[2] The rails were laid south of Piriaka by May 1904[3] and a daily ballast train was running by October,[4][2] which also carried passengers.

[6] In 1908 it was noted that the hill was slipping,[15] engines were derailed in 1915[16] 1925[17] and 1959,[18] trains were delayed in 1918,[19] 1924,[20] 1925,[21] 1926,[22] 1933,[23][24] 1939,[25] 1940[26] and 1945[27] and a length of railway was realigned in 1923.

[29] In November 1904 the Public Works Department set up a mill and a horse tramway to cut kahikatea, mataī, rimu and tōtara from 1,200 acres (490 ha), for sleepers, bridges, etc during the NIMT completion, cutting about 11,000 board feet (26 m3), or superficial feet, a day.

[35] Electric light was installed in 1912, but in 1914 the tramway was in a bad condition, in 1917 the sawmill was dismantled and in 1921 the sidings were removed.

However, in 1955 a siding was provided for Kakahi Timber Co Ltd.[2] Taupo railway proposals - Kakahi-Pukawa line