The Times November 2019 A journal of transport timetable history and analysis RRP $4.95 Inside: Tasmanian PTTs Incl. GST Stirring the Possum in Kiwiland Busy Hamilton Snapshot of Auckland The Times A journal of the Australian Timetable Association Inc. (A0043673H) Print Publication No: 349069/00070, ISSN 0813-6327 November 2019 Vol 36 No. 11, Issue No. 430 The Times welcomes all contributions. Our Authors’ Guide is available on our web-site at https://www.timetable.org.au/ Reproduction Provided a Creative Commons acknowledgement is made, material appearing in The Times may be reproduced anywhere. Disclaimer Opinions expressed in our magazines are not necessarily those of the Association or its members. Editor Geoff Lambert 179 Sydney Rd FAIRLIGHT 2094 NSW email: [email protected] The Times is posted in full colour to our website https://www.timetable.org.au/times.html, two months after publication in paper and to the National Library website 6 months after publication. Colour PDF versions of previous issues of our magazines are available on the ATA website —Contents— Victor Isaacs TASMANIAN RAIL PTTs 3 James T Wells KIWI RAIL’S NEW TRAIN STIRS THE POSSUM 7 Geoff Lambert BUSY HAMILTON 9 Geoff Lambert A SNAPSHOT OF AUCKLAND IN THE PEAK 11 Welcome to “The Islands” edition of The Times. Herein we deal with a 110 year history of Public Railway Timetables in Tasmania and three articles which deal with 2019 timetable matters in the Hamilton-Auckland axis of New Zealand’s North Island. Superficially dissimilar now, there has previously been a great deal of commonality in railway management of these two systems. This commonality stems largely from the so-called “Commissioners’ Conferences” set up before Australian Federation. New Zealand Railways were always an Executive member of this body, which later became “Railways of Australia”. In the first decade of the twentieth century, when railways systems of Australasia plunged enthusiastically into cooperative arrangements, all Australian States and NZ signed up to the idea of uniform management, uniform rule books, standard Working Time Tables, uniform General Appendices, uniform Departmental structures and much else. The enthusiasm began to wane around the time of WWI, when Queensland and South Australia veered away. Tasmania and NZ remained true to the ethos until about 1943, when the practices of the latter began to diverge. In Tasmania’s case, the divergence did not become total until the Commonwealth took over in the 1970s. All three NZ articles benefited greatly from the sage advice and in-depth knowledge of Andrew James. 2 The Times November 2019 Tasmanian Rail PTTs The late Victor Isaacs ALCH’S TASMANIAN the preceding year. timetables of the Emu Bay Railway (EBR) did not appear until 1902—and ALMANAC was first Walch’s included corporate even then only gave times for Burnie, W published in 1863 and information about the Launceston and Waratah and Zeehan. Timetables for continued annually until 1979. It Western Railway (L&WR) in the 1871 the Mt Lyell Mining and Railway contained comprehensive details of all edition, but the 1873 edition was Company (MLMR) lines and North aspects of Tasmanian public life. My probably the first to publish the actual Lyell Copper Company first appeared interest in it arises from its excellent L&WR timetable. The Tasmanian in 1910, but only gave times for their practice of including a railway Main Line Railway (TMLR) timetable termini. To work out that you could timetable. appeared from 1876 and additional travel from Burnie to Queenstown in a Tasmanian Government Railway Being only an annual publication, day you would have had to consult (TGR) 1067 mm gauge lines were Walch’s provides only a rough guide successively EBR, TGR Zeehan – added gradually from 1886 as they to when alterations to services were Regatta Point and MLMR timetables. opened. On the West Coast, the TGR- made. On the other hand, it is From 1924, the North Lyell entry owned lines (Strahan – Zeehan and NE accessible, because runs of Walch’s merely said that log train and rail Dundas) and TGR-operated line are fairly common in major libraries. motor ran at irregular intervals; they (Zeehan –Dundas – Maestris) By comparison with WTTs, the times ceased altogether from 1928. in Walch are from circa November of appeared from their opening, but the The Times November 2019 3 From 1929, station lists were given for Queenstown. Only Guildford, quite a number of pages; thereafter, it some TGR lines, but with a note that Rosebery and Zeehan stations were declined in size. Walch’s Tasmanian goods trains ran only as required listed. Almanac ceased to include the railway (initially Apsley, Preolenna, Melrose, timetable after the 1951 issue. It still An exception to the completeness of Nietta and Dundas). The Marrawah included lists of stations (including the the TGR timetable section is that from Tram appeared from 1930, but Walch EBR) for a few more years. Fares and 1894 to 1899 the following defeatist identified only Leesville, Redpa and conditions of travel on Tasmanian notice appeared: Marrawah stations. It later added railways continued until Walch’s itself Salmon River, but never clarified that ‘MAIN LINE – SUBURBAN ceased 26 years later. this was on a branch line. The Apsley SERVICE: This Time Table is omitted Another private publishing venture line reappeared from 1941 to 1947 on account of the following memo was the Tasmanian Steam Navigation with two rail motor trips on Fridays from the office of the General Company’s Time Table and Guide to only. The Apsley entry was copied Manager of Tasmanian Railways Tasmanian Railways etc. etc., In 1996, direct from the WTT and included a [Frederick Back]:-“Alterations in the Navarine Publishing produced a dagger symbol (†) to indicate staff running of the local trains are being facsimile of the June 1888 edition. No stations and a “W” to indicate loco constantly made, and the inclusion of doubt, the original was also published water supplies! this portion of the time tables could on other dates. not be other than misleading to the Mt Lyell and Emu Bay ceased to public.”’ Another long-running private appear in Walch’s after 1938. Emu timetable venture in Tasmania – also Bay reappeared in 1947 with a note In the 1920s, the TGR reached its published by Walch’s - was Moore’s that there were road connections from maximum size and consequently the Guide. This was a pocket/purse size Guildford to Waratah and Zeehan to timetable portion of Walch’s occupied 4 The Times November 2019 booklet. It mainly comprised 1950s this included in summary form pages! However, I will immediately timetables of Hobart local transport – Hobart – Launceston – Burnie – qualify that by saying that the page trams and buses, but also included Smithton, New Norfolk, St Marys, size was small, 4 x 6 inches, and many suburban railway timetables. It lasted Herrick and Roland, but not the West pages were blank other than saying from 1935 to 1977. It was originally Coast TGR and private trains. It also “Notes”. So, how were the other pages titled Moore’s Monthly Guide, but it included the main bus routes between filled up? There were many pages of dropped the “Monthly” when Hobart and the north and north west, advertisements, of tourist information publication became less frequent – but neither any urban nor regional bus and general rules. I do not know how perhaps from some time in the 1950s. services confined to the northern half typical this edition is of TGR of the state. timetables in general in this period. Jim Stokes published a detailed summary of the circa December 1953 In the 1900s, the Tasmanian Railways These were attractive publications Moore’s Guide in The Times for published a Monthly Pocket Time aimed primarily at the tourist market. August, September and October Table, but I do not know any further They included more detail than in 2005 . The September 1976 issue of details. The Government Railways of Walch’s (e.g. full station listings for Moore’s may have been the last, Tasmania Official Time Table and all West Coast lines except Mt Lyell, because MTT Hobart commenced General Information from 15th which gave Queenstown and Regatta publication of its own timetable book December 1937 is an example of a Point only). They were published in January 1978. later series of timetables of which dated 4 May 1914, 18 Oct 1926 [an there were probably about 13 between edition that once sold for $1500 at a Traditionally, Moore’s covered all the wars, including at least one Leski auction—Editor], 5 September public and private trains and buses in suburban book. Amazingly for such a 1927, 24 December 1931, 12 southern Tasmania, all TGR country small system, the timetable was of 150 December 1932. 1 November 1934, 24 trains except the West Coast. In the The Times November 2019 5 February 1936, 15 December 1937, Limited which also summarised other assistance with Tasmanian timetable July 1941 (the last an abridged one, country services. It also published information. which noted that there was a separate cardboard foldout timetables for suburban folder) and 1 March 1943. Hobart suburban trains in the early Comment on this article – Letter to the [The 1934 edition—at least– included 1970s. The TGR also produced Editor, Facebook. Return to Contents a fold-out map– Editor]. There must broadsheet suburban and country Page have been many others. I do not know timetables (separate sheets) for display if any were published post World War at stations. This remained so until the Two [at least 6 up to 1970 - Ed.] end of suburban trains in 1974 and country passenger trains in 1978.