Early Days The single line from Wellington (Lambton) to Upper Hutt via Lower Hutt was opened in 1876. Upper Hutt to Featherston, which included the Rimutaka Incline was opened in 1878. The line as far as Cross Creek was fully signalled by 1895, some signals being of the slotted-post type. Safe working from Wellington to Lower Hutt and from Upper Hutt to Cross Creek was by Winter's Block. Tyer's Electric Train Tablet was commissioned from Te Aro to Lower Hutt in 1901 and from Lower Hutt to Featherston in 1902.

Lambton - Lower Hutt Duplication & Signalling
Between 1905 and 1911 the Lambton - Lower Hutt section was doubled and Sykes lock-and-block installed (from 1909).

Upper Quadrants In 1922 automatic signalling with three-position upper quadrant semaphores was installed on the double line between Lambton and Lower Hutt. Single line automatic, also with upper quadrant semaphores, was installed between Lower Hutt and Upper Hutt in 1923.

Hutt Deviation Line In 1927 the Hutt Deviation Line was opened from Hutt Valley Junction to Waterloo. It was equipped with three-lens colour light signals. The line was extended in stages, reaching Taita in 1947.

Taita - Upper Hutt In February 1954 a single line was opened from Taita to Haywards (now Manor Park) and the Melling - Haywards section was closed. The Taita - Upper Hutt section was operated under single line automatic rules with a mixture of searchlight signals and upper quadrant semaphores. Later in the same year the Taita - Haywards Junction section was doubled.

Double Track Bridge In November 1954 a new double track bridge (with a single operational track) was opened over the Hutt River at Silverstream, bypassing the section now occupied by the Silverstream Railway.

Double Line To Trentham In June 1955 Haywards Junction to Trentham was doubled and Wellington - Petone - Taita - Upper Hutt was now an electrified railway with searchlight signals throughout.

Rimutaka Deviation In 1955 the 8.8km Rimutaka Tunnel was opened giving a new route between Upper Hutt and Featherston. The line was equipped with colour light signals controlled from a CTC machine at Upper Hutt, which also controlled the single line Trentham - Upper Hutt section.

Dates I have checked the above diagram with notes published by the NZR Publicity and Advertising Branch and believe that the dates are actual, not "S&I".

Andrews Siding closed in 1933. In 1938 Pitcaithly's crossing loop closed and Andrews crossing loop opened at Andrews Siding site.

Petone Junction  provided access to the Hutt Park Branch and later to the Gear Meat Company siding.

Petone  In the 1920s a switchout station with upper quadrant semaphores; in the 1950s a permanent signal cabin controlling a large interlocking; in 2006 a single cross-over.

Hutt Valley Junction, General Motors Siding & Ava  Includes the one semaphore on the Hutt Branch, the singling of the junction and diamond crossings at switchlock sidings.

Hutt Valley Branch In 1927 In 1927 a double track branch line was opened to Waterloo. The branch was paid for by the betterment of the surounding land.

Lower Hutt  Two position semaphores; three position upper quadrant semaphores; colour light signals and an early use of the yellow/green indication - Lower Hutt has had an interesting variety of equipment.

Lower Hutt - Melling Although a boring section of railway today, Lower Hutt - Melling has had an interesting signalling history. For example, in 1927 there were nine semaphore masts with ten arms in this section.

Melling - Haywards

Page Under Construction.

Woburn  Includes the installation and later removal of a diamond crossing and a single slip. Also changes after a station fire.

Gracefield Branch   Includes the 30 year period when the Gracefield Branch was equipped with automatic signalling and a Woods key.

Waterloo - Taita   Documents the many stages involved in extending the line from Waterloo to Taita.

This page requires horizontal scrolling.

Taita - Wallaceville   Documents the stages involved in diverting the Wairarapa line to the Taita route.

Upper Hutt  Documents the transition from two-position signalling in tablet territory to three position colour lights in CTC territory.

Upper Hutt - Featherston  Documents the CTC installation on the Rimutaka Tunnel deviation.

Featherston  Documents the interesting and subtle ways the operation of Featherston has changed over the years.

Masterton   is a Woods locked country station with two-position signals and sleeper locks.

For Kaiwharawhara - Petone

Featherston was a permanent signal box when first installed. In later years the station was switchout.

Upper Hutt panel controlled the Trentham - Upper Hutt - Featherston single line section from 1955 until early 2007.

Trentham was a switchout panel used only on race days. Study the panel as it was in 2004. The panel was decommissioned on Waitangi Day, 6th February 2007.

Naenae - Taita was controlled from the Taita signal box. This page describes the interlockings in 1954.

The photograph was taken in 2001. The Naenae structures have been erased from the diagram.

Woburn - Waterloo was controlled from the Woburn signal box. This page describes the interlockings in 1953.

The date of the photograph is unknown but Waterloo has been erased from the diagram.   (Photo CB Vickery)

Petone to Melling (including Hutt Valley Junction) was controlled fom the Petone signal box. This page describes the interlocking in 1975.