Cable Car Winding House

• The Wellington Cable Car Winding House built in 1902, now home to the Wellington Cable Car Museum, is a utilitarian building influenced by Georgian architecture styles. It was designed by Cable Car engineer James Fulton at the turn of the century and has had a long relationship with the city of Wellington. The following history is paraphrased from Michael Kelly and Ian Bowman ‘Former Cable Car Winding House Conservation Plan’, prepared for the Wellington City Council, 1997.

  Electrification helped to modernise the system, drivers had more control over the cars, and the system was quieter and more efficient. In the early 1940s a dispute arose between the Kelburn and Karori Tramway Company and the Wellington City Council over the competition offered by the Wellington bus fleet. Courts found that the buses were violating the Municipal Corporations Act 1933, and a solution was reached in 1946-the Council would purchase the tramway. The Kelburn and Karori Tramway Company dissolved in 1947.

  The role of the tramway changed while under the mantle of the City Council, increasingly being emphasised was its tourist potential, rather than its original potential for opening up new suburbs. The tourist traffic increased after the removal of trams from Wellington streets in 1964 as this left the Cable Car as the only link to the tram era in New Zealand. In 1969 management decided that it needed to replace the winding gear tension wheel. In lieu of spending approximately $4000 on a new wheel, a second hand wheel was sourced from the Rewanui mine on the West Coast and purchased for $50. In May 1973 a construction worker was seriously injured when he accidently stepped in front of the cable car. As a result, the safety of the cable car was called into question by the Ministry of Works’ District Mechanical Engineer. His final report suggested that the system be renewed or replaced. In June of 1974 the Ministry of Works recommended that the trailer carriages which had operated without brakes be discontinued and that the Grip cars were altered. These were, however, interim solutions as the Ministry of Works wanted the system to be completely upgraded to the extent of needing new winding gear and new carriages.

  The Wellington City Council objected to these instructions, but made a number of changes to improve the safety of the system. Despite this, the trailers were removed from the tracks in 1974 and Grip cars 1 and 2 were overhauled. Further modifications were made to the cars and tracks during 1975 but the Ministry of Works were still not convinced of the Cable cars safety. 1976 saw the system upgraded including an overhaul of the electrical systems, the replacement of the main drive wheel and shaft, and the repair and repainting of the Winding House. This overhaul also persuaded the council to replace the cars with a fully automatic system. Grip car 3 was taken off the tracks and it would never again be used for service.

  In 1978 the old cars made their final run and the work on the new Swiss designed system began. Wellington architect Ian Athfield presented his ideas for the redevelopment of the area at the top of the Cable Car. The concept of a cable car museum was presented, but the intention was to demolish the old winding house and erect a new building. This idea was ultimately rejected in favour of retaining and upgrading the winding house for its ‘architectural qualities’. The idea of the museum had gained currency by 1979 but little had been done to make this happen. New temporary facilities were installed for women and the disabled, but it soon became apparent that this was the only use that the building had at that time, so they became permanent. In 1984 an interpretation centre was set up in the winding house, and new internal facilities including a kitchen were installed. In the early 1990s, the Civil Defence Authority took over the building but ceased their tenancy in 1993. At this time the Wellington City Council proposed to remove the building, but this was met with such dissent and protest that the decision was made to retain it. The Cable Car Heritage Inc., was established and the Council resolved to convert the building into the cable car museum. A new steel staircase was built, a steel tray for services fixed to the winding room ceiling, the loft floor covered with a composite board floor and steel plate with rails, and the loft partition largely removed. Considerable work was carried out in tidying up the exterior as well as the interior.

  The Cable Car Museum opened its doors in December 2000 with the winding gear fully restored and the ‘relentless red rattler’ Grip Car 1 and a trailer on display. In 2005 the museum was extended, incorporating the exterior wall of the Winding gear room inside a modern addition. This addition saw a new staircase and elevator system installed, and now houses a fully restored 1905 Grip Car (Grip Car 3). 2011 saw the trailer from Grip Car 1 removed for conservation and storage.

  At the turn of the century, Wellington was one of the fastest growing cities in New Zealand. It became apparent early that settlers wanted to take advantage of central city living, and soon the areas around the harbour, Lambton Quay, Cuba Street, and Te Aro were all bustling. Growth was, however, diminished due to an absence of readily available land. Above the city, Kelburn was an attractive option, its potential lessened by the steep hills that divided it from the commercial Lambton Quay. The potential was soon realised when in 1890 the Upland Estate Company created a new subdivision. For this project to be a success, the Company proposed the installation of a tramway between the suburb and the city. In 1898 the shareholders of the Upland Estate Company formed the Kelburn and Karori Tramway Company.

  The company hired engineer James Fulton to design the tramway. The line would extend from Lambton Quay, through The Terrace, Clifton Terrace, Salamanca Road, to the summit at the Botanic Gardens. This is where the ‘powerhouse’ was to be situated. This building would house the boiler to power the steam engine which would turn the huge wheels needed to drive the cars. It would also function as a maintenance depot.

  There is an absence of evidence that an architect was commissioned to design the powerhouse, so it can be assumed that James Fulton as the designer and engineer of the tramway system was also the designer of the powerhouse building. There are, however, one set of plans that are in a different hand to Fulton’s, so there may have been some consultation with an architect or draftsman. Fulton’s initial plans are dated March 1901, and the specifications May of the same year. The building of the powerhouse was begun shortly after this. The powerhouse, with the exception of some private houses on the ridge overlooking the city, was one of the first buildings in Kelburn, and was the first building on Upland Road. The building had two storeys and two wings. The ground floor contained the two boilers in tandem operation, with a coal store that fed hoppers below. The engine and winding gear were housed on the ground floor of the south wing, the eastern or city side of which was open to the upper floor. The top floor was used as a car pit; maintenance of the undercarriages was carried out from below. Rail tracks on trestles led to doors on the upper storey of both wings.

  The coal to heat the boilers had to be carted to the top of the hill and was a considerable expense for the new company. Smoke was released by a 19 meter chimney which, in its day, was regarded as a Wellington landmark and a useful weather vane. The original steam engine appears to have been a Marshall traction steam engine modified for this project. Water, which was also essential for the steam engine, was supplied by a pump and windmill system installed at Salamanca Road.

  Once completed, the powerhouse was fenced off from the Botanic Garden and Upland Road. It was several years before the Tramway Company properly landscaped the area. The tramway was finally opened on the 22 February 1902, and during its first days of operation free tickets were offered to parties interested in purchasing land in Kelburn:

  Kelburne Tramway is now open to the public. The first sale of Kelburne will take place on Wednesday, 26 Feb., 1902. Free passes on the tramway will be given to intending Purchasers on application to Harcourt and Co. Auctioneers, or I.H.B. Wilson Grey-Street.

  The opening weekend of the tramway was a huge success and the future of the system was assured. Many people also took the opportunity to ride the horse drawn trams that linked Kelburn and Karori. Public demand was immediate and soon the cars were modified to pull trailers up the incline as well. The tramway could now seat 62 seated adults on each trip and the load was easily accommodated by the winding gear, which was designed to carry many times this load. By 1912 over one million people were riding on the tramway each year, and it was at this time that the Kelburn and Karori Tramway Company sought for the first time to electrify the system. The application was turned down by the Wellington City Council for unknown reasons, but the cost involved may have been a factor.

  By 1933 some major alterations had been carried out on the building including: the extension of the Mezzanine flooring to cover the whole floor; stairs built down to a new door in the south-east corner of the winding room; the extension of the winding room towards Upland Road; and the addition of a small lean to on the city elevation. 1933 was also the year that the Council gave permission for the company to electrify the system. This meant that the steam boiler, engine, and coal store were no longer needed, so the entire wing that housed the system was removed, along with the smokestack, the trestle bridge, and track. The changes to the building were designed by the architectural firm of Swan, Lawrence, and Swan, and the contractor was Michael Templeton. A new exterior wall needed to be built along what had been the middle partition and loft, the roof was completely rebuilt, new fenestration was installed, the loft floor was raised, and over half of the floor area was rebuilt in concrete. By the end of the work, little remained of the original building and, curiously, the changes that were made did not strictly follow the Swan designs.

  Electrification helped to modernise the system, drivers had more control over the cars, and the system was quieter and more efficient. In the early 1940s a dispute arose between the Kelburn and Karori Tramway Company and the Wellington City Council over the competition offered by the Wellington bus fleet. Courts found that the buses were violating the Municipal Corporations Act 1933, and a solution was reached in 1946-the Council would purchase the tramway. The Kelburn and Karori Tramway Company dissolved in 1947. 
  
  

  The role of the tramway changed while under the mantle of the City Council, increasingly being emphasised was its tourist potential, rather than its original potential for opening up new suburbs. The tourist traffic increased after the removal of trams from Wellington streets in 1964 as this left the Cable Car as the only link to the tram era in New Zealand. In 1969 management decided that it needed to replace the winding gear tension wheel. In lieu of spending approximately $4000 on a new wheel, a second hand wheel was sourced from the Rewanui mine on the West Coast and purchased for $50. In May 1973 a construction worker was seriously injured when he accidently stepped in front of the cable car. As a result, the safety of the cable car was called into question by the Ministry of Works’ District Mechanical Engineer. His final report suggested that the system be renewed or replaced. In June of 1974 the Ministry of Works recommended that the trailer carriages which had operated without brakes be discontinued and that the Grip cars were altered. These were, however, interim solutions as the Ministry of Works wanted the system to be completely upgraded to the extent of needing new winding gear and new carriages. 
  
  
  
  The Wellington City Council objected to these instructions, but made a number of changes to improve the safety of the system. Despite this, the trailers were removed from the tracks in 1974 and Grip cars 1 and 2 were overhauled. Further modifications were made to the cars and tracks during 1975 but the Ministry of Works were still not convinced of the Cable cars safety. 1976 saw the system upgraded including an overhaul of the electrical systems, the replacement of the main drive wheel and shaft, and the repair and repainting of the Winding House. This overhaul also persuaded the council to replace the cars with a fully automatic system. Grip car 3 was taken off the tracks and it would never again be used for service. 
  
  
  
  In 1978 the old cars made their final run and the work on the new Swiss designed system began. Wellington architect Ian Athfield presented his ideas for the redevelopment of the area at the top of the Cable Car. The concept of a cable car museum was presented, but the intention was to demolish the old winding house and erect a new building. This idea was ultimately rejected in favour of retaining and upgrading the winding house for its ‘architectural qualities’. The idea of the museum had gained currency by 1979 but little had been done to make this happen. New temporary facilities were installed for women and the disabled, but it soon became apparent that this was the only use that the building had at that time, so they became permanent. In 1984 an interpretation centre was set up in the winding house, and new internal facilities including a kitchen were installed. In the early 1990s, the Civil Defence Authority took over the building but ceased their tenancy in 1993. At this time the Wellington City Council proposed to remove the building, but this was met with such dissent and protest that the decision was made to retain it. The Cable Car Heritage Inc., was established and the Council resolved to convert the building into the cable car museum. A new steel staircase was built, a steel tray for services fixed to the winding room ceiling, the loft floor covered with a composite board floor and steel plate with rails, and the loft partition largely removed. Considerable work was carried out in tidying up the exterior as well as the interior. 
  
  
  
  The Cable Car Museum opened its doors in December 2000 with the winding gear fully restored and the ‘relentless red rattler’ Grip Car 1 and a trailer on display. In 2005 the museum was extended, incorporating the exterior wall of the Winding gear room inside a modern addition. This addition saw a new staircase and elevator system installed, and now houses a fully restored 1905 Grip Car (Grip Car 3). 2011 saw the trailer from Grip Car 1 removed for conservation and storage. 

  
  
  

The Cable Car Winding House is a good representative example of an early 20th century industrial building.

The tramway and Winding House were designed by James Fulton, one of New Zealand’s first fully trained engineers and one of the most important.

The Winding House represents a high tide mark for the development of New Zealand tramways and played a key role in the development of Wellington as a city. It is now a key heritage tourism attraction.

The Winding house is the oldest intact example of a mechanical engineering installation in New Zealand.

• District Plan Number

  17/ 30

• Legal Description

  Pt Lot DP 8530; Sec 1224 Town of Wellington; Pt Wesleyan College Reserve Town of Wellington

• Heritage New Zealand Listed

  2/historic Place 5372

• Archaeological Site

  Pre 1900 human activity on site

• Current Uses

  unknown

• Former Uses

  unknown

• Has building been funded

  No

• Funding Amount

  Not applicable

• Earthquake Prone Status

  Not Earthquake Prone