Garmin International

Black Bridge Waihi end abutment1
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 abutment1
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 Road1
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 hoppers1
Allowed for transhipping of coal from the Main Trunk railway to the Gold Company tramway system.

Concentrates tailings1
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 Rakeline1
Accessed at end of Station Rd.

Concrete water race protector1
The water race was retained here in concrete; most of the rest of the race was simply a ground channel.

Engine workshop1

Loco shed1

Masonry dam wing and control gates1
This dam fed water into the water race via control gates on the right (true left bank, beside cycleway). Often the entire flow of the Ohinemuri River was diverted to the race.

Old farm ford over Ohinemuri River1
It gave access to the farm from the old highway just across the river.
A suspension bridge, 50 m upstream, remained until after 1942.

Old suspension bridge to highway1
An early suspension bridge crossed the Ohinemuri to this rock. It remained until after 1942.

Quarry floor1
This quarry was established close to the battery, and beside the tramway, to supply ballast for the tramway, and construction stone for the battery.

Siphon end1
The water race was piped across a small gully in a large diameter pipe known as the siphon.
This was the downstream end of the pipe.
Private property.

Siphon start1
The water race was piped across a small gully in a large diameter pipe known as the siphon.
This was the upstream end.
Private property.

Stone breakers Victoria Battery1
These were the primary crushers, before the ore was pulverised in the stampers.

Stream drop shaft1
When the tramway cutting was excavated, this stream was dropped via a shaft so as to discharge below the tramway.
The water race can be seen as a bench across the river.

The Cascades1
Cascades on the Ohinemuri River.
Both the tramway and the water race are close to the river here.

The Half Way1
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 race1
The first crossing, tramway over the top of the water race. The other two crossings have the race above the tramway. No remains.

Waihi Dredging Plant1
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 tramway1
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 Ohinemuri River1
The water race made its first crossing of the Ohinemuri River here, as it was deemed too difficult to maintain on the true left bank of the river.

Water race crosses over the tramway in deep cutting1

Water race Penstock1
The end of the water race. Water was directed to the turbines via a large diameter pipe. Look down.

Water race very close1
The water race is right beside the cycleway at this point.

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.

Low Level Water Race to Victoria Battery
The low level water race consisted of a masonry dam constructed on the Ohinemuri River, just down stream from the confluence of the Waitete Stream, and a race to convey the water to the battery site (6.5 km). A fall of 54 feet (16.5 m) was obtained at the battery, the water driving two 200 HP turbines. The water race was for the most part an open ground-channel, but crossed the Ohinemuri River twice, in wooden flumed bridges, and was piped across a small gully in a large diameter pipe known as the siphon.

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).