Erua railway station
Erua was a station on the North Island Main Trunk line,[1] in the Ruapehu District of New Zealand. It served the small village of Erua.[2] For a month in 1908 it was the terminus of the line from Auckland. Makatote Viaduct and tramway are about 3 mi (4.8 km) south of Erua.
Erua railway station | |||||||||||
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![]() Erua was terminus of the line in April 1908. Coaches took passengers to Ohakune to continue their rail journey | |||||||||||
Location | New Zealand | ||||||||||
Coordinates | 39.227998°S 175.398703°E | ||||||||||
Elevation | 742 m (2,434 ft) | ||||||||||
Line(s) | North Island Main Trunk | ||||||||||
Distance | Wellington 340.16 km (211.37 mi) | ||||||||||
History | |||||||||||
Opened | 1 April 1908 | ||||||||||
Closed | 13 September 1986 | ||||||||||
Electrified | June 1988 | ||||||||||
Services | |||||||||||
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History
Surveying for the route between Hīhītahi and Piriaka began in 1894.[3] From 1 April 1908 the line from Auckland was extended from National Park to Erua. That reduced the coach journey to the southern railhead at Ohakune to 14 mi (23 km).[4] From 1 May 1908 Erua was supplanted by Makatote as the railhead.[5] On 9 November 1908 NZR took over from the Public Works Department the Taumarunui to Erua line and on 14 February 1909, the line south to Waiouru.[6] Goods trains ran south from Erua from 7 January 1909.[7] Four 5-roomed houses and a 6th class station were built in 1908, with a 23 ft (7.0 m) by 11 ft (3.4 m) shelter shed and urinals on a 200 ft (61 m) by 15 ft (4.6 m) platform, a 20 ft (6.1 m) by 30 ft (9.1 m) goods shed with verandah, a loading bank, cattle and sheep yards and a cart approach. A passing loop could take 49 wagons. Erua was described as a tablet station from 1908. There was a Post Office at the station from 1912 to 1937.[8] Overnight, on 30 May 1921, the station burnt down.[9] It closed to goods traffic, except in wagon lots, on 11 August 1969 and to all traffic on 13 September 1986,[8] prior to electrification. There is now only a single line through the former station site.[10]
- Erua between 1912 and 1916
- Erua station about 1920
- Erua between 1912 and 1916. Already most of the bush shown in the 1908 photo had gone
![](../I/Bush_scene_at_Erua%252C_with_timber%252C_bush_railway_lines%252C_and_steam_log_hauler_ATLIB_267644.png.webp)
Timber
Like the other stations along this part of NIMT, Erua had freight from several timber mills. To supply timber to the Frankton Junction Railway House Factory, a sawmill NZR opened a forestry block. 57 were working in it in 1924,[11] though the number was reduced from 1927[12] and it closed in 1928.[13] A tablet lock was added to Karioi Sawmill Co.'s siding between Erua and Pokako in 1930.[14] There were several other timber companies at Erua, including Wanganui Sash and Door,[12] whose tramway closed in December 1956.[15] Waikune Prison had a sawmill near the station until 1927.[16]
Marton Sash and Door Tramway
Crighton Bros had a tramway, which ran about 11 km (6.8 mi) west from the station.[15] Some of the tramway became part of a 16 km (9.9 mi) Marton Sash and Door cycleway[17] in 2014.[18] The Marton mill at Erua burnt down in 1939,[19] though it still had a tramway in 1942.[11]
References
- Scoble, Juliet. "Names & Opening & Closing Dates of Railway Stations in New Zealand 1863 to 2010" (PDF). Rail Heritage Trust of New Zealand.
- "Erua, Manawatu-Wanganui". NZ Topo Map. Retrieved 2021-01-03.
- "THE RAURIMU SPIRAL. NEW ZEALAND HERALD". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 1 Nov 1929. Retrieved 2020-10-11.
- "EVENING POST". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 31 Mar 1908. Retrieved 2021-01-04.
- "READY BY CHRISTMAS. DOMINION". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 1 May 1908. Retrieved 2021-01-04.
- "RAILWAYS STATEMENT. BY THE MINISTER OF RAILWAYS, THE HON, J. A, MILLAR". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 13 Oct 1909. Retrieved 2021-01-05.
- "OUR VOLUNTEERS. WANGANUI HERALD". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 16 Dec 1908. Retrieved 2021-01-04.
- "Stations" (PDF). NZR Rolling Stock Lists. Retrieved 2020-08-10.
- "LOCAL AND GENERAL. MANAWATU TIMES". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 3 Jun 1921. Retrieved 2021-01-04.
- "Manawatū Whanganui 0.3m Rural Aerial Photos (2016-2017)". basemaps.linz.govt.nz. Retrieved 2020-12-25.
- "RAILWAY SAWMILLS. WAIKATO TIMES". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 27 Dec 1924. Retrieved 2021-01-06.
- "DISMISSAL OF MEN. AUCKLAND STAR". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 2 Apr 1927. Retrieved 2021-01-06.
- "STATE BUSH CLOSED. EVENING POST". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 9 Apr 1928. Retrieved 2021-01-06.
- "RAILWAYS STATEMENT BY THE MINISTER OF RAILWAYS, THE HON. W. A. VEITCH". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 1930. Retrieved 2021-01-05.
- New Zealand Railway and Tramway Atlas (Fourth ed.). Quail Map Co. 1993. ISBN 0-900609-92-3.
- "NEW ZEALAND HERALD". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 28 Sep 1927. Retrieved 2021-01-06.
- "Marton Sash and Door Tramway Trail Mountain Bike Trail, Ohakune, New Zealand". MTB Project. Retrieved 2020-10-24.
- "Public Business" (PDF). Ruapehu District Council. 12 August 2014.
- "SAWMILL FIRE. MANAWATU STANDARD". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 9 Oct 1939. Retrieved 2021-01-06.
External links
Photos - 1957 aerial view of the station and railway cottages