Rimutaka Incline Railway Heritage Trust Rimutaka Incline Railway Heritage Trust The Rimutaka Incline Railway Heritage Trust is a non-profit, charitable trust in New Zealand that was established in 2003 with the objective of reinstating an operating heritage railway over the Rimutaka Ranges using the original route of the Wairarapa Line between Maymorn and Featherston, including the world-famous Rimutaka Incline. The trust was formed by a steering committee that had earlier been established to investigate the proposal, and was composed mainly of members from existing rail heritage organisations. It was established with the goal of realising the following objectives: The main rail vehicle shed is currently
Rimutaka Incline were the Tauwharenikau Route, Mr Sinclair’s Route, a coastal route and the Pakuratahi Route. While the government was conducting its surveys, Wellington Province Superintendent William Fitzherbert instructed his Provincial Engineer, Charles O’Neill, to investigate the possibility of a railway through the Rimutaka Valley (the route of the road between Featherston and Upper Hutt), with a tunnel through the dividing range. The survey was carried out between May and 21 July 1871, and O’Neill reported that a tunnel 130 chains (2.6 km) long would be required, with the line rising at 1 in 60 from the Pakuratahi to the tunnel then