W and WA locomotives on the Roa Incline. Diesel locomotives were never used on the Blackball Branch. A significant impediment to the operation of the line was the difficulty and cost of maintaining the 1680 foot length road-rail bridge across the Grey River. Poor design and construction meant that the bridge was frequently damaged by flooding, requiring expensive repairs. This situation eventually led to the closure of the line when the cost of maintenance became too high. The hazards of working such a steep incline without a continuous air brake were an important safety issue, leading to occasional runaways, although it is unclear whether any injury resulted from such situations. Falling production and a decrease in orders meant that the State Mines Department closed the Roa Incline on 25 July 1960. From July 1963, only one train was permitted to operate on the Blackball Branch at a time, though due to the low quantity of traffic it is doubtful this policy ever had to be seriously enforced. By 1964, the line served just one active mine, operating on a limited basis. The Railways Department began to consider closure of the line, and when a flood on 21 February 1966 destroyed two spans of the Grey River bridge it was decided that repairs would not be economic and the line was closed. Today Four spans of the old railway bridge over in the Grey River stood until 2002 when they were dismantled. The bridge itself was kept in operation until 1968 as a road only bridge, and then several more years for pedestrians, until further flooding damage made it impractical to repair. Nearby, two towers of the cableway that preceded the railway can be seen amidst swampland near Ngahere. Another bridge remains in place across Ford Creek on the Roa Incline, still complete with pedestals for the centre rail. In the rugged terrain, some of the formation of the Blackball and Roa lines can be seen, though it is often not near roads and nature is steadily reclaiming the line. Few other remnants of the line exist. References Citations Bibliography Railway lines in New Zealand Grey District Railway lines opened in 1909 Railway lines closed in 1966 Rail transport in the West Coast, New Zealand Closed railway lines in New Zealand