I have worked on maps of Dunedin area a few times in the last couple of years, including last year when I drew maps of Dunedin yard using 1978 aerial photography. Because of an enquiry about Caversham, I am working with available 1972-1979 aerial photography of the Dunedin to Mosgiel section of line.

What is available at present covers Dunedin/Kensington at very good quality (1972) and Kensington/Wingatui at good quality (lower resolution than Dunedin/Kensington and this is probably not an NZR survey as all of these stations were imminently closing due to the motorway construction and pending end of suburban services in 1979).

So I am currently working on a very large Gimp project that covers all of the stations along that way (layered over each other) and doing Dunedin through to Caversham and this will bring in the 1972 photography of Dunedin and Kensington which shows the old steam era loco depot at Dunedin and also Kensington before the motorway was pushed through as the work on this was already well underway in 1979 and so the earlier view is very valuable. The photography of Dunedin Station yard also includes Andersons Bay Road where sidings were still in use in 1972 including the Dunedin Gasworks so that will also be included.

So I expect that some output from this will be produced in the next week, alongside the remainder of the Northland work which is also proceeding as planned.

There is also coverage of Caversham from 1942 which is relatively poor quality but does make an interesting point of comparison. I have found high quality of nearly every other station on this section, just not Caversham, as it must have been expected to close in the 1970s, or was perhaps already closed except to passengers, whereas every other station along there had lots of freight traffic as well.

Dunedin Loco Depot 1972 with the old steam shed still in use.

Andersons Bay Road running vertically through the middle of this view of Kensington in 1972. At upper left is the Caledonian Grounds, with the Dunedin Gasworks below it. On the far side of Andy Bay Rd from the gasworks are the Strathallan Street railway sidings. All of these sites have been redeveloped since this time with all the railway tracks pulled up.

More of Kensington/South Dunedin 1972. In the upper left is the Carisbrook Grounds. In the lower half of the photo is Hillside Workshops.

The area around Carisbrook in 1979 with motorway construction works visible on both sides of the railway. The railway was diverted as part of this so that the motorway bridges over South Road could occupy the former rail corridor.

 Caversham Station in 1979, with the old Caversham gas works to the right and below. This area is now very different, with the motorway passing through the station site, and a public park directly below.