Te Akeake railway station

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Coordinates: 35°20′57″S 174°06′29″E / 35.3491°S 174.1081°E / -35.3491; 174.1081
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Te Akeake railway station
Te Akeake railway station in 2024
General information
LocationNew Zealand
Coordinates35°20′57″S 174°06′29″E / 35.3491°S 174.1081°E / -35.3491; 174.1081
Line(s)Opua Branch
PlatformsYes
TracksSingle line
History
Opened1888
Closed1931
Services
passengers & freight

Te Akeake railway station,[1] is a station on the Opua Branch in New Zealand.

NZR 1905 Opua timetable

The station, sometimes named Teakeake,[2] opened after an application for a stopping place, 1.5 mi (2.4 km) from Taumarere, was made on 7 July 1888. About 1898, after an "application from natives", on 28 December 1893, a shelter shed and platform were built.[3] It closed on 14 August 1931[4] and remained closed, when the platform was moved[5] north from 3 mi 63 ch (6.1 km) from Kawakawa,[3] by about 900 m (980 yd).[6] The repositioned station reopened in December 2022 as a new terminal for the Bay of Islands Vintage Railway, as part of the Pou Herenga Tai – Twin Coast Cycle Trail.[7]

Whangae Bridge[edit]

An 1883 account described a station being built between the tunnel and the bridge over the Whangae River. It also said the banks were being washed away until stone facings were added to them.[8]

From 14 August 1931 Te Akeake was replaced as a flag station by Whangae Bridge,[9] on the other side[10] of the 264 ft (80 m),[8] or 93 yd (85 m)[11] Opua Tunnel 14,[12] or Whangae Tunnel.[13][14] Opua Tunnel was closed by a slip in 1936.[15] The station closed on 1 September 1963.[4] For the Cycle Trail a steeply graded bypass has been built around the tunnel.[7]

It was 1 mi 27 ch (2.2 km) from Opua, 4 mi 01 ch (6.5 km) from Taumarere and 51 mi 60 ch (83.3 km) from Whangārei, had a shelter shed[3] and was served by the Auckland express.[16]

1964 derailment site (centre right) visible in 1971 (right), but not in 1955

Incidents[edit]

In 1964 a person died when a locomotive took a corner too fast and toppled into the water, just south of the tunnel.[13] A temporary siding was built to get the engines out of the creek.[17] The works were still in place in 2018.[18]

On Saturday 26 June 1999, near the same location, a Vintage Railway steam train from Opua to Kawakawa was derailed at low speed when the track spread. The safety report said track maintenance was inadequate.[19]

References[edit]

  1. ^ https://www.bayofislandsvintagerailway.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/2022.12.31-BOIVR-Newsletter.pdf
  2. ^ "Sun (Auckland)". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 15 December 1928. Retrieved 20 May 2024.
  3. ^ a b c Scoble, Juliet. "Station Archive". Rail Heritage Trust of New Zealand.
  4. ^ a b Scoble, Juliet (2010). "Names & Opening & Closing Dates of Railway Stations" (PDF). Rail Heritage Trust.
  5. ^ https://www.bayofislandsvintagerailway.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/2022.12.31-BOIVR-Newsletter.pdf
  6. ^ "1:63360 map Sheet NAK26". www.mapspast.org.nz. 1937. Retrieved 20 May 2024.
  7. ^ a b "Popular east coast cycle trail section to reopen". Far North District Council. 14 December 2022. Retrieved 20 May 2024.
  8. ^ a b "The Kawakawa railway extension. New Zealand Herald". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 25 September 1883. Retrieved 26 May 2024.
  9. ^ "Northern Advocate". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 14 August 1931. Retrieved 20 May 2024.
  10. ^ New Zealand Railway and Tramway Atlas (4th ed.). Quail Map Co. 1993.
  11. ^ "Our home letter. New Zealand Herald". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 22 May 1882. Retrieved 20 May 2024.
  12. ^ "KiwiRail Network Map". kiwirail.maps.arcgis.com. November 2018. Retrieved 20 May 2024.
  13. ^ a b "Man Killed When Engine Derailed, Press". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 31 August 1964. Retrieved 20 May 2024.
  14. ^ "Photograph of Whangae tunnel". MOTAT. 1985.
  15. ^ "Train services ar a standstill. Northern Advocate". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 3 February 1936. Retrieved 20 May 2024.
  16. ^ paperspast.natlib.govt.nz https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/AS19320111.2.143.6. Retrieved 24 May 2024. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  17. ^ "Rig falls in swamp. Press". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 5 September 1964. Retrieved 31 May 2024.
  18. ^ "Blockage in Lower Taumarere-Kawakawa River" (PDF). Northland Regional Council. 8 April 2018. p. 7.
  19. ^ "Report 99-115 vintage train derailment" (PDF). Transport Accident Investigation Commission. 2 August 2000.

External links[edit]

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