Blacks Point mines

Blacks Point mines, Reefton

Blacks Point mines, Reefton

Blacks Point	Blacks Point	Blacks Point	Blacks Point
Blacks Point	Blacks Point	Blacks Point	Blacks Point
Blacks Point	Blacks Point	Blacks Point	Blacks Point
Blacks Point	Blacks Point	Blacks Point	Blacks Point
Blacks Point	Blacks Point	Blacks Point	Blacks Point
Blacks Point	Blacks Point	Blacks Point	Blacks Point
Blacks Point	Blacks Point	Blacks Point	Blacks Point
Blacks Point	Blacks Point	Blacks Point	Blacks Point
Blacks Point	Blacks Point	Blacks Point	Blacks Point
Blacks Point	Blacks Point	Blacks Point	Blacks Point
Blacks Point	Blacks Point	Blacks Point	Blacks Point
Blacks Point	Blacks Point	Blacks Point	Blacks Point
Blacks Point	Blacks Point	Blacks Point	Blacks Point
Blacks Point	Blacks Point	Blacks Point	Blacks Point
Blacks Point	Blacks Point	Blacks Point	Blacks Point
Blacks Point	Blacks Point	Blacks Point	Blacks Point
Blacks Point	Blacks Point	Blacks Point	Blacks Point
Blacks Point	Blacks Point	Blacks Point	Blacks Point
Blacks Point	Blacks Point	Blacks Point	Blacks Point
Blacks Point	Blacks Point	Blacks Point	Blacks Point

Brunner Brickworks and Colliery

Brunner Brickworks and Colliery

Brunner Brickworks and Colliery

Brunner	Brunner	Brunner	Brunner
Brunner	Brunner	Brunner	Brunner
Brunner	Brunner	Brunner	Brunner
Brunner	Brunner	Brunner	Brunner
Brunner	Brunner	Brunner	Brunner
Brunner	Brunner	Brunner	Brunner
Brunner	Brunner	Brunner	Brunner
Brunner	Brunner	Brunner	Brunner
Brunner	Brunner	Brunner	Brunner

Charming Creek Railway, Ngakawau

The 6 mile long Charming Creek Railway ran from the NZR sidings at Ngahawau to Watson's Mill in 1910 and by 1925 to the Charming Creek coalmines near Seddonville. As the mines declined and road transport improved the line shut in 1958. The mines were working until 1986 and the railway line became a walking route. There's an excellent history - 'Charming Creek Tramway, milling, mining, walkway — a history' but the link on the DoC website is broken.

Charming Creek Railway Steam locos

(0-4-0)vb, Seagar, 1909, sold 1910 and used as a pile driver in Westport
0-4-4-0gt, Ruston Proctor portable engine boiler, RP 8698/97, 1913, s/s 1918
0-4-4-0gt, Ruston Proctor portable engine boiler, 1918, s/s 1921
F839 (ex F166), 0-6-0ST, RS 2594/85 ex Westport Marine Board, 1930, s/s c1947
F155, 0-6-0ST, RS 2598/86, ex-NZR, 1934, s/s c1946

Charming Creek Railway Petrol / Diesel lokeys

Fordson, c1925
Fordson, 1935
Union Foundry 26/1938, 0-4-0d, McCormack Deering WD40, s/s 1958
Union Foundry 30/1940, Bo-Bo, McCormack Deering P40, Sold 1940
Union Foundry ?/1942, 0-4-0d, McCormack Deering WD9, s/s 1958
Ruston Hornsby, 4wd 203034/42, still present on site

From Ngakawau to the bins

Charming Creek route map	Ngakawau sidings	Towards the bins	Towards the bins
Pointwork before the bins	Plan of the bins	Charming Creek bins, 1945	Charming Creek bins, 1956
Electric motor at the bins	Electric motor at the bins	The cab of 'F2' at the bins	The remains of RH 203034
The remains of RH 203034	The remains of RH 203034	Ironmongery at the bins	Ironmongery at the bins
Forge chimney at the bins	Site of the bins	Ironmongery at the bins	Old wagons at the bins
Old wagons at the bins	The top junction at the bins

From the bins to the suspension bridge

Along the line to the bridge	Along the line to the bridge	Along the line to the bridge	Along the line to the bridge
Along the line to the bridge	The mis-aligned Irishmans Tunnel	The mis-aligned Irishmans Tunnel	The mis-aligned Irishmans Tunnel
Along the line to the bridge	Along the line to the bridge	Along the line to the bridge	Along the line to the bridge
Along the line to the bridge	Along the line to the bridge	Along the line to the bridge	Rome Stream falls bridge
Rockfall shelter	Rockfall shelter	The suspension bridge	The suspension bridge
The suspension bridge	The suspension bridge	The suspension bridge	The suspension bridge, 1975

Through Mangatini Tunnel to Watson's Mill

Up to the tunnel	Up to the tunnel	Mangatini Tunnel	Mangatini Tunnel
To Watson's Mill	The 'Verandah' near Watson's Mill	The 'Verandah' near Watson's Mill	Plan of Watson's Mill
Boiler at Watson's Mill	Boiler at Watson's Mill	Boiler at Watson's Mill	Watson's Mill, incline and lokey
Hayward's Bridge, Watson's Mill	Hayward's Bridge, Watson's Mill	Hayward's Bridge, Watson's Mill

On to the mines and the motive power

On to Munn's Mill	On to Munn's Mill	Munn's Mill	Charming Creek Colliery, 1938
Charming Creek Colliery, 1943	Charming Creek Colliery, 1948	The first lokey, c1920	Union Foundry lokey
Union Foundry lokey	Early loco at Charming Creek	ex-NZR 'F2' at Ngakawau

The Denniston Incline

The Denniston Incline

The Denniston Incline

Denniston	Denniston	Denniston	Denniston
Denniston	Denniston	Denniston	Denniston
Denniston	Denniston	Denniston	Denniston
Denniston	Denniston	Denniston	Denniston
Denniston	Denniston	Denniston	Denniston
Denniston	Denniston	Denniston	Denniston
Denniston	Denniston	Denniston	Denniston
Denniston	Denniston	Denniston	Denniston
Denniston	Denniston	Denniston	Denniston
Denniston	Denniston	Denniston	Denniston
Denniston	Denniston	Denniston	Denniston
Denniston	Denniston	Denniston	Denniston
Denniston	Denniston	Denniston	Denniston
Denniston	Denniston	Denniston	Denniston
Denniston	Denniston	Denniston

Mitchells Gully

Mitchells Gully

Mitchells Gully

Mitchells Gully	Mitchells Gully	Mitchells Gully	Mitchells Gully
Mitchells Gully	Mitchells Gully	Mitchells Gully	Mitchells Gully
Mitchells Gully	Mitchells Gully	Mitchells Gully	Mitchells Gully
Mitchells Gully	Mitchells Gully	Mitchells Gully	Mitchells Gully
Mitchells Gully	Mitchells Gully	Mitchells Gully	Mitchells Gully
Mitchells Gully	Mitchells Gully	Mitchells Gully	Mitchells Gully
Mitchells Gully	Mitchells Gully	Mitchells Gully	Mitchells Gully
Mitchells Gully	Mitchells Gully	Mitchells Gully	Mitchells Gully
Mitchells Gully	Mitchells Gully	Mitchells Gully	Mitchells Gully
Mitchells Gully	Mitchells Gully	Mitchells Gully	Mitchells Gully

Shantytown

Shantytown

Shantytown

Shantytown	Shantytown	Shantytown	Shantytown
Shantytown	Shantytown	Shantytown	Shantytown
Shantytown	Shantytown	Shantytown	Shantytown
Shantytown	Shantytown	Shantytown	Shantytown
Shantytown	Shantytown	Shantytown	Shantytown
Shantytown	Shantytown	Shantytown	Shantytown
Shantytown	Shantytown	Shantytown	Shantytown
Shantytown	Shantytown	Shantytown	Shantytown
Shantytown	Shantytown	Shantytown

Reefton

Reefton

Reefton

Reefton	Reefton	Reefton	Reefton
Reefton	Reefton	Reefton	Reefton
Reefton	Reefton	Reefton	Reefton
Reefton	Reefton	Reefton	Reefton
Reefton	Reefton	Reefton	Reefton
Reefton	Reefton	Reefton	Reefton
Reefton	Reefton	Reefton	Reefton
Reefton	Reefton	Reefton	Reefton
Reefton	Reefton	Reefton	Reefton
Reefton	Reefton

Westport

Westport NZR

The line to Greymouth was closed due to flooding and landslips so all the trapped locos were gathered at Westport Station.

Westport	Westport	Westport	Westport
Westport	Westport	Westport	Westport
Westport	Westport	Westport

Westport Museum

Westport Museum vividly illustrates the mining heritage of the West Coast.

Westport Museum	Westport Museum	Westport Museum	Westport Museum
Westport Museum	Westport Museum	Westport Museum	Westport Museum
Westport Museum	Westport Museum	Westport Museum	Westport Museum
Westport Museum	Westport Museum	Westport Museum	Westport Museum
Westport Museum	Westport Museum	Westport Museum	Westport Museum
Westport Museum	Westport Museum	Westport Museum

Cape Foulwind

A branch line from Westport served the quarries at Cape Foulwind. It was built by the Westport Harbour Board in 1886. It was briefly part of NZR from 1921 to 1930, reverting to the Harbour Board until the 1940s when it closed. It's now a rather bracing walking route.

Map of Cape Foulwind quarries	Cape Foulwind quarries	Cape Foulwind quarries	Cape Foulwind quarries
Cape Foulwind quarries	Cape Foulwind Station	Cape Foulwind Station	Cape Foulwind Station
Cape Foulwind logging trolley			Ironmongery at Berlins

Stockton

The NZR sidings at Stockton are linked to the mine by this aerial ropeway.

Stockton aerial ropeway

Stockton aerial ropeway

Stockton aerial ropeway

Stockton aerial ropeway

Greymouth

Ngahere, near Brunner

This is the sole surviving 'Davidson' loco, the 25th of 26 locos built at Hokitika. It was built in 1920 and worked until 1942 when it was abandoned until being gradually restored between 1974 and 2001. It is now preserved at the site of the sidings from the logging mill where it worked for many years.

'Davidson' loco at Ngahere

'Davidson' loco at Ngahere

'Davidson' loco at Ngahere

'Davidson' loco at Ngahere

Ross and Shantytown

Ross, Goldmine Model Railway

Shantytown, 1981

Acknowledgments, sources and further reading.

Thanks for addition information to :- NZ Department of Conservation
'Charming Creek Tramway, milling, mining, walkway - a history' by Jackie Breen and Amy Findlater