By: Tracey Kearns23rd Jun 2023 7:58AMThe following comments were left on You know you grew up in Upper Hutt, New Zealand when you remember.........Facebook Page on the 22 June 2023

Brian Pearce
".. It has been suggested that the man is Mr Cruickshank ..."

Peter Ata:
"This photo was discussed on one of the railway yahoo groups many years sgo. It was suggested that Godber had done the 19th century equivalant of photoshopping and had inserted the "light at the end of the tunnel". The reason for this claim is that the western portal is out of proportion to what you would see in practice. Note that the track in front of the camera is level and that the track in the tunnel is on a steep down grade.
Four items of information and some simple geometry should prove if it was fake news----- the tunnel length; the tunnel grade; the portal height and the distance of the camera from the tunnel. This information is readily available. It just needs someone to dig out the data and do some third form trigonometry."

Finn Howell:
"Peter Ata are the tracks and tunnel still there to this day? I’m curious as to why it hasn’t been made into a walking track if the tunnel still exists. Would be a potential extension to tunnel gully and Rimutaka incline."

Peter Ata:
"Both ends of the tunnel are on private property."

Simon Evans:
"Used to have great fun as a kid burrowing through the gorse to find the tunnel"

Peter Ata:
"Zooming in on the photo the western portal of the tunnel seems much too large. Is it "fake news" or is there a logical explanation?"

Brian Pearce
"Peter ... I've commented on this image before ... As someone who is very familiar with the area and the tunnel - I walked through it several times when the line was open, and on a number of occasions in more recent years -I assert with complete confidence that the image has been 'retouched/reworked/altered' to show the west portal more clearly. It's not possible to see daylight at the west portal in the manner in which it has been shown. A look through the tunnel from the east (Mangaroa) portal - nearest camera - will readily disclose that the entry from the west side is in a cutting which does not allow the view of 'daylight' shown in this image. When I proofread the book 'Rimutaka Railway' (W.N.Cameron; NZ Railway & Locomotive Society, 2006) I noted that this photograph appeared on page 25 and arranged for an addition to the caption: "This photograph has been altered for it was not possible to see daylight through the tunnel in the manner shown" There is no doubt that the alteration to the photograph has resulted in an 'oversize' west portal (your 'fake news') .... The tunnel is 395 feet long and has a gradient of 1 in 35 - the climb from Upper Hutt didn't level out until the line left the Mangaroa portal."

Peter Ata:
"Brian Pearce Thanks for confirming my recollection of a discussion many years ago. The photo appears on page 95 of the 1976 edition of A Line of Railway without the warning note
The original is a dry plate glass negative 4.75 x 6.5 inches. I suppose the plate could be viewed to see if there are any obvious signs of modification - but I have no plans to do so.
We must be careful not to accuse Godber of making the change without any evidence."