User:Johnragla/Te Āpiti railway station

Te Āpiti railway station on the Palmerston North–Gisborne line, opened on, as part of the 1 mi extension of the line from Napier.

It was 76 mi chains south of Napier and 35 mi north of Palmerston North Central. 

The station closed to passengers by and completely on. A single track runs through the station site.

History
''The area was part of the Ngāti Raukawa rohe. In 1877 land was acquired for a railway ballast pit at Kopua. In 1879 Kopua was a clearing of about 1 mi by ¼ mile in the Seventy Mile bush. Sawmills were set up as soon as the line opened. Wilding & Bull had a mill at''

Te Āpiti was a flag station, which had trains a day each way from opening in until when it gained an extra train each way.

By there was a shelter shed, platform, cart approach, cattle yards'', urinals and a passing loop for  wagons, extended to 30 by 1898. A loading bank was added in .   ''

''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. Mangatawainui viaduct, between Makatoko and Matanui, cost about £8,000. In the middle of 1883 tenders were called for this portion of the line, but the contractors failed and the Government took over. Joseph Jay & Henry James Haines had won the Tahoraiti contract for £13,615 on 8 June 1883. Haines put the failure down to unusually bad weather. The engineer from Kopua to Tahoraiti is Mr J. T. Carr, who has been assisted by Messrs J. Fulton, H. F. Moody, and D. Ross. The principal bridge contractors were Messrs Proudfoot and McKay, of Dunedin, Joseph Saunders, of Wellington, and H. M'Kenzie and Co., of Dunedin. Mr Glendinning, of Napier, was contractor for the permanent way. The excursion train at the opening of the extension carried about 500. On reaching the terminus there was a large assemblage of settlers and Maoris. Several carriages conveyed those who desired it back along the road to Allardice's Hotel which was the nearest place for dinner, 4 coach loads went to Woodville.''

1/11/1904	Quarry siding Accommodation nil.

1/11/1904	Accommodation nil.

1/11/1904	Backshunt 19 wagons.

1/11/1904	Limestone Mileage 15 miles 16 chains from Palmerston North.

1/11/1904	Quarry Siding, Gorge Backshunt 6 wagons.

1/11/1904	Quarry Siding, Gorge Mileage 11 miles 61 chains from Palmerston North.

1906	Quarry Siding, Gorge Amended mileage is 11 miles 34 chains from Palmerston North.

1/12/1911	Quarry siding Mileage 11 miles 34 chains from Palmerston North, on right side of line. Backshunt 10 chains overall length.

1/12/1911	Gorge Mileage 14 miles 49 chains from Palmerston North, on left side of line. Backshunt 4½ chains long.

1/3/1905	North backshunt, 5 chains long, on left side of line.

22/9/1942	Lime works, Gorge station, proposed siding.

5/12/1943	Manawatu Gorge Lime Co siding  Mileage 15 miles 13 chains from Palmerston North.

15/2/1946	Service siding, Manawatu Gorge.

27/11/1939	Te Apiti Accommodation nil.

27/11/1939	Te Apiti Loop 54 wagons.

27/11/1939	Te Apiti crossing loop opened in the Manawatu Gorge, the mileage to the centre of the loop is 13 miles 33 chains 15 links.

19/12/1939	At 12 noon on Wednesday, 20/12/1939, a new Holiday Switchout Tablet station named Te Apiti and located between Ashhurst and the Gorge will be available for crossing purposes only.

19/12/1939	Te Apiti Down Distant – right side of line, 638 yards from Down home signal and 10 feet 6 inches from centre of track. Height above rail level 17 feet 6 inches.

19/12/1939	Te Apiti Down Home – right side of line, 46 yards from Down main line points and 8 feet 6 inches from centre of track. Height above rail level 22 feet 6 inches.

19/12/1939	Te Apiti The levers operating these signals will be specially locked.

19/12/1939	Te Apiti Up Distant – right side of line, 628 yards from Down home signal and 10 feet 6 inches from centre of track. Height above rail level 18 feet 0 inches.

19/12/1939	Te Apiti Up Home – right side of line, 52 yards from Down main line points and 8 feet 6 inches from centre of track. Height above rail level 22 feet 6 inches.

5/12/1943	Te Apiti Mileage 13 miles 33 chains from Palmerston North.

2/10/1954	Semaphore signals at Te Apiti will be dismantled and permanent removed. Will cease to exist as a “switch out” tablet station.

3/2/1900	A passenger platform, known as “The Gorge”, has been erected in the Manawatu Gorge 14 miles 42 chains from Palmerston North. Now opened. On right-hand side.

1/11/1904	The Gorge Accommodation shelter shed, passenger platform (right side).

1/11/1904	The Gorge Backshunt 16 wagons.

1/11/1904	The Gorge Mileage 14 miles 42 chains from Palmerston North.

1/11/1904	The Gorge Mileage 14 miles 49 chains from Palmerston North.

29/10/1906	The Gorge Accommodation shelter shed, passenger platform (right side).

29/10/1906	The Gorge Backshunt 16 wagons.

29/10/1906	The Gorge Mileage 14 miles 49 chains from Palmerston North.

1/12/1911	The Gorge Accommodation shelter shed, passenger platform (right side).

1/12/1911	The Gorge Sidings nil.

1/3/1933	The Gorge Turnout for backshunt faces Woodville.

29/12/1933	Bridges Nos 16 and 21, The Gorge, on fore on 23/12/1933.

2/9/1936	The Gorge Application for private siding access.

18/11/1936	At present at The Gorge, there is a small backshunt which is used for service purposes when bridge gangs are working in the Gorge.

18/11/1936	The Gorge Shelter shed, platform, tablet hut, and backshunt.

17/12/1936	Approval for siding at the Gorge station {or nearby to it].

14/12/1937	The Gorge Additional loop to be put in at 15 miles 13 chains.

1/8/1938	The Gorge Lime Coy's siding right.

1/8/1938	Siding and backshunt opposite Gorge station.

7/12/1938	The Gorge Siding turnouts are at 15 miles 0 chains 20 links and 15 miles 18 chains 24.5 links.

19/12/1939	At 8.0am on Wednesday, 20/12/1939, The Gorge will be closed as a Holiday Switchout Tablet station.

22/9/1942	Lime works at Gorge station – proposed private siding.

28/9/1942	The distance from the Lime Coy's siding to The Gorge where the new lease is desired is 51 chains giving a total of three miles from Woodville. The proposed siding is for Mr McLeod.

5/12/1943	Gorge Siding – mileage 14 miles 49 chains from Palmerston North.

5/12/1943	The Gorge Mileage 14 miles 42 chains from Palmerston North.

3/10/1954	The Gorge opened as a “switch out” tablet station.

3/10/1954	The Gorge The crossing loop will have accommodation for 66 wagons.

2/5/1960	The Gorge The Lime Coy's siding is 2 miles 59 chains south of Woodville.

20/7/1962	The Gorge There are two loops, one of which passes through a loading bin.

20/7/1962	The Gorge The loop nearest the main line is to be removed, and the bin siding is to become a backshunt.

20/7/1962	The Gorge The turnout at the Woodville end is to remain.

11/10/1962	The Gorge Approval for alterations to sidings.

27/9/1965	The Gorge The siding adjoining the quarry is to be closed.

21/10/1965	The Gorge Approval to close the private siding of the Gorge Lime Coy.

11/5/1967	The Gorge The siding adjoining the quarry has been lifted.

15/10/1907	Tunnel No 2 Siding Quarry abandoned prior to this date. At about 11¾ miles.

22/8/1924	Siding running round the river side of Tunnel No 2 was lifted in 1916.

21/10/1965	Approval for a high-level loading bank to be constructed at Woodville, for loading of lime from trucks from the Gorge Lime Company.