Rangataua railway station

Rangataua was a station on the North Island Main Trunk line,[1] in the Ruapehu District of New Zealand.[2] Like most of the stations on the central part of the NIMT, a large timber trade exploited the native bush until it was largely felled. What is now the small village of Rangataua developed to the south of the station. Just a single track now passes through[3] and virtually nothing remains of the once busy station and workshops.[4]

Rangataua railway station
Railway station Rangataua 1910s
LocationNew Zealand
Coordinates39.42638°S 175.45713°E / -39.42638; 175.45713
Elevation670 m (2,200 ft)
Line(s)North Island Main Trunk
DistanceWellington 312.66 km (194.28 mi)
History
Openedin use from 31 May 1907
goods 12 August 1907
passengers 15 February 1909
Closedgoods 19/9/1986
passengers before December 1975
ElectrifiedJune 1988
Services
Preceding station   Historical railways   Following station
Ohakune
Line open, station open
4.43 km (2.75 mi)		   North Island Main Trunk
KiwiRail		   Karioi
Line open, station closed
5.52 km (3.43 mi)
Rangataua station and township about 1914

History

Surveying for the route between Hīhītahi and Piriaka began in 1894.[5] Bush felling for the railway started in 1900.[6] The rails were extended to the station on 31 May 1907[6] and a passenger train with dignitaries and reporters reached it in July.[7] The line opened from Waiouru to Rangataua for goods traffic on 12 August 1907. A stationmaster was appointed in August 1907. There was mention of cars for passenger trains from Mataroa to Rangataua in September 1907.[6]

During construction a small workshop was built at Rangataua[8] in 1907 and 1908, with a plumber, carpenter, painter, store, and smithy. Further machinery was added in 1912[6] and a shed in 1928.[9]

A 3rd class station was built by September 1909 for around £11,000, including workshops and housing for an inspector, a stationmaster and two platelayers.[6] 5 railway cottages were built by 1908[10] and some were moved from Waiouru to Rangataua in 1909. The stationmaster got hot water in 1912,[6] the others in 1915,[11] and it was proposed to light the cottages with electricity in 1914. When opened, Rangataua had rooms for a stationmaster, booking office, lobby, luggage, urinals and ladies, on a 300 ft (91 m) by 15 ft (4.6 m) platform. There was also a 40 ft (12 m) by 30 ft (9.1 m) goods shed with verandah, a loading bank, cattle and sheep yards and a cart approach. There was a tablet and fixed signals. A water tank was added in 1910. A crossing loop could take 60 wagons.[6]

As timber traffic declined (see table below), so did the station. In 1934 Rangataua was converted to a tablet station which could be switched out. On 28 February 1959 it lost its stationmaster. Approval to remove the station building was given in 1971. On 19 September 1986 the station closed to all traffic.[6]

Timber

As shown in the table below, timber traffic reached a peak in 1913 and declined rapidly after 1930. There were several timber mills. R A Wilson proposed a siding in the station yard in 1907, Perham & Larson applied for a siding 20 ch (1,300 ft; 400 m) south of the station in 1908, Rangataua Timber Co (formed in 1907)[12] applied to extend theirs in 1908.[6] Perham & Larson had about 10 acres (4.0 ha) in 1909[13] In 1910 they sent timber to Lower Hutt.[14] Perham, Larsen & Co's private siding was 1 1⁄2 mi (2.4 km) from the station.[6] Perham, Larson & Co had a tramway, with a Climax loco,[15] from about 1909[16] (they had a tramway license in 1913)[17] to 1944.[18] Waiakaki Sawmilling Co had a tramway from around 1928[19] to 1933.[20] In 1940 Marton Sash & Door Co were cutting the bush.[21]

Powell's tramway; probably a W.G. Bagnall Ltd 1911 0-4-2 ST, transferred to Westfield Freezing works in 1916[22]

Powell Wood Process Ltd

In 1908[10] a new sawmill and treatment works were built to produce Powellised timber, which was claimed to resist rot and insect damage.[23] They had rights to fell 4,402 acres (1,781 ha)[24] of rimu, matai, kahikatea, māpou, kāmahi[25] and hard beech forest,[26] The works were connected to that and the railway by a tramway,[10] which extended some 6 mi (9.7 km) towards Mount Ruapehu, the total cost being about £30,000;[27] a 1910 photo showed a group on horses following a tramline on the way to the mountain.[28] A 1913 plan was for 7 mi (11 km) of tramway.[29] The works was expanded in 1909[30] and 1911,[31] but a 1915 report cast doubt on the claims for the process[32] and, after the works burnt down in the Raetihi Forest fire of 1918,[33] the company went into liquidation.[34] A 1930 report on wooden paving in Auckland noted how well the Powellised timber had lasted.[35]

Patronage

As shown in the table and graph below, like many NIMT stations, passenger numbers were highest during World War II, but then fell back to an average of around 25 a day. However, Rangataua ranked 3rd among NIMT stations in terms of the volume of its timber traffic by 1913. By 1910 it was sending out an average of 25 wagons a day.[36] World War I labour shortages, the 1918 fire and conversion of land to grazing, then reduced timber traffic, but sheep numbers rose from 1,222 in 1913[37] to 12,662 in 1949.[38]

Rangataua ticket sales 1908–1950 – derived from annual returns to Parliament of "Statement of Revenue for each Station for the Year ended"
year tickets season tickets timber superficial feet staff
1908 1,040,000 2[39]
1909 648 2 4,664,300 6[40]
1910 4,603 9 4,984,600 4[41]
1911 5,865 2 9,279,400 4[42]
1912 5,876 3 11,285,100 5[43]
1913 5,955 6 13,449,800 7[37]
1914 5,721 22 10,762,800[44]
1915 6,551 10 8,957,300[45]
1916 5,930 26 8,925,200[46]
1917 5,908 77 6,447,000[47]
1918 6,101 77 5,706,600[48]
1919 6,779 63 5,431,700[49]
1920 7,886 117 7,010,100[50]
1921 9,678 106 6,951,800[51]
1922 10,138 80 5,525,200[52]
1923 11,807 69 4,385,500[53]
1924 11,778 137 5,187,300[54]
1925 10,607 72 5,204,000[55]
1926 12,219 133 6,265,800[56]
1927 10,737 73 5,758,400[57]
1928 8,867 72 4,716,800[58]
1929 9,511 26 5,466,200[59]
1930 8,607 32 5,723,500[60]
1931 12,668 38 4,044,400[61]
1932 12,228 71 2,723,500[62]
1933 14,152 118 1,839,200[63]
1934 13,301 76 1,386,600[64]
1935 14,813 72 1,366,900[65]
1936 17,980 94 2,008,200[66]
1937 18,222 110 1,335,400[67]
1938 17,308 82 980,500[68]
1939 17,278 73 1,771,600[69]
1940 21,799 53 1,574,300[70]
1941 25,186 43 1,916,800[71]
1942 21,100 24 1,862,100[72]
1943 21,528 17 2,548,400[73]
1944 19,630 12 1,680,500[74]
1945 17,938 1,773,700[75]
1946 18,049 1,748,100[76]
1947 14,585 1 1,837,700[77]
1948 9,986 2 1,256,500[78]
1949 10,181 1,434,800[38]
1950 9,030 950,100[79]

References
  1. Scoble, Juliet. "Names & Opening & Closing Dates of Railway Stations in New Zealand 1863 to 2010" (PDF). Rail Heritage Trust of New Zealand.
  2. New Zealand Railway and Tramway Atlas (Fourth ed.). Quail Map Co. 1993. ISBN 0-900609-92-3.
  3. "Mangateitei Rd". Google Maps. 2010. Retrieved 2020-11-15.
  4. "IntraMaps". maps.ruapehudc.govt.nz. Retrieved 2020-11-15.
  5. "THE RAURIMU SPIRAL. NEW ZEALAND HERALD". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 1 Nov 1929. Retrieved 2020-10-11.
  6. "Stations" (PDF). NZR Rolling Stock Lists. Retrieved 2020-08-10.
  7. "THE MAIN TRUNK LINE. WANGANUI HERALD". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 23 Jul 1907. Retrieved 2020-11-08.
  8. "TOWN AND COUNTRY. LYTTELTON TIMES". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 12 Feb 1909. Retrieved 2020-11-09.
  9. "RAILWAYS STATEMENT BY THE MINISTER OF RAILWAYS, THE RIGHT HON. J. G. COATES". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 1928. Retrieved 2020-11-15.
  10. "RANGATAUA NOTES. WANGANUI HERALD". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 14 Sep 1908. Retrieved 2020-11-08.
  11. "RAILWAYS STATEMENT BY THE MINISTER OF RAILWAYS, THE HON. W. H. HERRIES". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 1915. Retrieved 2020-11-15.
  12. "BUILDINGS AND CONTRACTS. NEW ZEALAND TIMES". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 5 Jun 1907. Retrieved 2020-11-09.
  13. "WELLINGTON LAND BOARD. DOMINION". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 26 Nov 1909. Retrieved 2020-11-15.
  14. "MAGISTRATE'S COURT. DOMINION". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 2 Jul 1910. Retrieved 2020-11-15.
  15. "MANAWATU STANDARD". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 16 Nov 1909. Retrieved 2021-01-11.
  16. "DOMINION". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 2 Nov 1910. Retrieved 2020-11-08.
  17. "CROWN LANDS. DOMINION". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 31 Oct 1913. Retrieved 2020-11-15.
  18. "AUCKLAND STAR". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 13 Jan 1944. Retrieved 2020-11-08.
  19. "MANAWATU TIMES". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 9 Aug 1928. Retrieved 2020-11-08.
  20. "NEW ZEALAND HERALD". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 15 Jul 1933. Retrieved 2020-11-08.
  21. "NEW ZEALAND HERALD". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 22 Jun 1940. Retrieved 2020-11-15.
  22. "Bagnall Locomotives". www.trainweb.org. Retrieved 2020-11-08.
  23. "THE TIMBER INDUSTRY. GISBORNE TIMES". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 7 Sep 1909. Retrieved 2020-11-08.
  24. "Reserves and Other Lands Disposal and Public Bodies Empowering Act 1915 No 68 (as at 01 July 2013), Public Act 115 Authorizing the exchange of certain private lands for timber-cutting rights over certain Crown land". legislation.govt.nz. Retrieved 2020-11-08.
  25. "ALONG THE MAIN TRUNK. NEW ZEALAND TIMES". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 28 Dec 1908. Retrieved 2020-11-08.
  26. ""POWELLISING" TIMBER. NEW ZEALAND TIMES". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 16 Feb 1911. Retrieved 2020-11-08.
  27. "PROGRESSIVE RANGITAUA. MANAWATU TIMES". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 10 Nov 1910. Retrieved 2020-11-08.
  28. "Mountaineering on the main trunk route: a mounted party on the track through the bush to Mount Ruapehu from Rangataua". www.aucklandcity.govt.nz. 14 Apr 1910. Retrieved 2020-11-09.
  29. "EXTENSIVE BILLING RIGHTS. WANGANUI CHRONICLE". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 6 Mar 1913. Retrieved 2020-11-15.
  30. "A new industry for preserving timber. The works of the Powell Wood Process Company's factory at Rangataua, on the Main Trunk Line, which contains a thoroughly up-to-date plant for the preservation of timber". www.aucklandcity.govt.nz. 28 Apr 1909. Retrieved 2020-11-09.
  31. "RANGATAUA NOTES. WANGANUI CHRONICLE". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 13 Oct 1911. Retrieved 2020-11-08.
  32. "POWELLISING. HASTINGS STANDARD". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 8 Jan 1915. Retrieved 2020-11-08.
  33. "FURTHER DETAILS. NEW ZEALAND TIMES". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 20 Mar 1918. Retrieved 2020-11-08.
  34. "EVENING POST". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 6 May 1919. Retrieved 2020-11-08.
  35. "LOCAL AND GENERAL. ASHBURTON GUARDIAN". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 29 Sep 1930. Retrieved 2020-11-08.
  36. "LOCAL AND GENERAL. WAIRARAPA AGE". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 18 Nov 1910. Retrieved 2020-11-09.
  37. "RETURN No. 12. STATEMENT of Revenue and Expenditure of each Station for the Year ended 31st March, 1913". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. Retrieved 2020-11-07.
  38. "Year ended 31st March, 1949". Retrieved 2020-10-04.
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