Page 48 Bay of Islands Railway

Adam Girven was listed in as the Engine Driver on the Kawakawa in this is shown from 1878 to 1893 in the following newspaper article. We had previously knew that he had a Stationary Steam Certificate and believed he operated the Steam Engine at the Coal head but this article shows that he drove the steam engine in the early days, maybe when it was a wooden tramway and before it had the proper track laid?

6.7.1878 Northern Luminary – when mine opened a tramway built & coal hauled down first in wooden tubs by horses & later in railway wagons to be loaded at “the Derrick” into barges, which, in turn, were pulled downstream to the loading Ground. In 1878 increased demand for Bay coal meant “a derrick is required upon the spot where the old one now stands”. A few months on “ late severe weather kept out many of the sailing craft & by working day & night, time was secured to remove the old derrick & erect a substantial new one in its place”.

1878 – 100 hands employed at mine, not including those involved in barge service which was performed under contract. Personnel: Thomas Pearson Moody, manager 1878 - 1893, and his uncle, Ridley William Moody, inspector and consulting engineer 1878 – 1891; A Girven, locomotive engine-driver; AE Farr, guard; R Farrer, head linesman.

20.2.1879 nl – At Derrick Landing, Taumarere, the coal boxes were lifted by crane off their wooden travelling frames so that they hung over a barge. The trapdoor was opened, letting the load of coal fall into one of 5 barges, which could take up to 120 tons. The barges were then pulled downstream by 2 paddle steamers, named “Ida” and “Black Diamond” to the Loading Ground located at the junction of the rivers Kawakawa and Waikere.

A Girven was engine driver; AE Farr guard/goods station-master & R Farrer head linesman.

There is also a family story that Adam and Harriet were the first people to drive a steam engine across the Taumarere Viaduct and we are told that there bwas a plaque on the viaduct to show this. Adam did this because the proper Engine Driver was too scared to drive the engine across the newly repaired Viadcut and he said it was so safe he would drive his wife across it! We believe that this would have been in about the 19890's, Adam knew how important Coal and its transport was to Kawakawa. The viaduct was re-built again in about 1949 and the plaque is no longer there, but there is now a video on You Tube showing the Viaduct and the Steam Railway. 

http://www.bayofislandsvintagerailway.org.nz/

Interestingly their engine Gabriel came from the Whangarei Portland Cement Works, this is located at Tokitoki Creek  and this is the location of the land that Adam was allocated in 1877 in compensation for the failed Waikato Immigration scheme. Has Gabriel followed Adam to his railway line? You can see the video at the link below. We are communicating with Linda at the Bay of Islands Railway about this story and trying to find out more about it.

I have also uploaded a document showing a timeline of the information we know so far about those early Railway days and I will add newsletters from the Gabriel Club at the Bay of Islands Vintage railway.