The Fells on the Rimutaka Incline

The Summit where the Fells stopped and an ordinary locomotive took the train onto Wellington. In the photograph taken in the 1890s there are houses and lots of bush on the hills.

In this photo taken in 1899 you can see the centre line that the engine used to climb the incline.

A special Royal train for the Duke of Gloucester's tour in 1934. It would be very noisy with lots of smoke when the trains went through the tunnels.

Cross Creek in 1910. There are houses along the railway line and the bush has been cut off the hills.

H199 when it was working on the incline.

1955. The last train over the incline. The train was so slow people could sit on the steps and sometimes walk alongside the train.

1950 Building the new tunnel under the Rimutaka Hills. When the tunnel was finished the Fell engines were no longer needed. Today people from Featherston can go to work or shopping in Wellington for the day.

We looked at these photographs from the National library to learn about the Fell locomotives.

1. Summit, Rimutaka Incline. Burton Brothers, 1868-1898 (Firm, Dunedin) :Photographs of the Rimutaka Incline. Ref: PAColl-7324-4. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand. http://natlib.govt.nz/records/22386097
2. Train on the Rimutaka Incline, ca 1899.. Godber, Albert Percy, 1875-1949 :Collection of albums, prints and negatives. Ref: APG-0051-1/2-G. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand. http://natlib.govt.nz/records/23177205
3. Royal train ascending the Rimutaka Incline. Ref: 1/2-027952-F. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand. http://natlib.govt.nz/records/22744335
4. Cross Creek station yard. Godber, Albert Percy, 1875-1949 :Collection of albums, prints and negatives. Ref: APG-0147-1/2-G. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand. http://natlib.govt.nz/records/22868215
5. H class steam locomotive, NZR 199, 0-4-2T type, for use on the Fell system on the Rimutaka Incline, with a group of men standing on and beside the engine.. Godber, Albert Percy, 1875-1949 :Collection of albums, prints and negatives. Ref: APG-0534-1/2-G. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand. http://natlib.govt.nz/records/22916222
6. Last train over the Rimutaka Incline, Wellington region. Negatives of the Evening Post newspaper. Ref: 1/2-C-005816-F. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand. http://natlib.govt.nz/records/22871889
7. Rimutaka Tunnel under construction, Wellington. Negatives of the Evening Post newspaper. Ref: 114/117/03-G. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand. http://natlib.govt.nz/records/22611415