View source for Blenheim Riverside Railway

{{Short description|Heritage railway in New Zealand}}
{{Use New Zealand English|date=August 2015}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2015}}
{{Infobox heritage railway
|name = Blenheim Riverside Railway
|other_name = Blenheim Riverside Railway Society
|image =[[File:BRR train at Beaver Station.jpg|350px]]
|caption=Train at Beaver Station with the George locomotive
|locale    =[[Blenheim, New Zealand|Blenheim]], [[Marlborough, New Zealand|Marlborough]], {{NZL}}
|coordinates = {{coord|-41.531551|173.939602|type:landmark|display=inline,title}}
|terminus  = Brayshaw Park
|years = 1985
|events = Formation of Society
|years1 = 1990
|events1 = Railway Officially Opens
|years2 = 1997
|events2 = Brayshaw Park Station completed
|years3 = 2005
|events3 = Extension to Beaver Station completed
|years4 = 2015
|events4 = Extension to Omaka Corlett Station completed
|website={{URL|http://www.riversiderailway.nz/}}
|map = {{maplink|frame=yes|plain=yes|frame-align=center|type=line}}
}}
{{Routemap
|title=Blenheim Riverside Railway
|map=
uKBHFa\~~0km~~Brayshaw Park Station
uABZgl+l\uSTR+r~~Branch line to Omaka
uSTR\uhKRZWae~~0.4km~~Taylor River
uABZg+r\uSTR~~0.8km~~Workshop
uSTR\uKBHFe~~0.9km~~[[Omaka Aerodrome|Omaka]] Corlett Station
uSKRZ-Gu\~~ New Renwick Road Overbridge
uPSLr\~~2.6km~~Chinaman's Creek Crossing
uhKRZWae\~~Chinaman's Creek Bridge
uhKRZWae\~~Taylor River Bridge
uhKRZWae\~~Bridge
uSKRZ-Gu\~~High Street Overbridge
uhKRZWae\~~Bridge
uhKRZWae\~~Murphy's Creek Bridge
uhKRZWae\~~Fulton Stream Bridge
uPSLr\~~4.1km~~Fulton Station
uSKRZ-Gu\~~ Hutcheson Street Overbridge
uSKRZ-Gu\~~ Alfred Street Overbridge
uSKRZ-G4u\~~ [[New Zealand State Highway 1|State Highway 1]] overbridge
umKRZu\~~[[Main North Line, New Zealand|Main North Line]] Bridge 169
uKBHFe\~~5.1km~~Beaver Station
}}

The '''Blenheim Riverside Railway''' ('''BRRS''' or '''BRR''') is a {{RailGauge|2ft|lk=on}} [[Narrow gauge railway|narrow gauge]] [[heritage railway]] in [[Blenheim, New Zealand]]. It runs along the Taylor River, which winds its way through the middle of the town. It is operated by the all-volunteer Blenheim Riverside Railway Society.

==History==
The railway society was founded in 1985 by members of the Marlborough Historical Society, and shortly after rail was sourced and a workshop constructed. The line was progressively laid from 1987 and the railway officially opened in 1990. Four carriages were built in 1989-1990, and the [[A & G Price]] locomotive (later named "George") was restored and put into service. The first station at Brayshaw Park was very basic, however during 1995 Beaver Station (now Brayshaw Station) was constructed, with an extension of track from the workshop requiring a cutting and embankment with a steep gradient. In 2005, the track was extended to the current terminus at Beaver Station (with the station at Brayshaw Park renamed) by Riverside Park. Over the years the workshops have been enlarged, and concrete sleepers made by the volunteer members have been used to replace the wooden ones first used on the line. And March 2015 was the opening of a branch line extension to Omaka Airfield. 

==Operations==
Trains run normally on the first and third Sundays of every month for the general public. Trains also run extra days during school holidays and over late December or early January. These use both the main line and branch line, with trains departing Brayshaw Park Station at 1:15 o' clock  and 3:00  o'clock to Omaka at 1:45 o'clock in the morning  to Beaver Station. The train can be chartered on most days for tour groups, etc.

==Track==
===Main Line===
The railway follows the Taylor River from Brayshaw Park in the southwest of Blenheim to Beaver Station, near a wharf where the River Queen boat formerly docked. There are locomotive run-around or [[passing loop]]s at Brayshaw Park, Chinaman's Creek Crossing, Fulton Station and Beaver Station. The route is {{Convert|5.1|km|abbr=on}} long and there are six bridges and five road overbridges. At Beaver Station the line passes under the [[Main North Line, New Zealand|Main North Line]] Taylor River bridge (light ~55lb per/yard (27kg/m). [[New_Zealand_Railways_Department|New Zealand Railways]] rail is used for majority of the line, and the track is buried up to rail head level as most is laid on reserve land.

===Omaka Branch Line===
The {{Convert|1|km|4=1|abbr=on|adj=on}} line to Omaka branches off shortly after leaving Brayshaw Park, crosses the Taylor River on a {{Convert|46|m|abbr=on|adj=on}} concrete bridge, ending at Omaka Corlett Station near the [[Omaka Aviation Heritage Centre]] and Omaka Classic Cars buildings. Tracklaying began during 2013-2014. It was expected that the extension would be completed in time for the 2015 Omaka Airshow,<ref>{{cite news |last1=HERSELMAN |first1=SVEN |date=15 May 2014 |title=Bridge brings rail project closer |url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/marlborough-express/news/10046887/Bridge-brings-rail-project-closer |newspaper=The Marlborough Express |location=Blenheim |publisher=Fairfax New Zealand |accessdate=15 May 2014 }}</ref> and was opened on Saturday, 21 March 2015.<ref name="Volunteers saluted at rail opening">{{cite news |last1=POWELL |first1=SELINA |date=23 March 2015 |title= Volunteers saluted at rail opening |url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/marlborough-express/news/67475120/Volunteers-saluted-at-rail-opening |newspaper=The Marlborough Express |location=Blenheim |publisher=Fairfax New Zealand |access-date=25 March 2015 }}</ref>  The society's efforts in constructing the branch line were recognised with an infrastructure award from Kiwi Rail at the FRONZ conference over Queen's birthday weekend in 2015.<ref>{{cite news |last1=HERSELMAN |first1=SVEN |date=3 June 2015 |title=National plaudits for Blenheim's riverside railway |url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/marlborough-express/news/69058844/national-plaudits-for-blenheims-riverside-railway |newspaper=Marlborough Express |location=Blenheim |publisher=Fairfax New Zealand |access-date=4 June 2015 }}</ref>

===Coordinates of terminal stations===
*Brayshaw Park Station: {{coord|-41.531551|173.939602|format=dms}}
*Beaver Station: {{coord|-41.512|173.9599|format=dms}}
*Omaka Station {{coord|-41.537|173.9284|format=dms}}

==Rolling stock==
===Locomotives===

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Name !! Builder !! Year built !! Class !! Builder's number !! Wheel arrangement !! Engine !! Year acquired!! Photo
|-
| George || [[A & G Price]] || 1951 || Da || 166 || {{whyte|0-4-0}} || Isuzu 4HF1 || 1986 || [[File:A&G Price Da 6 Blenheim.jpg|120px|]]
|-
| - || A & G Price || 1951 || Da || 168 || {{whyte|0-4-0}} || Nissan TD27T || 2016 || [[File:A&G Price Da 8 Blenheim.jpg|120px|]]
|-
| Murray || [[Ruston and Hornsby]] || 1934 || 22/28 HP || 170204 || {{whyte|0-4-0}} || Lister JP3 || 1990 || [[File:BRRS Murray loco.jpg|120px]]
|-
| Beaver || Ruston and Hornsby || 1940 || 20DL || 202969 || {{whyte|0-4-0}} || Lister ST2 || 2012 || [[File:Ruston & Hornsby 202969 Blenheim.jpg|120px]]
|-
| Onahau || Homebuilt || 1990s || - || - || Bo-Bo || Nissan CD17/20 || 2012 ||
|-
| Donald || Probably Glasgow Railway Eng. Co. || 1901 || - || - || {{whyte|0-4-2}} (originally {{whyte|0-4-0}}) || Steam 6.5 x 10" || 1990 || [[File:Steam loco Donald Brayshaw Park Station.jpg|120px]]
|}


The railway has a small collection of diesel locomotives. In 1986, the society acquired [[A & G Price]] Da 6 from Horrell & Sons of Gore. This locomotive, first of a batch of three, was constructed to work coal mines in [[Ohai]]. It was overhauled in 2010, replacing the original Leyland powerplant with an Isuzu, and named "George" after a long serving member of the society. November 2016, the Society purchased A&G Price Da 8, last remaining sister of "George" and two bogie carriages. These came from Totara Springs Christian Centre near [[Matamata]], after use on the Kerikeri Orchard Railway who originally obtained the locomotives from Ohai. The locomotive entered service in 2017 after refitting of ballast blocks each end of the frame, brake system modifications and a new livery. Ruston & Hornsby 170204 was purchased from the Ashburton Vintage Car Club, regauged and overhauled, officially entering service in 1997 named "Murray". The year 2012 was the arrival of two locomotives. A homebuilt hydraulic bogie locomotives, formerly used at a private railway in the [[Marlborough Sounds]] was donated by the constructors family, and named "Onahau" after its former home. A second Ruston, of 20DL type but with steam locomotive outline body, was purchased from Auckland and once worked at the short lived [[Footrot Flats]] theme park. It is not used for passenger service, but is still equipped with air brakes and is used mainly for workshop shunting.<gallery>
File:BRRS Price locomotive.jpg|
File:BRRS Price loco.jpg|
</gallery>

===Rolling stock===
Four carriages were built in 1989-1990 with wheelsets from some of the remaining [[Lake Grassmere| Lake Grassmere Saltworks]] [[Robert Hudson (company) | Hudson]] salt tipper wagons. The first three are {{Convert|4.5|m|abbr=on}} long and seat 24 adults with [[toast rack (rail transport)|toast rack]] seating. Car Four is slightly longer with the same seating capacity, but with wheelchair access available in the two end compartments. All carriages are air braked. A bogie diesel [[railcar]], known as RM 1, was built in the 1990s, and sees occasional use, mostly on the Omaka branch line. The two  ex-Matamata cars also are {{Convert|6|m|abbr=on}} long and had toast rack seating. These two cars are undergoing rebuilding to become a permanent pair sharing a [[Jacobs bogie]]. Maintenance of the railway line is carried out using a [[work train]] consisting of multi deck tool wagon, flat deck wagons, and crew car for workers. Spraying of weeds and mowing of grass along the line are performed with separate purpose built trollies, pulled or pushed by the "Onahau" loco, due to its low speed.

== References ==
<references />

==External links==
*[http://www.riversiderailway.nz BRRS Website]
* [https://www.facebook.com/RiversideRailway BRR Facebook Page]

{{NZR Heritage}}

[[Category:Blenheim, New Zealand]]
[[Category:Rail transport in the Marlborough District]]
[[Category:Heritage railways in New Zealand]]
[[Category:2 ft gauge railways in New Zealand]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures in Blenheim, New Zealand]]
[[Category:Tourist attractions in the Marlborough District]]