THE MOUNT SOMERS TRAMWAY
The Mount Somers Tramway was conceived in a period of time when the motorcar was unknown, good roads were scarce and railways as a form of mechanical transport had the field largely to themselves. The pages within tell the story of its unspectacular rise and fall, a story closely integrated for fifty years with the course of local history. The tramway reflects the initiative, enterprise and determination of its promoters to reduce the cost of conveying the mineral wealth from the Ashburton Gorge, an area of great geological interest - to the Mount Somers railway station for trans-shipment to Ashburton and beyond.
The great hopes entertained by these men were, unfortunately, never realised. The ruling economic conditions, the small scale workings of the early coal companies, the irregular traffic, the falling off in the demand for building stone, and the indifferent maintenance, all conspired to prevent the line being exploited to its fullest. The advent of the motor lorry and better roads finally spelt the death knell of this venture and many similar roadside tramways and railways in both this country and the British Isles.
The remains of the Mount Somers Tramway are now largely effaced. It is hoped that the present book will help to ensure that its modest contribution to New Zealand railway history is not entirely forgotten; and its significant role in local history given proper recognition.