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Boarding railcar at Rotomanu, 1968.
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DescriptionBoarding the railcar at Rotomanu, ready for the Midland Line Wellington trip 1968Date of Photo1968
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Location (city or town)Rotomanu
Category Information
Category TagRailways
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LinkTrain station, RotomanuCommentsHeather Newby Great photo... looks like early morning
November 1, 2014 at 9:54pm · Like · 1
Trevor Goodwin Used to love this rail car as it would stop to pick up/drop off people almost anywhere. Try getting the trans alpine to do that.
November 1, 2014 at 11:11pm · Like · 3
Helen Joan Forrest Great trips
November 2, 2014 at 7:33am · Like · 1
Evelyn Hampton about eight o'clock, enough time for us to go over to Christchurch and then catch the overnight ferry up to Wellington - would you believe , Three Dog Night were on that ferry, and they are back in Wellington performing this weekend!
November 2, 2014 at 10:40am · Like · 5
Cherie Wood MI
November 2, 2014 at 4:07pm · Like
Piper McGeady Jamie McGeady
November 3, 2014 at 9:32pm · Like
Jenny Gifford The Railcar back in the early to mid 60's used to leave Ross heading up to Hokitika and Greymouth at around 8am so I think it was about 25 minutes on the train to Hoki
November 3, 2014 at 9:38pm · Like · 1
Paul Hutchison That's right Jenny got into Greymouth just before 9am and then arrived in Christchurch about 3.15pm. You would have caught that from Ross to Hokitika to go to High School, It arrived in Christchurch with plenty of time to catch the Inter-Island Ferry. There was also another run from Ross which left about 4pm and got into Christchurch about 11pm. There was 3 extended stops at Stillwater, Otira and Springfield for refreshments. I remember well the big heavy Mugs and the Milk Coffee, plus the obligatory Pie.
November 3, 2014 at 10:36pm · Like · 3
Jenny Gifford Yes Paul, The Railcar in the afternoon bought the kids back from High School. Sadly I never got to do that ride, we left Ross prior to my High School years.
November 4, 2014 at 12:37am · Like
Jenny Gifford I do remember the long exciting ride from Ross to Christchurch and the big thick cups - Mum got. And the pies. Yummy the pies were so delicious when we were allowed them. Then when we got to Christchurch we would have an hour or so to fill in to get the rail car down to Oamaru. A week or so later we would reverse our travel. We would catch the late Railcar from Christchurch which got us in to Ross on the early Railcar I think. I know we travelled all night. Mum would hire us a pillow from CHCH and always had our Blankets - the good old Gray wool one's. I think they were only used for blocking out the lightening for me and our over night trips on the Rail car LOL
November 4, 2014 at 12:41am · Like · 1
Cole Jones I lived by the railway line as a kid, down the straight from the station. I took a few photos of it last time I was out that way, it's just an old abandoned house in a paddock now!
Evelyn Hampton That was my grandfathers house,lots of happy memories there.
Sandy Langdon I used to love going visiting Grandad Ginger and Grandma in Ikamatua and see the rail car.
Graham Ngatuere
beautiful old fiats from back in the day...
Jim Webber
Instantly stirred memories of trips to Greymouth every second Wednesday to manual training with all the Midland line kids, and trips back home for the weekend from boarding at the High School Hostel.
Margi Adamson
Loved that ride to Christchurch.
Graham Ngatuere
beautiful old fiats from back in the day...
I wonder if there are still some around....
Jim Webber
Instantly stirred memories of trips to Greymouth every second Wednesday to manual training with all the Midland line kids, and trips back home for the weekend from boarding at the High School Hostel.
Margi Adamson
Loved that ride to Christchurch.
Linda Howard
It was great, loved the railcar...it always seemed so posh....compared to the train.
Ria King
Wow that was our school bus,, to boarding school
Katie Milne
Mum and dad used to pick up my aunties and cousins in Greymouth off railcar when coming home from boarding school. They would stay the night then head south to Mahi Tahi or Paringa. When we moved they were dropped off at Aratika at the gate- great service!
Ria King
Any body got any recent photos
Arlene Hutcheon
Loved that train ride. I used to catch the train from Chch to Greymouth, when visiting my grandparents in Hokitika. My grandfather used to pick me up, I think.
Joe Abbott
Remember that well, great photo
Thelma Coutts
That’s the railcard I remember. We worked in Ch.Ch. And travelled home to the Coast a lot of weekends.
Tony Warner
My first job was milking cows for Mick Larkin at Rotomanu
Tony Warner
Back in 1973 came all the way from Westport
Derek Hayward
I lived in Christchurch and often on a a Friday evening would catch the railcar to various places in Arthur’s Pass. Come back on Sunday evening. They would drop you off and pick you up wherever you asked. Cass, Mt white etc.
Gayle Wright
Great pic, great place
Hiria Apanui
Ah yes the railcar... fond memories of trips to chch school holls ect
Veronica Moore
Many a great holiday spent with Shirley and Les Graham,and great dances in the hall.
Erica Cooper
Remember catching the Railcar from Westport, many times to Christchurch. Great memories
Leo Fisher
Alan Sheehan
We got on that rail car at Otira for the same trip, took the ferry from Lyttleton to Wellington, was a rough crossing and saw the Wahine wreck at the entrance to Wellington harbor. A very memorable trip.
Marg Simonsen
I remember the rail car used to go all the way to Ross in the early 70s
Paula McGeady
Lived at Jacksons and went to Greymouth for Manuel training and Mum used to go shopping with a suitcase to being everything back from Greymouth great times
Lois McMillan
I used to take what the rail car was called (cabbage train) from chch to Blenheim where my family lived in the 60’s
Bryce Smith
Did it often from Moana too
John Simmons
Remember driving a big mob of steers off rail at Rotomanu to Bell Hill with Doug Whitcombe c1964. Wild mob that gave us a few problems. Great times...
Therese McAra
I used to get off at Jackson’s from Christchurch. Viv or Pat Pugh would meet me and take me to
November 1, 2014 at 9:54pm · Like · 1
Trevor Goodwin Used to love this rail car as it would stop to pick up/drop off people almost anywhere. Try getting the trans alpine to do that.
November 1, 2014 at 11:11pm · Like · 3
Helen Joan Forrest Great trips
November 2, 2014 at 7:33am · Like · 1
Evelyn Hampton about eight o'clock, enough time for us to go over to Christchurch and then catch the overnight ferry up to Wellington - would you believe , Three Dog Night were on that ferry, and they are back in Wellington performing this weekend!
November 2, 2014 at 10:40am · Like · 5
Cherie Wood MI
November 2, 2014 at 4:07pm · Like
Piper McGeady Jamie McGeady
November 3, 2014 at 9:32pm · Like
Jenny Gifford The Railcar back in the early to mid 60's used to leave Ross heading up to Hokitika and Greymouth at around 8am so I think it was about 25 minutes on the train to Hoki
November 3, 2014 at 9:38pm · Like · 1
Paul Hutchison That's right Jenny got into Greymouth just before 9am and then arrived in Christchurch about 3.15pm. You would have caught that from Ross to Hokitika to go to High School, It arrived in Christchurch with plenty of time to catch the Inter-Island Ferry. There was also another run from Ross which left about 4pm and got into Christchurch about 11pm. There was 3 extended stops at Stillwater, Otira and Springfield for refreshments. I remember well the big heavy Mugs and the Milk Coffee, plus the obligatory Pie.
November 3, 2014 at 10:36pm · Like · 3
Jenny Gifford Yes Paul, The Railcar in the afternoon bought the kids back from High School. Sadly I never got to do that ride, we left Ross prior to my High School years.
November 4, 2014 at 12:37am · Like
Jenny Gifford I do remember the long exciting ride from Ross to Christchurch and the big thick cups - Mum got. And the pies. Yummy the pies were so delicious when we were allowed them. Then when we got to Christchurch we would have an hour or so to fill in to get the rail car down to Oamaru. A week or so later we would reverse our travel. We would catch the late Railcar from Christchurch which got us in to Ross on the early Railcar I think. I know we travelled all night. Mum would hire us a pillow from CHCH and always had our Blankets - the good old Gray wool one's. I think they were only used for blocking out the lightening for me and our over night trips on the Rail car LOL
November 4, 2014 at 12:41am · Like · 1
Cole Jones I lived by the railway line as a kid, down the straight from the station. I took a few photos of it last time I was out that way, it's just an old abandoned house in a paddock now!
Evelyn Hampton That was my grandfathers house,lots of happy memories there.
Sandy Langdon I used to love going visiting Grandad Ginger and Grandma in Ikamatua and see the rail car.
Graham Ngatuere
beautiful old fiats from back in the day...
Jim Webber
Instantly stirred memories of trips to Greymouth every second Wednesday to manual training with all the Midland line kids, and trips back home for the weekend from boarding at the High School Hostel.
Margi Adamson
Loved that ride to Christchurch.
Graham Ngatuere
beautiful old fiats from back in the day...
I wonder if there are still some around....
Jim Webber
Instantly stirred memories of trips to Greymouth every second Wednesday to manual training with all the Midland line kids, and trips back home for the weekend from boarding at the High School Hostel.
Margi Adamson
Loved that ride to Christchurch.
Linda Howard
It was great, loved the railcar...it always seemed so posh....compared to the train.
Ria King
Wow that was our school bus,, to boarding school
Katie Milne
Mum and dad used to pick up my aunties and cousins in Greymouth off railcar when coming home from boarding school. They would stay the night then head south to Mahi Tahi or Paringa. When we moved they were dropped off at Aratika at the gate- great service!
Ria King
Any body got any recent photos
Arlene Hutcheon
Loved that train ride. I used to catch the train from Chch to Greymouth, when visiting my grandparents in Hokitika. My grandfather used to pick me up, I think.
Joe Abbott
Remember that well, great photo
Thelma Coutts
That’s the railcard I remember. We worked in Ch.Ch. And travelled home to the Coast a lot of weekends.
Tony Warner
My first job was milking cows for Mick Larkin at Rotomanu
Tony Warner
Back in 1973 came all the way from Westport
Derek Hayward
I lived in Christchurch and often on a a Friday evening would catch the railcar to various places in Arthur’s Pass. Come back on Sunday evening. They would drop you off and pick you up wherever you asked. Cass, Mt white etc.
Gayle Wright
Great pic, great place
Hiria Apanui
Ah yes the railcar... fond memories of trips to chch school holls ect
Veronica Moore
Many a great holiday spent with Shirley and Les Graham,and great dances in the hall.
Erica Cooper
Remember catching the Railcar from Westport, many times to Christchurch. Great memories
Leo Fisher
Alan Sheehan
We got on that rail car at Otira for the same trip, took the ferry from Lyttleton to Wellington, was a rough crossing and saw the Wahine wreck at the entrance to Wellington harbor. A very memorable trip.
Marg Simonsen
I remember the rail car used to go all the way to Ross in the early 70s
Paula McGeady
Lived at Jacksons and went to Greymouth for Manuel training and Mum used to go shopping with a suitcase to being everything back from Greymouth great times
Lois McMillan
I used to take what the rail car was called (cabbage train) from chch to Blenheim where my family lived in the 60’s
Bryce Smith
Did it often from Moana too
John Simmons
Remember driving a big mob of steers off rail at Rotomanu to Bell Hill with Doug Whitcombe c1964. Wild mob that gave us a few problems. Great times...
Therese McAra
I used to get off at Jackson’s from Christchurch. Viv or Pat Pugh would meet me and take me to
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West Coast New Zealand History (7th Apr 2021). Boarding railcar at Rotomanu, 1968.. In Website West Coast New Zealand History. Retrieved 16th May 2026 02:47, from https://westcoast.recollect.co.nz/nodes/view/2266