ministry overseeing public projects from the Tang ...

using steam locomotives purchased from the TTT Co. Around the same time plans were being made for a large pulp and paper mill to be constructed at Kinleith. The line with its sharp curves, steep grades and light rails, needed to be significantly upgraded to enable heavy traffic. Reconstruction of the line began in 1949, reducing grades from 1 in 44 to 1 in 70 and curves from 201 metre radius to 322 metre radius. The rebuilt line was handed over to NZR on 12 June 1950. The section from Putāruru to Kinleith Mill south of Tokoroa is still⁽²⁰¹⁸⁾ being used as part of the Kinleith Branch Line for goods transport.

Rolling stock

Locomotives

Wagons

*1 combination car for goods and passenger transport *1 guard van *25 flat wagon with side stakesDavid Kinzett
''Taupo Totara Timber Co.''
9 February 2000. Retrieved on 9 May 2018. File:Heisler locomotive number 8, of the Taupo Totara Timber Company ATLIB 293640.png, Heisler steam locomotive No 8 File:Heisler locomotive number 9, of the Taupo Totara Timber Company ATLIB 179988.png, Heisler steam locomotive No 9 File:Taupo Totara Timber Company trains hauled by Heisler steam locomotives crossing at Kopakorahi ATLIB 314673.png, Trains hauled by Heisler steam locomotives crossing at Kopakorahi File:Taupo Totara Timber Company train on the way to Mokai ATLIB 337329.png, Empty train ton the return trip to Mokai File:Steam locomotive on the Taupo Totara Timber Company railway line - 'Ngutuwera' T.T.T. Railway 1947.jpg, Loco No 7 at 'Ngutuwera' T.T.T. Railway, 1947

History

Rolling stock

Locomotives

Wagons

References

Citations

Bibliography

External links

See also