Raurimu Spiral

Welcome to the Raurimu Station viewing area, nestled in the dense, green heart of New Zealand's North Island. You are standing before one of the most brilliant and audacious feats of railway engineering anywhere in the world: the…

To understand the complexity of Robert Holmes' solution, you must appreciate the environment he was working in. When Holmes arrived at Raurimu, there were no clear sightlines. …

If you follow the line of the track heading south from the station, the first major maneuver the train executes is the sweeping horseshoe curve. Instead of heading straight toward the cliff face, the track abruptly veers sharply…

Following the completion of the horseshoe curve, the track straightens briefly, continuing its relentless upward climb, before plunging directly into the hillside through the lower tunnel. This tunnel is a critical component of…

Emerging from the lower tunnel, the track continues to curve continuously to the right, completing a full three hundred and sixty degree circle. This is the defining feature that gives the Raurimu Spiral its name. …

After completing the full circle, the train enters the final, straightest section of the ascent. It passes through a second, shorter upper tunnel, a final punctuation mark in the engineering sentence. …

As our exploration of the Raurimu Spiral concludes, take a final look at the viewing area model or the distant tracks disappearing into the bush. The spiral is a unique monument. …