In 1904, this tramway at Maropiu, Northland, had such a steep grade it required a brakeman riding on each bogie (small cart). They both wound hand cranks that pressed board brakes onto the faces of each wheel. It was very dangerous work. On a nearby tram in that same year, a brakeman was crushed to death by a log when a bogie wheel collapsed.
Listen to Alec Brownlee talk about the tramways that brought logs to the mills on the West Coast.
Sound file from Radio New Zealand Sound Archives Ngā Taonga Kōrero. Any re-use of this audio is a breach of copyright. To request a copy of the recording, contact Sound Archives Ngā Taonga Kōrero (Alec Brownlee – sawmiller/Reference number CDR1038)
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