Rail upgrades

[keg]

Hutt News piece on Naenae station:

Station re-build could include heritage elements
SIMON EDWARDS
13/12/2011

What looked like being a bitter battle between heritage enthusiasts and utilitarians has been short-circuited by an engineer's report - Naenae railway station is so decrepit it has to be demolished.

Greater Wellington Regional Council says the station will be closed from Boxing Day until January 24 while the precast concrete platform frontages are restrengthened. Kenepuru Station on the Kapiti Line will be closed at the same time for similar work.

Later in 2012, the 1951-built Naenae station will be demolished and a new station put up in a project that will also involve renovating the access stairs and resurfacing the platform.

GWRC officer Richard Noakes says there is no firm price for the Naenae work yet, but the cost is estimated to be $760,000.
continues

The result of the engineer's report is entirely unsurprising.

[Daniel]

Hutt News piece on Naenae station:

Station re-build could include heritage elements
SIMON EDWARDS
13/12/2011

What looked like being a bitter battle between heritage enthusiasts and utilitarians has been short-circuited by an engineer's report - Naenae railway station is so decrepit it has to be demolished.

Greater Wellington Regional Council says the station will be closed from Boxing Day until January 24 while the precast concrete platform frontages are restrengthened. Kenepuru Station on the Kapiti Line will be closed at the same time for similar work.

Later in 2012, the 1951-built Naenae station will be demolished and a new station put up in a project that will also involve renovating the access stairs and resurfacing the platform.

GWRC officer Richard Noakes says there is no firm price for the Naenae work yet, but the cost is estimated to be $760,000.
continues

The result of the engineer's report is entirely unsurprising.

I'm usually all in favour of retaining what's left of NZ's architectural heritage but I'm not against them demolishing Naenae station. It's not and never was a particularly attractive piece of architecture and to maintain it properly would've cost some money.

I just hope whatever they replace it with offers at least the same shelter from the elements.

[greenwelly]

I am amazed at is people actually were prepared to save this box

Surely there are better examples of stations on the network that should be retained,

[Daniel]

I am amazed at is people actually were prepared to save this box

To be fair; it probably looked a lot better in former years when it actually had windows and an accessible interior with ticket halls and a proper paint job.
But it never would've been a design anything other than utilitarian.

Surely there are better examples of stations on the network that should be retained

Trentham and Lower Hutt are the only ones remaining I can think of that have much aesthetic appeal although they should probably also preserve Melling, Paraparaumu and Upper Hutt on account of their architectural significance.

[c46andc47]

]Trentham and Lower Hutt are the only ones remaining I can think of that have much aesthetic appeal although they should probably also preserve Melling, Paraparaumu and Upper Hutt on account of their architectural significance.

What amazes me about Trentham is that it has windows with glass in them and behind the windows are net curtains. I go past Trentham every few weeks and I have never seen any signs of broken windows or other vandalism.

Have a look at melling.co.nz. The building is being converted into a cafe.

IMHO the station that should not have been demolished was Epuni. Properly renovated it would have been a very attractive station.

[kaiwhara]

It's primary reason for demolition is that the entire structure excluding the Cross-Tie station was infested with Asbestos, and the bad kind at that. Fixing that would have been massively expensive for little gain.

IMHO the station that should not have been demolished was Epuni. Properly renovated it would have been a very attractive station.

[Daniel]

What amazes me about Trentham is that it has windows with glass in them and behind the windows are net curtains. I go past Trentham every few weeks and I have never seen any signs of broken windows or other vandalism.

Contrary to what is the common belief amongst many Wellingtonians (and what I was brought up to believe in Petone) Upper Hutt is actually a pretty safe and crime-free place and doesn't see much vandalism or anti-social behaviour.

I'm not a fan of the place at all and after living there for 6 months think it's a dump. But it's not a dump for any of the reasons people assume it is. I think it's a dump because it's a dull and uninspiring suburban wasteland full of harmless no-hopers (like much of small-town and suburban NZ). But people in Wellington would have you believe it's full of white supremacists, super-rough bogans and crime. And that is so far off-the-mark it's frankly hilarious.

[keg]

My understanding of what's going on during the shut down:

• New rail + sleepers Tunnel 2, Down Main
• Overhead wire replacement North-South Junctions (catenary+contact)
• Mast foundations North Junction to Paekakariki (in preparation for new masts and overhead later on)
• Platform upgrades Naenae & Kenepuru
• Slope stabilisation - J'ville Line near Tunnel 3 & NIMT near Plimmerton

Freight via the Wairarapa Line during the NIMT block of line. Rest of the rail in the Tawa Tunnels to be replaced over the following three years.

[grunter]

New signals in tunnel 2 also.

My understanding of what's going on during the shut down:

• New rail + sleepers Tunnel 2, Down Main
• Overhead wire replacement North-South Junctions (catenary+contact)
• Mast foundations North Junction to Paekakariki (in preparation for new masts and overhead later on)
• Platform upgrades Naenae & Kenepuru
• Slope stabilisation - J'ville Line near Tunnel 3 & NIMT near Plimmerton

Freight via the Wairarapa Line during the NIMT block of line. Rest of the rail in the Tawa Tunnels to be replaced over the following three years.

[scooter]

They havent wasted any time getting into it. Heading through the Ngauranga today you get the sight of DXB5097 parked on the bridge between the tunnels with the work train behind it

[keg]

Naenae now to be done in one go.

From Tranz Metro:

Postponed upgrade work at Naenae Station

Preliminary upgrade work at Naenae Station, which was scheduled to take place between Monday 26 December 2011 and Tuesday 24 January 2012, has been postponed until further notice.

Additional freight services will be running through the Hutt line during that time limiting the time available to carry out construction activities such as these.

The decision was made to concentrate on completing the upgrade work at Kenepuru Station by 24 January 2012.

The intent is that the entire platform and station upgrade for Naenae will take place at the same time, instead of breaking it into two phases as originally planned.

[Riccardo]

Guys some photos would be good both of the work and also the diverted freights

[c46andc47]

Guys some photos would be good both of the work and also the diverted freights

The Wellington Rail Gen Yahoo group is the place for lots of photos and info.

It is easy to post photos on a Yahoo group but not on these forums which, IMHO, are designed for intelligent discussion rather than the sharing of photos

I have plenty of Wellington photos but will not even consider posting them here because it is too awkward.

FWIIW the current focus of the Wellington Rail gen group is the impending demise of the EE units after 75 years of service. In particular, after twenty or thirty years, a *red* EE set (Robyn + Phoenix) is currently running on the branch. Six two car Johnsonville sets are required for peak services and only four remain in working condition. Robyn and Phoenix are therefore helping out until the changeover. According to the GWRC that will be in March but we shall wait and see....

(PS what I like about this forum is the "Preview" button.)

[scooter]

FWIIW the current focus of the Wellington Rail gen group is the impending demise of the EE units after 75 years of service. In particular, after twenty or thirty years, a *red* EE set (Robyn + Phoenix) is currently running on the branch. Six two car Johnsonville sets are required for peak services and only four remain in working condition. Robyn and Phoenix are therefore helping out until the changeover. According to the GWRC that will be in March but we shall wait and see....

(PS what I like about this forum is the "Preview" button.)

I have noticed them up there. Somewhat humorous that they have the 'do not connect to J'Villes' instruction on them and that where theyre being used on now

[Cr Daran Ponter]

I note that the current focus of the Wellington Rail Gen group is on the EE units, and presumably involves preserving a number of examples. I would be most concerned at the potential loss of an iconic part of the Wellington region's rail heritage.

At this stage the English Electrics are planned to be put into storage once the new Matangis take over on the J-Ville line, which at current estimates will start happening in March 2012. Apart from covering any peak demand on the Kapiti and Hutt lines while the remainder of the Matangis are commissioned, the EEs will be pensioned off. It is likely that the operating certificate for EEs will then be withdrawn. The bulk of the cars will then most likely be sold for scrap, unless preservation groups show an interest in purchasing them.

Two sets of cars (if I am correct) will go back to the museums from which they came. I would be keen that we retain a working set of cars here in Wellington with agreements in place for them to be run on the existing ontrack infrastructure.

I am happy to go out to bat on this issue at the Wellington Regional Council and would be keen to discuss with interested individuals how we might collaborate to make this happen

The last thing we want is for the best examples of these care to start rotting at the Hutt workshops.


Cr Daran Ponter
Greater Wellington Regional Council
04 475 9959
0274 540689
Daran.Ponter@gw.govt.nz

[kaiwhara]

Electrically the Jville sets and the Red Sets are very different, hence that instruction. It never was however a restriction against their use up on the Hill...

[scooter]

Electrically the Jville sets and the Red Sets are very different, hence that instruction. It never was however a restriction against their use up on the Hill...

The average punter going on them who may see that instruction doesnt know what it means though, unlike you and I. I also think theres a belief that the red sets dont have quite the same braking capacity.

[kaiwhara]

Bollocks!

I also think theres a belief that the red sets dont have quite the same braking capacity.

[c46andc47]

The average punter going on them who may see that instruction doesnt know what it means though, unlike you and I. I also think theres a belief that the red sets dont have quite the same braking capacity.

The Johnsonville sets and the two car red sets were originally identical. Then about 30 years ago some two car EE sets were upgraded at Easttown to give them a life of 10 (??) years The upgrade included changes to the wiring, making them "electrically" incompatible with other sets. These are the sets I refer to when I talk about the Jville sets.

The remaining sets operating on the Hutt line were three cars and these have never worked on the branch. From time to time the Jville sets also operated on the Hutt line.

When capacity became a problem the GWRC leased Robyn, a two car set with original wiring. Being two cars it could operate on the branch but was electrically incompatible with the Jville sets. Hence the sign on the ends of the set. I believe that it was intended that Phoenix would be three cars but due to the condition of a trailer it became two. The same issues arose as with Robyn.

The sign does not say "do not run on the Joville line" but "do not couple to Jville sets" (or similar wording).

Fortunately Robyn and Phoenix are two cars otherwise services on the Jville would be reduced (when they are actually running that is ).

[scooter]

Thanks for the background story. I knew most of that but not all.

I only mentioned it because I know J'Ville line commuters who have seen those little instructions on the ends, and not knowing what it means, wondered why they're being used up the hill because they've equated it to mean that they arent for use up there. Attached to that is the urban myth that the reason is that they dont brake as well as the blue sets do.

Its funny what people with little or no interest in something will believe is fact. Of course we do know the full story, but many average punters dont.

Will feel different once the EE's are gone for good