Wikipedia

Linton railway station, Palmerston North

Linton railway station was a flag station at Linton in Palmerston North on the North Island Main Trunk in New Zealand.[2][3]

Linton railway station
Linton plan 1885. The station was to be in the centre of the town, but only Cook St was built
General information
LocationNew Zealand
Coordinates40°25′37″S 175°32′48″E / 40.426941°S 175.54665°E / -40.426941; 175.54665
Elevation18 m (59 ft)
Line(s)North Island Main Trunk
DistanceWellington 124.22 km (77.19 mi)
History
Opened7 July 1885
Closed19 November 1972[1]
Services
Preceding station   Historical railways   Following station
Longburn
Line open,
station closed
5.72 km (3.55 mi) 		  North Island Main Trunk
KiwiRail 		  Tokomaru
Line open,
station closed
5.66 km (3.52 mi)

It was opened by the Wellington and Manawatu Railway Company on 7 July 1885; closed to passengers on 21 January 1971 and closed to goods traffic on 19 November 1972.[4] Only a passing loop remains.[5]

History edit

By March 1885 the first 9 mi (14 km) of the WMR from Longburn had been built, which included Linton and Tokomaru.[6] It may therefore have opened for goods in July 1885,[4] but there was no regular passenger service for another year. A special train ran from Longburn to Ohau in April 1886.[7] From Monday 2 August 1886 WMR trains started to run between Longburn and Ōtaki.[8] Linton was shown in the time and fare-tables, but only as a flag station.[9] The first through train from Wellington to Palmerston North ran on 30 November 1886.[10]

Linton was intended to be a township and raise capital for building the railway.[11] Only a small fraction of the planned development was implemented, though the original concept can still be seen in a modern map of land holdings at Linton.[12] The result was that the station was on the edge of a very small settlement. Another attempt to sell land was made in 1897.[13]

However, a goods shed was built in 1890 and enlarged to 40 ft (12 m) by 20 ft (6.1 m), with a verandah, in 1910. The station was improved in 1909, so that by 1911 it also had a shelter shed, platform, cart approach, cattle and sheep yards and a passing loop for 46 wagons (extended in 1912 to 68 wagons, so Napier mail trains could cross at Linton, in 1940 to 90 wagons and in 1964 to 114 wagons). In 1912 a tablet office and loading bank were added[14] and a porter employed.[15]

Railway houses were built in 1895, 1903, 1912, 1938 and 1946.[14]

In the early twentieth century McGregor Brothers' horse-powered tramway was built up above the swamp on rough timber.[14] The 7 mi (11 km)-long tramway brought timber to the station from a mill in the Tararua Range.[16] Moturimu Mill and tramway were sold in 1911.[17]

On 13 November 1942 a 2 mi 18 ch (3.6 km) private siding to serve Linton Camp was opened, to carry troops to and from the camp by special trains. The track came from lifting the Mount Maunganui line and the ballast from Kakariki.[14]

In 1968 old buildings were removed and on 19 November 1972 Linton closed to all but private siding traffic.[14]

References edit

  1. ^ Juliet Scoble: Names & Opening & Closing Dates of Railway Stations in New Zealand
  2. ^ New Zealand Railway and Tramway Atlas (First ed.). Quail Map Co. 1965. pp. 3 & 4.
  3. ^ Pierre, Bill (1981). North Island Main Trunk. Wellington: A.H&A.W Reed. pp. 289–290. ISBN 0589013165.
  4. ^ a b Scoble, Juliet (2012). Names & Opening & Closing Dates of Railway Stations in New Zealand, 1863 to 2012. Wellington. p. 62.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  5. ^ "Akers Rd". Google Maps. Retrieved 11 April 2021.
  6. ^ "Wellington Manawatu Railway. MANAWATU STANDARD". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 27 March 1885. Retrieved 11 April 2021.
  7. ^ "Wellington- ManaWatu Railway. MANAWATU STANDARD". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 27 April 1886. Retrieved 10 April 2021.
  8. ^ "EVENING POST". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 21 July 1886. Retrieved 10 April 2021.
  9. ^ "WELLINGTON AND MANAWATU RAILWAY COMPANY, LIMITED. TIME TABLE. EVENING POST". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 31 July 1886. Retrieved 11 April 2021.
  10. ^ "WELLINGTON-MANAWATU RAILWAY LINE. NEW ZEALAND TIMES". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 30 November 1886. Retrieved 10 April 2021.
  11. ^ "LOCAL AND GENERAL. WANGANUI CHRONICLE". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 2 February 1885. Retrieved 11 April 2021.
  12. ^ "LocalMaps". maps.walkingaccess.govt.nz. Retrieved 11 April 2021.
  13. ^ "NEW ZEALAND TIMES". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 10 March 1897. Retrieved 11 April 2021.
  14. ^ a b c d e "Stations" (PDF). NZR Rolling Stock Lists. Retrieved 10 August 2020.
  15. ^ "LINTON NOTES. MANAWATU STANDARD". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 27 August 1912. Retrieved 12 April 2021.
  16. ^ "SAWMILLING. FEILDING STAR". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 9 November 1907. Retrieved 11 April 2021.
  17. ^ "MANAWATU STANDARD". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 17 August 1911. Retrieved 11 April 2021.

External links edit

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Linton_railway_station,_Palmerston_North&oldid=1183249083"