Blackball Branch

This did not prove to be as efficient or desirable as a railway, so in 1901 a branch line across the Grey River from Ngahere to Blackball was approved.

This line was ultimately taken over by the State Mines Department and involved a Fell centre rail for braking due to grades as steep as 1 in 25.

A significant impediment to the operation of the line was the difficulty and cost of maintaining the 510-metre (1,680 ft) length road-rail bridge across the Grey River.

[2] The hazards of working such a steep incline without a continuous air brake were an important safety issue, leading to occasional runaways,[3] although it is unclear whether any injury resulted from such situations.

Falling production and a decrease in orders meant that the State Mines Department closed the Roa Incline on 25 July 1960.

From July 1963, only one train was permitted to operate on the Blackball Branch at a time, though due to the low quantity of traffic it is doubtful this policy ever had to be seriously enforced.