Hou Hou

Ho Ho station opened with the opening of the Greymouth to Hokitika line on the 18th of December 1893.

Sidings were provided for traffic from Messrs J. C. Malfroy & Coy's sawmill at Ho Ho.

In 1901 the Railway Department decided to erect substantial stockyards at Ho Ho to accommodate cattle and sheep. A private siding right was granted to Messrs J. C. Malfroy & Coy's sawmill on the 1st of November 1904.

In November 1905 the West Coast Times reported that work was almost complete on Messrs J. C. Malfroy and Coy's private railway connecting the Ho Ho sawmills with their bush land on the north side of the Arahura River. The main line at that time was four miles in length and crossed the Arahura by a bridge of seven spans, sixty feet each, constructed of iron bark piers with heart, of red pine superstructure. The contractor for the bridge was Mr T. Dillon. A branch line 1½ miles in connection with Messrs Baxter Bros, at Kawaka was in the course of construction, and a second short branch line connected with Olderog's mill at Arahura. The railway was to bring the logs to the Ho Ho mill, and the sawn timber from Baxter and Olderog's to a Government siding at Arahura, where yards, sheds, etc. were to be established by the sawmillers interested. The engineers for the work were Messrs Gillies and Spence of Greymouth, and the principal contractors for different sections of the line, Havill and Gale, Hoffman and Co., Tracy and Co., Brown and Co. Pending the arrival of the locomotive, the completed portion of the railway was being worked by horses.

In November the following year the West Coast Times reported on an excursion on the Malfroy tram.

At the beginning of the week a party of about a dozen gentlemen, at the invitation of Messrs Malfroy and Company, visited their sawmill, and were entertained by an excursion over the Company's railway line. Mr J. C. Malfroy, senr, and his son, Mr C. Malfroy, are amongst the most progressive as well as leading sawmillers of the West Coast, and having decided that the old method of haulage of logs from the bush by means of horse power was out of date. They resolved to lay down a steel railway and substitute steam power. Another reason for so doing was on account) of the firm's large operations, the extensive catting going on at the mill requiring the haulage of logs a considerable distance.

A Payable Private Railway

To decide on these alterations and, improvements was with the Messrs Malfroy to have them executed to the shortest time possible, and a line of five miles of steel rails (25lb to the yard) 3ft 6in gauge has been laid down. This line is worked by a splendid little model of an engine of the four-wheeled coupled type, 8 tons weight, built to order specially for the particular work required by Barclay & Son, Kilmamock, Scotland. She is a powerful little engine, and draws over the line, which is well laid down, as many as seven pairs of bogies loaded with an average of 2500 superficial feet of timber each. It will readily be understood that the contrast of such haulage in time and labour saved and that of the old method of dragging logs on skids by horses, simply does not admit of comparison. The saving to Messrs Malfroy and Coy., by the improved method is a very material one, and the wisdom of the alteration is already fully justified.

The Excursion.

Favoured with excellent weather the outing along the firms line proved a delightful one. It was a gay company that cycled and drove to the mill at the Three Mile which was the rendezvous, the air crisp and invigorating, and everyone bent on enjoyment. There stood the pretty little engine drawing an extemporised open car, the seats built on a couple of pairs of bogies, which proved a very comfortable vehicle to ride on. Everyone had a box seat, the Irish jaunting car principle having been adopted in construction and in the boot (if such a vehicle can have a boot) the hampers were stowed, which later on proved very acceptable. The whistle blows, the gallant little engine, making light of her freight of excursionists after her customary heavy work, sets off at a good speed, and we are whisked into the bush. On through avenues of tall and stately bush, through ferney glades, the vista constantly changing with delightful variety. Now we are on a long stretch of very straight line that seems to extend indefinitely, and our iron steed makes great pace. Next through a cutting, passing a fairly steep drop into the valley below, which shows some little engineering difficulties were overcome in the construction of the line. And then after perhaps an hour's travelling a halt is called for lunch in a shaded retreat. What a merry meal that was, the "shadow catchers" of the party distinguishing themselves by their efforts to fix the scene permanently. All are disposed for fun and festivity, and the oldest members of the party play the merriest jokes. This hour, and indeed every hour of the outing, will be held in most pleasant remembrance. Time passes, however, and once more at the call of the honorary guard, the passengers are mounted on the jaunting car. We cross the handsome and substantial bridge erected by Messrs Malfroy froy and Company over the Arahara river, and pass the picturesque and flourishing farms owned by Mrs H. Bradley and Mr D. Bradley, getting glimpse of the Arahura river running through the verdant looking pastures. Onward then, through the line to Messrs Baxter Bros' mill, which is our destination. The journey home is varied by a stoppage for afternoon tea, when excursions into the bush are made, and the "snap shooter"' again gets to work. We arrive back shortly before 5 p.m., after as delightful a picnic as could be imagined carried out under unique and most interesting conditions. Needless to say, all present thoroughly enjoyed themselves and greatly appreciated the hospitality and courtesy of Mr J. C. Malfroy senr., and his sons.

On the 1st of November 1944 the name of the station was changed from Ho Ho to Hou Hou.

Timber from Malfroy and Coy., later taken over by the Westland Box Coy. Ltd’s and Process Timber’s sawmill was the mainstay of traffic from the Hou Hou station. Both companies operated a variety of bush tram locomotives on the tram. The last of these, a Planet diesel tractor was sold to the Hokitika Dairy Factory in September 1968. The Planet was run along the NZR line to Hokitika.

Passenger services to Hou Hou ceased on the 9th of October 1972 when the railcar service to Hokitika and Ross was withdrawn.

By November 1974 the Railways Department had announced proposals to pull down the Hou Hou station. The Minister of Railways, Mr Bailey, said that little use now made of the station and it does not warrant the continued maintenance of the building. “It is accordingly proposed to close Hou Hou to all traffic except for goods in wagon lots and to dispose of the station building and platform. The majority of freight handled at Hou Hou is for the sawmills in the area and a poultry farm. None of these clients should be adversely affected by the removal of the station and platform.”

Hou Hou station was closed to all traffic except goods in wagon lots from the 6th of July 1975. At some point around this time the south end points were removed.

In 1998 the main traffic from Hou Hou was sphagnum moss in container wagons from the adjacent sphagnum moss factory. In 1998 sawn timber in open wagons and log traffic was observed being shipped from Hou Hou.  By 2000 the southern end points were reinstated.

The Hou Hou yards in 2006 looking north (above) and below looking south  (below)

 

 

In August 2008 work commenced on the replacement of the Hou Hou Creek bridge. Ontrack’s engineer manager Walter Rushbrook told the West Coast Times that the 40 metre bridge had reached the stage where it needed to be replaced. The wooden piles and timber beams would be replaced with steel piles and spans at a cost of about $500,000.

Dbr 1213 crosses the old Hou Hou Creek bridge on 11 September 2006

Reconstruction of the Hou Hou Creek bridge.

 

Dc4751 crosses the rebuilt Hou Hou Creek Bridge on 17 December 2009

In 2011 the bridge over the Little Hou Hou Creek was replaced with a single span concrete and steel bridge as the Hokitika Industrial Line was upgraded from a maximum axle load of 14.3 tonnes to 16.3 tonnes.

The new bridge over Little Hou Hou Creek on 9 October 2011