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Quality Railway Videos and Documentaries
On Denniston - Coal from the Clouds
This is another excellent production from the makers of "Rimutaka Incline", however a bonus is that the basis of this one is 35mm B and W film taken in 1967, by a member of the former New Zealand Film Unit, just prior to the line's closure. Interspersed is footage of Denniston today, and colour film from other cameramen.
I found the whole tape absolutely fascinating! It features in detail one of the most spectacular engineering features of the 19th century, the steepest self-acting incline railway in the world near Westport, on which coal-laden wagons descended 1700 feet in four minutes. We are shown such details as miners working underground, hooking wagons onto the cable, cutting them off, how the speed was controlled with a big 2 cylinder air pump and huge brake wheel, and ride down the hill with the cameraman on a coal wagon on grades as steep as 1 in 1.25 at hair raising speed!
Early scenes show the 4 wheel hopper wagons being emptied by steam crane onto a steam ship, and later, with the opening of the Buller Gorge line, being moved by steam train with one loco up front and another pushing in the rear. The modern scene is shown too, with diesel hauled trains of modern bogie hoppers, and aerial and other views of the aerial ropeway that now moves thousands of tonnes of coal, while the railway preservation scene is not neglected either. The tape is well edited, clear concise commentary, and unobtrusive music where appropriate. Original sound has been electronically processed to give an effective stereo Hi Fi sound.
With the New Zealand Film Unit's demise and limited public financial resources which have drastically reduced New Zealand Documentaries, the Memory Line series was established to bring to the public archive sourced material which otherwise would not be seen again. I think they are succeeding very well indeed.
PQ mostly A, with some B for a few segments only.