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The upper bridge on the Denniston Incline - dynamited at one end to deny access
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DescriptionThe upper bridge on the Denniston Incline. I dynamited one end of RSJ beams to deny access as per advice from Bill Brasil 50 odd years ago. Sleepers are all rotted away.
We visited the incline in February. 2019. Drove up the former NZ, railways side branch to Conns Creek. A well formed road from the previous ballasted rail to the incline. It was about 50 years ago when I was informed that my tender for removal of the Incline rail an assets as per the schedule was accepted. I had a 2nd hand dealers licence and I received the Wellington Stores Board offers for tender at regular intervals. I subsequently also tendered for the steam cranes at a later date on the Westport wharf and was successful .The NZ Railways subbranch line of Conns Creek. I was unsuccessful with the tender for the Conns creek line but subsequently Mac Ferguson the successful tender employed me as a subcontractor to remove all sleepers and rail. I carted them down to his farm at the south of Greymouth. I received the letter for successful tenderer of the incline when I was employed a s a mechanic at the Denniston workshops in 1969. The Incline closed in 1967. Bill Brazil the State mines manager for the Buller was supportive of my tender. It was a bit of a challenge. Several people helped over the next year or so . Bruce Roberts and Kelly Martini helped on weekends on the odd occasion when pulling down the Brakedrum and the brakehouse at the binns at Denniston. Bill Hampton from County Council gave me tips for using dynamite. I bought cordex, det’s and jelly from Ray Bruning over the counter at Bailley Agencies in Wakefield street. I bought my first crawler a International T6 petrol from Bill Stuart… up the 9 mile. Later I purchased another TD6 with a blade from Reefton. My truck was a Austin Lodestar petrol bought from Pat Donavan when Hardie an Thompsons sawmill closed. I swapped a AJS 600cc motorbike for a old Fordson Loader which I used to load the rail on a Leyland transporter which I dry hired. Most of the rail was 40 feet long. Most rail was sold for various uses , was not for scrap. Some went to Queenstown. There was many events an incidents in the recovery of most of the rail, a lot of scrap and copper wire, also the big bronze valves for controlling the intake of water into the pistons to slow the 7 tonnes of coal in the rail Q wagons. The middle brake I gifted it to Coal town. The Rotary got in the army for the removal of the drum . I also later agree’d to leave the waterlift crane in place as a symbol of what was the start of the incline. This was discussed with Bill Brazil and Lofty Gray. The bridges were blasted with dynamite to prevent access . The upper bridge was in bad repair. It did only span a gully. The lower bridge over Conns Creek had some steel removed . The riveted steel trusses still lay on its side in the creek Bed . The stone work on the incline and in the Conns creek yard remain and are a tribute to the stone masons of the era. A lot won’t be said because of time and space. The schedule of all the incline information and the acceptance of the tender , I gave to Coaltown via Peter Harker. The army successfully removed the middle Brake drum to Coal town but not the cast iron pistons and rams. ………………………………
.What we seen 50 years later at Conns Creek.
Doc signs stating dangerous to enter. Some barricades. A recent poisoning of the gorse and re growth on the incline. Appears to have been placed by chopper. Some rimu and whitepine and Totara have also been killed off. Appears to be Ok for Doc to do but not for any access for current or proposed coal mines wishing to maintain or place access roads.. A very good pictorial display of the incline and coal being loaded at Westport wharfs. No effort to preserve the remains of the watercrane . It has had the sheaves taken and the supporting ropes have rusted away. It could be restored and maintained. The water pipe that was used to operate it was taken and used in a constructive way for the Waimangaroa town water supply. The run aways of wagons and many tonnes of coal are slowly being overgrown in the bush at the sides of the incline. A few grouser plates from my T6 an TD6 are amongst the rotten sleepers that remain. They were snapped off in a few incidents when removing rail etc. The middlebrake still has the pipeline and rams for the slowing of the wagons on site, A couple of small smoko sheds from 50+ years ago remain. The old boiler is still there also at the middle Brake . Used in the construction and early days before they got the 3 phase power installed for a winch. Nearly all the workings of the incline were via Gravity with the lay byes and side tracks on elevations. The replacement wire rope for the incline was in the Quad Hut at Denniston. I used it for the salvage of the fishing boat “Mako.”
The Denniston Incline; A well planned and thought out engineered feat of the day.Map[1] ContributorRon Pearson
We visited the incline in February. 2019. Drove up the former NZ, railways side branch to Conns Creek. A well formed road from the previous ballasted rail to the incline. It was about 50 years ago when I was informed that my tender for removal of the Incline rail an assets as per the schedule was accepted. I had a 2nd hand dealers licence and I received the Wellington Stores Board offers for tender at regular intervals. I subsequently also tendered for the steam cranes at a later date on the Westport wharf and was successful .The NZ Railways subbranch line of Conns Creek. I was unsuccessful with the tender for the Conns creek line but subsequently Mac Ferguson the successful tender employed me as a subcontractor to remove all sleepers and rail. I carted them down to his farm at the south of Greymouth. I received the letter for successful tenderer of the incline when I was employed a s a mechanic at the Denniston workshops in 1969. The Incline closed in 1967. Bill Brazil the State mines manager for the Buller was supportive of my tender. It was a bit of a challenge. Several people helped over the next year or so . Bruce Roberts and Kelly Martini helped on weekends on the odd occasion when pulling down the Brakedrum and the brakehouse at the binns at Denniston. Bill Hampton from County Council gave me tips for using dynamite. I bought cordex, det’s and jelly from Ray Bruning over the counter at Bailley Agencies in Wakefield street. I bought my first crawler a International T6 petrol from Bill Stuart… up the 9 mile. Later I purchased another TD6 with a blade from Reefton. My truck was a Austin Lodestar petrol bought from Pat Donavan when Hardie an Thompsons sawmill closed. I swapped a AJS 600cc motorbike for a old Fordson Loader which I used to load the rail on a Leyland transporter which I dry hired. Most of the rail was 40 feet long. Most rail was sold for various uses , was not for scrap. Some went to Queenstown. There was many events an incidents in the recovery of most of the rail, a lot of scrap and copper wire, also the big bronze valves for controlling the intake of water into the pistons to slow the 7 tonnes of coal in the rail Q wagons. The middle brake I gifted it to Coal town. The Rotary got in the army for the removal of the drum . I also later agree’d to leave the waterlift crane in place as a symbol of what was the start of the incline. This was discussed with Bill Brazil and Lofty Gray. The bridges were blasted with dynamite to prevent access . The upper bridge was in bad repair. It did only span a gully. The lower bridge over Conns Creek had some steel removed . The riveted steel trusses still lay on its side in the creek Bed . The stone work on the incline and in the Conns creek yard remain and are a tribute to the stone masons of the era. A lot won’t be said because of time and space. The schedule of all the incline information and the acceptance of the tender , I gave to Coaltown via Peter Harker. The army successfully removed the middle Brake drum to Coal town but not the cast iron pistons and rams. ………………………………
.What we seen 50 years later at Conns Creek.
Doc signs stating dangerous to enter. Some barricades. A recent poisoning of the gorse and re growth on the incline. Appears to have been placed by chopper. Some rimu and whitepine and Totara have also been killed off. Appears to be Ok for Doc to do but not for any access for current or proposed coal mines wishing to maintain or place access roads.. A very good pictorial display of the incline and coal being loaded at Westport wharfs. No effort to preserve the remains of the watercrane . It has had the sheaves taken and the supporting ropes have rusted away. It could be restored and maintained. The water pipe that was used to operate it was taken and used in a constructive way for the Waimangaroa town water supply. The run aways of wagons and many tonnes of coal are slowly being overgrown in the bush at the sides of the incline. A few grouser plates from my T6 an TD6 are amongst the rotten sleepers that remain. They were snapped off in a few incidents when removing rail etc. The middlebrake still has the pipeline and rams for the slowing of the wagons on site, A couple of small smoko sheds from 50+ years ago remain. The old boiler is still there also at the middle Brake . Used in the construction and early days before they got the 3 phase power installed for a winch. Nearly all the workings of the incline were via Gravity with the lay byes and side tracks on elevations. The replacement wire rope for the incline was in the Quad Hut at Denniston. I used it for the salvage of the fishing boat “Mako.”
The Denniston Incline; A well planned and thought out engineered feat of the day.Map[1] ContributorRon Pearson
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Location (city or town)DennistonLandmark (Place)The upper bridge on the Denniston Incline EventThe upper bridge on the Denniston Incline
Category Information
Category TagCoal Mining
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CommentsDave Perry Wasn’t Bill Brazil a Mines Inspector back then when they had Inspectors?
Ron Pearson He was the State Mines Manager. May have been a inspector at one time.
Arthur Bass Bill was both. A very knowledgable man.
Pat Cooper Arthur Bass Bill fought tooth and nail against getting rid of the mine’s inspector division. He even went to Wellington and beat on doors at the beehive. He said the act that it was set up under was written with blood and if was changed there would be another Strongman type disaster. How right he was.
if government restore it.
Manage
Like
· Reply · 2h
Ian A Cox
Ian A Cox The fans stopped and everyone should have been told to get out of the mine. They stayed and the fan was restarted the gas went bang all dead
Ron Pearson He was the State Mines Manager. May have been a inspector at one time.
Arthur Bass Bill was both. A very knowledgable man.
Pat Cooper Arthur Bass Bill fought tooth and nail against getting rid of the mine’s inspector division. He even went to Wellington and beat on doors at the beehive. He said the act that it was set up under was written with blood and if was changed there would be another Strongman type disaster. How right he was.
if government restore it.
Manage
Like
· Reply · 2h
Ian A Cox
Ian A Cox The fans stopped and everyone should have been told to get out of the mine. They stayed and the fan was restarted the gas went bang all dead
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West Coast New Zealand History (10th Jun 2021). The upper bridge on the Denniston Incline - dynamited at one end to deny access. In Website West Coast New Zealand History. Retrieved 19th Apr 2026 01:17, from https://westcoast.recollect.co.nz/nodes/view/28017