Garmin International

Black Bridge Waihi end abutment
Black Bridge (black because of the creosote or pitch with which it was painted) took the tramway across the river at this point. The embankment at the Waihi side is very distinctive, and some stone retaining and foundation timber can be seen at the river end of it.
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Black Bridge Waikino end abutment
Black Bridge (black because of the creosote or pitch with which it was painted) took the tramway across the river at this point. The bridge abutment on this side of the river is not obvious, but some concrete remains in the pasture at the top of the riverbank.
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Bridge pier footings and ford; Old Tauranga Road
The Old Tauranga Road crossed the Ohinemuri River here. This was the site of the first bridge over the river in this district, built 1881. It was washed away early 1883, and was replaced.
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Coal hoppers
Allowed for transhipping of coal from the Main Trunk railway to the Gold Company tramway system.
Coal siding centre left, with full Main Trunk waggons, engine workshop and loco shed centre. The building lower right is the producer gas plant (billowing black smoke). Note the Waikino station top right (almost lost behind the smoke).

Concentrates tailings
Early in the life of the Victoria battery, concentrates tailings were stacked (stored) here, presumably transported by the tramway, for possible future reprocessing (as they were considered to still contain gold).

Concrete over-bridge structure, where ECMT crossed over Rakeline
Accessed at end of Station Rd.
FA loco crossing the WGMCo tramline.

Engine workshop

Loco shed

Quarry floor
This quarry was established close to the battery, and beside the tramway, to supply ballast for the tramway, and construction stone for the battery.

Stone breakers Victoria Battery
These were the primary crushers, before the ore was pulverised in the stampers.
Two rakes of trucks can be seen in this image. c.1940s.

The Cascades
Cascades on the Ohinemuri River.
Both the tramway and the water race are close to the river here.

The Half Way
Allowed for up and down rakes to pass each other. A water tower, supplied by a small water race, allowed for locomotives to take on water.
Private property.

Tram crosses over water race
The first crossing, tramway over the top of the water race. The other two crossings have the race above the tramway. No remains.
Private property.

Waihi Dredging Plant
This plant removed mining tailings from the river to reprocess them, between 1897 and 1910. This image taken from across the river (c.1904).
Hauraki District Council Reserve.

Water race crosses Ohinemuri River and tramway
The water race made its second crossing of the Ohinemuri River here, also crossing over the tramway, so as to maintain its grade.

Water race crosses over the tramway in deep cutting
This image shows a locomotive in the deep cutting, travelling toward Waikino. c.1897. The water race crossing is behind the train, but not visible here.

Coal loading siding
Allowed coal brought in on the Main Trunk line to be transfered to the WGMCo trucks

Incline
Ore trucks were winched up this incline to the ore roasting kilns.

Siding to engine workshop

Siding to loco shed

The Halway loop

Tramway to turntable

Waihi to Waikino Rakeline
This small gauge railway (2ft 9in or 84cm) was constructed in 1897 to connect the Martha mine with the new Victoria Battery at Waikino, a distance of five and three quarter miles (9km).