Bealey River

The Bealey River is a small river located in the Southern Alps of New Zealand. It is a tributary of the Waimakariri River. Its valley forms the eastern approach to Arthur's Pass. The river and the Bealey settlement are named for Samuel Bealey, a 19th century Superintendent of Canterbury Province and pastoralist.

In the first half of the 20th century, the New Zealand Railways Department (NZR) dumped withdrawn locomotives and wagons in the river to stabilise its banks and prevent erosion. Some of these locomotives and wagons have been recovered by heritage groups with the aim of restoring them to operating condition, including WMR No. 9 (later NZR N 453) by the Wellington and Manawatu Railway Trust in 2003. [ [http://www.wmry.netfirms.com/salvage.htm Wellington and Manawatu Railway Trust: Stage I - Salvage] ]

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