Otira Power Station at work.

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DescriptionOtira Power Station at work.

Kete SelwynMap^[1]ContributorMaye Dunn

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Location (city or town)OtiraOrganisation (eg business)Otira Power Station

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Category TagRailways

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LinkFacebookDate Created7th April 2019CommentsDorothy Wills Wow

Arthur Bass All gone now.

Ian Coates It is amazing that no one has written a book on this marvel,those boilers and generators could go from standby to full working pressure with only a few minates warning to supply power for the electric locomotives to haul trains,though the otira tunnel,there were not many steam powered devices that could do this.

Mike Kilsby Marine Babcock & Wilcox boilers. State of the art at the time. I think its fair to say the outfit has gone backwards ever since ?

Ian Coates Yes mike that plant was brillant in its operation,i think once a train hit aickens on the way up to otira, those boilers were banked, and on arrival at otira, they were ready to produce full power to the trams,there does not seem to be a lot of info photos of the power house and its operation,and a book on the subject would be interesting,perhaps the wrights may look into it?

Mike Kilsby Ian Coates Agree mate , I have been searching for photos of the power house for years.
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Brian Borgfeldt I can remember sitting on the train waiting for the engine change so we could go through the tunnel even as late as the 1950s.

Don Hutton Great photo Maye Dunn

Bob Jamieson I remember sitting in te carriage at Arthurs Pass next to a bunch of young guys and one said " what's the hold up?' and one said "we've lost the engine" and a smart Alec replied " Well we '

Alan Sheehan Great pic with a lot going on, Otira at its peak.
Robin Gibbens
Awesome photo!

Ray Deo
Do you know that the locomotive batting cars around the yard is none other than the record breaking WMR # 10. It reached a speed of 130KPH on a press run between Levin and Parmiston North. This was in 1890.

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Otira Power Station at work.

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