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Greytown railway station

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Greytown
New Zealand Government Railways Department regional rail
Greytown station yard in 2006. The station building and platform were to the left, where the large trees are.
General information
Location230 West Street, Greytown
Coordinates41°5′20″S 175°26′55″E / 41.08889°S 175.44861°E / -41.08889; 175.44861
Owned byRailways Department
Line(s)Greytown Branch
PlatformsSingle
Tracks1 branch line, 2 loops
History
Opened14 May 1880
Closed24 December 1953, on closure of the Greytown Branch line
Notes
Previous Station: Woodside Station
Next Station: None

Greytown railway station was the terminus of the Greytown Branch railway, which connected the Wairarapa town of Greytown in New Zealand’s North Island to Woodside on the Wairarapa Line.

History

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In 1878, Parliament authorised the construction of the Greytown Branch, and the following year, after the completion of a survey, plans were drawn up and tenders called. The contract for the construction of the Greytown station building, goods shed and locomotive shed was let to Ebenezer Gray for £1183. Construction was completed on time.

The opening of the line on 14 May 1880 was to have been a grand affair, with a parade led by a brass band, followed by local charitable societies, school children and the general public. These festivities were to have been followed by sporting events including teams from Wellington and Greytown. Foul weather on the day meant that much of what had been planned was cancelled, and the first train from Wellington brought with it few visitors.

Until the opening to Masterton on 1 November 1880, Greytown was the effective northern terminus of the Wairarapa Line. The Greytown to Woodside section then became a branch railway.

Today

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With the closure of the Greytown Branch in 1953, the locomotive shed was demolished and the station building was relocated by train to Woodside to serve as a goods shed, where it remains. The station's goods shed survives on its original site. Though there have been proposals to move it to the railway heritage precinct at Carterton railway station, it was restored in 2015 to a condition reminiscent of its appearance in commercial service.[1]

The station yard is at the southern end of West Street in Greytown, and is noticeable by the large hump in the road as you pass the goods shed. A road transport company and row of large trees now occupy much of the yard and where the station building used to be.

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External images
image icon Greytown station photograph from Alexander Turnbull Library
image icon a train at Greytown station
image icon Greytown station building and platform
image icon a train at Greytown station with crew and other railways staff
image icon tank locomotive WF 398 at Greytown station

References

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  1. ^ Farmer, Don (25 November 2015). "Shed gains new look after it's restored". Wairarapa Times-Age. Masterton: NZME. Publishing. Archived from the original on 3 December 2015. Retrieved 3 December 2015.
  • Cameron, Walter Norman (1976). A Line Of Railway: The Railway Conquest of the Rimutakas. Wellington: New Zealand Railway and Locomotive Society. ISBN 0-908573-00-6.
Preceded by Stations on the Greytown Branch Succeeded by
Terminus