Opua Branch

[1] Rails[2] and wagons from the Auckland & Drury railway[3] were used for a 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) gauge, horse-drawn tramway from the mine to the Derrick wharf on the Kawakawa River at Taumarere.

The tramway opened on 26 December 1867[4] and was completed on 16 January 1868,[5] after which the mine was transferred to the newly formed Bay of Islands Coal Company.

Stevenson of Liverpool for export by Alexander Chaplin and Company, Cranstonhill Engine Works, Glasgow, believed to be maker's No.

[10] It was sold to the Tararu tramway company and altered to their 3 ft 6in gauge by Fraser and Tinné, who delivered it to Thames on 2 December 1871.

[22] The company declined an offer to run the line,[19] as it did not wish to raise more capital,[23] so the track was operated by New Zealand Railways Department.

A line 44 kilometres in length was required to link Kawakawa to the Whangārei section's northern railhead in Waiotu, and factors such as poor winter weather and difficulties in accessing the construction due to the relative isolation of the region at the time meant that it was not until 1911 that the rails from each end met.

In 1925, the North Auckland Line was finally completed and the Whangārei – Opua section was linked to the national network.

From this time, this part was used to carry solely freight, almost all of which was output from the Moerewa Dairy Factory and Affco Meat Works to the port of Opua.

The 2009 plan for Pou Herenga Tai – Twin Coast Cycle Trail was that the Vintage Railway would carry cyclists 10.3 km (6.4 mi), between Opua (a new terminus at Colenso Triangle, 1.2 km (0.75 mi) from the original end of the line at Opua wharf) and Kawakawa, over 12 bridges and through a tunnel.