User:Johnragla/Tapuata railway station

Tapuata railway station on the Palmerston North–Gisborne line, opened on 1 December 1884, to serve a rural area just south of Dannevirke, in the Manawatū-Whanganui region, with  people (2018 census) scattered over two meshblocks, totalling 0 km2. The station closed on. A single track runs through the station site.

History
''The area was part of the Ngāti Raukawa rohe. ''

was a flag station, with 2 trains a day each way from opening in 1884 until 1892 when it gained an extra train each way. It lost a service in 1917 when the mail train was speeded up.

By 1898 there was a platform, loading bank and a passing loop for 16 wagons, extended to 28 by 1904. On 8 June 1883 Jay and Haynes took on a £13,615 contract to build the 8+1/4 mi extension south from Matamau to Tahoraite. When they went bankrupt, the work was taken on by the Public Works Department. Tapuata opened on 1 December 1884, when the 7 mi Matamau to Tahoraiti section extended the line from Napier. Monday, 15 December 1884	Tahoraiti – Matamau opened for traffic. 

In 1879 about 10 mi of the line from about 2 mi north of Piripiri to Oringi was surveyed. A Royal Commissioner reported adversely on the Napier line extension to Woodville, which stopped until the end of 1881, except for a few short lengths for unemployment relief just before the 1881 election. Joseph Jay & Henry James Haines won the Kopua to Tahoraiti contract for £13,615 on 8 June 1883, but they claimed unusually bad weather caused them to fail and the Government took over. Their engineer was J. T. Carr, assisted by J. Fulton, H. F. Moody and D. Ross, the bridge contractors were Proudfoot & McKay, Dunedin, Joseph Saunders, Wellington and H. M'Kenzie & Co, Dunedin and D Glendinning, Napier, was the permanent way contractor. Although the line to Tahoraiti was reported as ready to open on 1 December 1884,  it wasn't until 15 December 1884 that the 7 mi Matamau to Tahoraiti section opened. The excursion train at the opening carried about 500 and 4 coach loads continued to Woodville.

''1885	Tamaki Timber Coy – asking permission to connect tramway with station. Use of Tamaki Timber Coy's siding by Wilding & Coy who leased the tramway. 1887	Proposal of McKay & Coy to lengthen siding. 1896	Level crossing at Gammon & Coy's sawmill near Tahoratite. 1926 Vacuum Oil Coy's lease of part of railway reserve at Tahoraiti and use of siding. 1943 Proposed private siding and stacking site – Public Works Department.''

''Sat, 29 January 1887	Re: opening line from Tahoraite to Woodville for traffic. 14 May 1887	Goods shed is being removed. When the buildings have been removed Tahoraiti to Dannevirke, recommends Tahoraiti be rated as a flag station. On and from Monday, 13/6/1887, Tahoraiti will be flag station and Dannevirke will be opened as a booking station, with stationmaster. 6 July 1887	Stationmaster's house shifted from Tahoraite to Danevirke recently. 1887	Removal of store. 1888	That cattle yards at Tahoraite be removed to Oringi. By 1896 shelter shed, passenger platform, urinals. Loop 26 wagons, backshunt 15 wagons (north end). 1896	Recommends extension of siding. 1898	Loop 54 wagons, loop 34 wagons, backshunt 11 wagons. 1904 loading bank.''

''Mon, 11 February 1889	Petition in favour of exchanging names of Tamaki and Tahoraiti stations. 5 April 1889	From the same date the present Tahoraiti siding will be called the Tamaki Sawmill Company's siding. On and from April 8th the name of the Tamaki station will be changed to Tahoraiti. Tahoraiti has been an official name since 1939''.

Tahoraite was in the Seventy Mile bush. Contracts to clear a line, 66 ft wide for what later became SH2, were let in 1871.

Friday, 24 December 1886	Station buildings – contract signed.

Saturday, 12 March 1887	Woodville – Tamaki Contract – line will be ready to hand over on 21st instnat.

Friday, 25 March 1887	E V Dixon, Tahoraite, asking for lease of tea and coffee stall at Tamaki station. 1888	Mr Dixon's application to erect a refreshment room.

Thursday, 30 June 1887	Station buildings – final certificate.

1889	Petition in favour of exchanging names of Tamaki and Tahoraite stations. Friday, 5 April 1889	From the same date the present Tahoraiti siding will be called the Tamaki Sawmill Company's siding. the name of the Tamaki station will be changed to Tahoraiti.

1890	Action of Tamaki Sawmilling Coy using Government wagons on their siding. 1891	Agreement for siding to H Carlson & Coy. 1894	There is no public siding at Tamaki. Carlson and the Tamaki Saw Mill Company are the holders of the sidings at Tamaki. Tamaki Siding was closed as a public siding in 1888. On and after Monday, 27 August 1894, Tamaki Siding is to be open for the public to load firewood and fencing materials.

1894	Situated 1 mile 4 chains from Dannevirke and 1 mile 32 chains from Tahoraiti. 1896 79 miles 17 chains from Napier. 1904 32 miles 52 chains from Palmerston North. 1905	Ballast pit is 31 miles 66 chains from Palmerston North. On right side of line, north backshunt, 45 chains long.

17 December 1895	Authority for removal of cattle yards from Tamaki to Mangatera. 15 January 1896	Removal of sheep yards from Tamaki to Mangatera. The instruction for the removal of these yards was given verbally on 5th December.

1900	Nearly all sheep run to Tamaki for trucking, therefore if new yards are decided upon, they should be erected at Tamaki. There is a pretty strong feeling in the matter amongst stock dealers concerned and the towns people of Dannevirke also object to the sheep being driven through the streets of the township, and as far as the Department is concerned the sheep traffic for south could be more conveniently worked from Tamaki than Mangatera. We have a heavy stock traffic from Mangatera for Petone and nearly the whole of it has to be driven past Tamaki station, through Dannevirke Township to Managtera, and then hauled back again, thus being conveyed 5½ miles by road and rail further than should be necessary. Estimate for proposed cattle and sheep yards - £366. The Gear Meat Company said it is a matter of no interest to the Company whether the yards be erected at Tamaki or not, as those at Mangatera served their purposes. 1903	An authority for £450 has been issued for loop siding and erection of stockyards at Tamaki. He further says a new road has now been made by which sheep can be driven from the Weber district to Mangatera without going through Dannevirke and in consequence the Gear Company will do all their loading at Mangatera as at present. The representative of the Gear Meat Company says these would be very little used, because there is no accommodation for the stockmen at Tamaki. The work need not be put in hand. 1907	Application by the Wellington Meat Export Company for stockyards at Tamaki declined. 1924	The erection of cattle yards has been authorised and will be put in hand as soon as possible. road approaches, etc - £200;  Total £2,400. sidings, etc - £1,400; stockyards - £800; 26 May 1925	The stockyards are now ready for use. 1926 a temporary acetylene plant was installed to light the stockyards pending the installation of electric light. Current is available and the necessary wiring for electric lighting will be erected within a few days.

Tuesday, 28 January 1919	Ry houses.

1928	Horse shunting contract has been in use for at least seven years. 1949	Horse shunting is used at Tapuata.

Thursday, 17 October 1929	Tamaki siding renamed Tapuata. This follows the opening of the new Tamaki station on the NIMT. Marama was at one time intended for the present Tamaki station, and it was finally decided on 27/5/1929 to use Tamaki and rename Tamaki Siding near Dannevirke to Tapuata.

1954	Hargreaves Lime & Fertiliser Ltd have made application for a private siding.

Tuesday, 1 March 1960	Removal of loading bank approved. The area is to be levelled so it can be used for the discharge of bagged fertiliser on to motor lorries. This loading bank, which has not been used in at least 12 months, is in poor condition.

Friday, 30 January 1981	Yard track work is in poor condition.

Friday, 13 February 1981	It is proposed to remove the loops and backshunts on the left side of the main line, and put in a loop on either side of the shelter and store on the right side of line. Left side of main line – crossing loop, loop, and two backshunts (one at north end, other at south end). Right side of main line – loop passing through loading shelter and store. Private siding of Hargreaves Lime & Fertiliser Ltd.

Monday, 14 July 1986	Fertiliser is received into a bulk store for East Coast Farmers Fertiliser and coal is received for the Tui Dairy Company.

Sunday, 12 June 1988	Still used for timetabled running of trains.

Between Tapuata and Tahoraite the line crosses Tamaki River on bridge 140, about 70 m long, which was damaged by a 1937 flood.

Dannevirke Aerodrome, just to the south of the station, was compulsorily purchased from its Maōri owner in the late 1940s, after the Minister, Ernest Corbett, had said government wouldn't do so, but then said he had no powers to stop Dannevirke County Council.

NAPIER RAILWAY STATION is an old wooden building standing on piles, with an asphalt platform, and contains the stationmaster’s office, chief clerk’s room, a parcel room, booking room and public office, luggage room, a ladies waiting room. There is also a goods shed and office, engine sheds and workshops. Ten trains leave daily for the south, including the Express. Passengers carried during the year 1905 numbered about 80,000.

HASTINGS: P. 451: Railway Station was opened in the year 1874. The station buildings contain the usual offices and appointments; there is a fine asphalt platform, and also considerable yard accommodation. MR C.A. HEALD is the Stationmaster-in-charge.

KAIKORA NORTH: p. 488: is situated…36 miles from Napier on the Wellington line of railway…The railway station is often a scene of great activity, as several thousands of sheep are frequently trucked from Kaikora North to other station, or to the various freezing works.

WAIPAWA: p. 497: is situated on the northern bank on the Waipawa river, 39 miles south by rail from Napier…C.R. BAINES (498) BORN 1844 WIDDINGTON, ESSEX, came to N.Z. 1876 to Hawkes Bay became Railway Contractor Involved in cuttings on lines between Te Aute and Waipawa and between Takapau and Ormondville.

WAIPUKURAU. CECIL WHITING SEYMOUR was employed for 14 years chiefly as the manager of the railway refreshment rooms which he took over in the early part of 1905.

MR P. GOW (p.523)…received a contract from the Government to cut railway bridge timber required for the line between Waipukurau and PukiPuki.

MR ANGUS MACKAY B.1820 NOVA SCOTIA (P544)…In 1873 Mr Mackay returned to N.Z. to inspect, for Messrs Brogden & Sons the bridge on the Picton – Blenheim line. He then went to New Plymouth to manage the construction of the line between Sentry Hill and Inglewood for the contractors Messrs Henderson & Davis…entered bridge building on his own account…at Clive over the Ngaruroro river and he was subsequently employed as an inspector of the railway under construction between Woodville & Matamau. In 1883 settled in Dannevirke.

PAHIATUA P.717: When Main Street was laid off it was expected that the railway would be laid down the centre, but this was not carried out and the railway station is at Scarborough, 2 miles from the town.

THE NAPIER MUNICIPAL ABATTOIR (p. 310): Is situated on the railway line at Awatoto, about 3 miles from Napier.