112:
133:
162:) and North Rangitikei (81-m high) viaducts in quick succession; the North Rangitikei viaduct is the highest on the NIMT. Both the Kawhatau and North Rangitikei viaducts have a 160-m long single centre span and two 25-m long approach spans, and are to a cantilever design so differ from the South Rangitikei Viaduct design. The line rejoins the original NIMT alignment a further 1 km north, just to the south of Utiku.
186:
from the start of the
Mangaweka Scenic Reserve track, however it is on private farmland. North of the former viaduct the formation also runs through farmland. The five tunnels on this side of the alignment remain largely intact, however one tunnel, 10F is filled with water as a reservoir, on Manui farm.
128:
The NIMT route chosen was from one of the joint options given and was constructed between 1973 and 1981. The new alignment crossed the
Rangitikei River twice and the Kawhatau River once - requiring the construction of three massive viaducts - and also removed the gradients at each end of the section.
434:
88:
Between the settlements of
Mangaweka and Utiku the western river terrace is largely non-existent with steep hill country running into tall river cliffs. The topography is also compounded by the confluence of the Kawhatau River with the Rangitikei. However, despite these obstacles surveyors were able
61:, it was constructed between 1973 and 1981 at a cost of $ 17m; to move the line away from geologically unstable land; and also to replace the high-maintenance steel viaducts including the Mangaweka Viaduct. It is the most recent and most significant deviation of the NIMT since it was opened in 1909.
438:
185:
can still be followed either side of where the viaduct stood, though to the south it is slowly being reclaimed by bush and the tunnel at the top of the climb has been almost totally blocked by a slip at the northern portal. The southern portal can still be viewed from Te Kapua Road, across the road
140:
From the south, the deviation leaves the old alignment at exit of the
Mangaweka tunnel, and crosses SH1 and passes much closer to the settlement than it did previously. It then passes under SH1 before crossing the South Rangitikei viaduct, which is 315 m (1,033 ft) long, with six spans of
454:
446:
442:
458:
450:
104:
as the steep, narrow and twisting alignment was also prone to slips – having been built after the railway in the same area though further to the west – and naturally imposed speed restrictions that were exacerbated by heavier vehicles and creating bottlenecks.
171:
The
Mangaweka Viaduct had been built between November 1902 and November 1903, and was demolished in 1982. It was 946 feet (288 m) long and 158 feet (48 m) high; with eight major 80 feet (24 m) spans and several of 34 feet (10 m).
180:
Much of the former alignment still exists today. For most travellers the most visible remnant of the old line are the bases of the
Mangaweka viaduct which sit on the hillsides on each side of SH1 just north of the railway overpass. The
92:
By the 1940s concerns existed about the long-term stability of the land the section ran through. While the general
Mangaweka area was susceptible to slips due to its steep hilly nature, rainfall and underlying geology of papa rock
124:
From a number of options put forward different routes were chosen for SH1 and the NIMT, as it proved possible to reconstruct SH1 over much of the existing alignment. The SH1 works were completed in stages between 1972 and 1980.
158:. The line then runs along the eastern river terrace for about 2 km, firstly through a lengthy cutting and then across the Blind Gully embankment (New Zealand's largest) before crossing the Kawhatau (73-m high over the
145:
and are designed to rock in an earthquake to avoid damage. On 5 May 1975 200 tonnes of steel and concrete collapsed to the valley floor during construction of the South
Rangitikei viaduct, bringing about a revision of the
520:
111:
89:
to identify a route that kept the line to the west of the river along the cliff tops; albeit one that included a climb at each end of the section, a viaduct, and several tunnels.
525:
115:
The 549m
Mangaweka, or Pouwhakaroa Tunnel is at the southern end of the Mangaweka Deviation. The old line used to curve away at the foot of the hill to the right
268:"A Centennial Review of the North Island Main Trunk Railway - Geology of the West-Central North Island and its Influence on Transport Development"
515:
97:), the railway, by virtue of its cliff top nature and several tunnels, was thought to be under particular threat from erosion and collapse.
414:
395:
376:
147:
77:
and lies predominantly on the terraces within the river valley. Only south of Marton does the NIMT cross the
Rangitikei en route to
108:
As a result, investigations were commenced into improving both routes, including the feasibility of a joint rail-road alignment.
30:
476:
288:
101:
468:
339:
463:
215:
191:
165:
The section was subsequently electrified as part of the NIMT electrification carried out between 1984 and 1988.
69:
The original section of the line was constructed as part of the NIMT in 1904. The entirety of the route from
314:
141:
up to 56 m (184 ft), and the twin leg piers which rise up to 76 m (249 ft) above the
195:
50:
267:
142:
70:
240:
410:
391:
372:
168:
The deviation was opened in 1981, after which the rails were lifted on the former alignment.
78:
74:
132:
159:
58:
509:
38:
42:
82:
491:
478:
182:
151:
46:
155:
94:
54:
34:
216:"Prime Minister Muldoon at the Mangaweka - Utiku Railway Deviation"
367:
Leitch, David; Scott, Brian (1998) . "The Old Mangaweka Section".
131:
110:
100:
At the same time concerns were also being voiced over
409:. Wellington: Grantham House. pp. 38 & 148.
57:. Opened on 18 November 1981, by the Prime Minister,
464:
South Rangitikei Viaduct under construction in 1976
275:3rd Australasian Engineering Heritage Conference
521:Buildings and structures in Manawatū-Whanganui
371:(revised ed.). Grantham. pp. 28–29.
73:north to Taihape was built to the west of the
29:is a 7 km single track deviation of the
8:
241:"SUGGESTED ALTERATION. MANAWATU STANDARD"
315:"Innovative KiwiRail bridge recognised"
207:
469:North Rangitikei and Kawhatau Viaducts
407:Rails: The Great New Zealand Adventure
369:Exploring New Zealand's Ghost Railways
355:
7:
526:Rail transport in Manawatū-Whanganui
289:"1:63360 map Sheet: N139 Mangaweka"
148:Ministry of Works and Development's
14:
340:"South Rangitikei Railway Bridge"
194:closed in 1981, and the former
120:Construction and new alignment
1:
220:manawatuheritage.pncc.govt.nz
45:, between the settlements of
516:Railway lines in New Zealand
542:
176:The former alignment today
245:paperspast.natlib.govt.nz
192:Mangaweka railway station
266:Merrifield, Rob (2009).
136:South Rangitikei Viaduct
388:North Island Main Trunk
31:North Island Main Trunk
405:Sinclair, Roy (1987).
137:
116:
433:Mangaweka Viaduct in
386:Pierre, Bill (1981).
196:Utiku railway station
150:Code of Practice for
135:
114:
492:39.7953°S 175.8034°E
390:. Wellington: Reed.
37:line in the central
488: /
293:www.mapspast.org.nz
27:Mangaweka Deviation
497:-39.7953; 175.8034
138:
117:
533:
503:
502:
500:
499:
498:
493:
489:
486:
485:
484:
481:
420:
401:
382:
359:
353:
347:
346:
344:
336:
330:
329:
327:
325:
311:
305:
304:
302:
300:
285:
279:
278:
272:
263:
257:
256:
254:
252:
237:
231:
230:
228:
226:
212:
198:closed in 1986.
143:Rangitikei River
79:Palmerston North
75:Rangitikei River
541:
540:
536:
535:
534:
532:
531:
530:
506:
505:
496:
494:
490:
487:
482:
479:
477:
475:
474:
427:
417:
404:
398:
385:
379:
366:
363:
362:
354:
350:
345:. October 2014.
342:
338:
337:
333:
323:
321:
313:
312:
308:
298:
296:
287:
286:
282:
270:
265:
264:
260:
250:
248:
239:
238:
234:
224:
222:
214:
213:
209:
204:
189:
178:
122:
102:State Highway 1
67:
23:
22:
21:
12:
11:
5:
539:
537:
529:
528:
523:
518:
508:
507:
472:
471:
466:
461:
426:
425:External links
423:
422:
421:
415:
402:
396:
383:
377:
361:
360:
348:
331:
306:
280:
258:
247:. 12 June 1945
232:
206:
205:
203:
200:
177:
174:
160:Kawhatau River
121:
118:
66:
63:
59:Robert Muldoon
19:
18:
17:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
538:
527:
524:
522:
519:
517:
514:
513:
511:
504:
501:
470:
467:
465:
462:
460:
456:
452:
448:
444:
440:
436:
432:
431:
430:
424:
418:
416:1-86934-013-2
412:
408:
403:
399:
397:0-589-01316-5
393:
389:
384:
380:
378:1-86934-048-5
374:
370:
365:
364:
358:, p. 56.
357:
352:
349:
341:
335:
332:
320:
316:
310:
307:
294:
290:
284:
281:
276:
269:
262:
259:
246:
242:
236:
233:
221:
217:
211:
208:
201:
199:
197:
193:
187:
184:
175:
173:
169:
166:
163:
161:
157:
153:
149:
144:
134:
130:
126:
119:
113:
109:
106:
103:
98:
96:
90:
86:
84:
80:
76:
72:
64:
62:
60:
56:
52:
48:
44:
40:
36:
32:
28:
16:
473:
428:
406:
387:
368:
351:
334:
322:. Retrieved
318:
309:
297:. Retrieved
292:
283:
274:
261:
249:. Retrieved
244:
235:
223:. Retrieved
219:
210:
188:
179:
170:
167:
164:
139:
127:
123:
107:
99:
91:
87:
68:
39:North Island
26:
24:
15:
495: /
483:175°48′12″E
356:Pierre 1981
190:The former
53:, south of
43:New Zealand
510:Categories
480:39°47′43″S
324:12 January
299:12 January
251:12 January
225:12 January
202:References
83:Wellington
429:Photos -
183:formation
152:Falsework
47:Mangaweka
319:KiwiRail
156:Formwork
95:mudstone
65:History
55:Taihape
35:railway
33:(NIMT)
413:
394:
375:
295:. 1979
71:Marton
343:(PDF)
271:(PDF)
51:Utiku
459:1935
457:and
455:1912
451:1910
447:1909
443:1908
439:1904
435:1903
411:ISBN
392:ISBN
373:ISBN
326:2021
301:2021
253:2021
227:2021
154:and
81:and
49:and
25:The
41:of
20:Map
512::
453:,
449:,
445:,
441:,
437:,
317:.
291:.
273:.
243:.
218:.
85:.
419:.
400:.
381:.
328:.
303:.
277:.
255:.
229:.
93:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
