Maewa railway station was a tablet station on the North Island Main Trunk in New Zealand.[2][3] A passing loop remains at the station site.[4]

Maewa railway station
Maewa railway station and cemetery in 1949
General information
LocationNew Zealand
Coordinates40°11′25″S 175°33′03″E / 40.190152°S 175.55088°E / -40.190152; 175.55088
Elevation120 m (390 ft)
Line(s)North Island Main Trunk
DistanceWellington 157.89 km (98.11 mi)
History
Opened27 February 1914 (1914-02-27)
Closedpre 1993 (pre 1993)[1]
ElectrifiedJune 1988
Services
Preceding station   Historical railways   Following station
Halcombe
Line open, station closed
7.12 km (4.42 mi)
  North Island Main Trunk
KiwiRail
  Makino Road
Line open, station closed
2.36 km (1.47 mi)

In 1987 the loop was measured to be 157.89 km (98.11 mi) from Wellington,[5] though the old station was slightly further north at 158.61 km (98.56 mi).[2]

Near the former station the Steam Traction Society[6] runs a steam fair for traction engines.[7] Another collection of old vehicles is nearby at Austin Mews.[8]

Also nearby is Feilding Cemetery. The first recorded burial there was in November 1886,[9] though the trustees discussed the neglected state of the cemetery in 1882[10] and the cemetery predated the railway.[11]

History edit

Trains started to run on the line when the Feilding – Halcombe Section opened on Monday 22 April 1878.[12] To ease congestion between Palmerston North and Marton, the loop was opened at Maewa[13] in 1914,[14] it being noted on 27 February that a tablet porter was needed.[5] It was not intended for passenger traffic,[15] though described as a flag station in 1921.[16] From 1933 a goods train stopped at Maewa, carrying Feilding passengers visiting the cemetery.[17] The station closed before 1993.[14] Electric lighting was introduced in 1938,[18] the loop was extended in 1939[19] and work was done to ease the gradient for trains from Halcombe,[20] though it still didn't stop trains stalling on it.[21]

References edit

  1. ^ Names & Opening & Closing Dates of Railway Stations in New Zealand by Juliet Scoble (2012)
  2. ^ a b 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. ^ "120 Lethbridge Rd". Google Maps. Retrieved 13 February 2021.
  5. ^ a b "Stations" (PDF). NZR Rolling Stock Lists. Retrieved 10 August 2020.
  6. ^ "Attractions & Activities - Feilding". www.feilding.co.nz. Retrieved 13 February 2021.
  7. ^ "The Great Manawatu Steam Fair 2021". Stuff Events. Retrieved 13 February 2021.
  8. ^ "Attractions & Activities - Feilding". www.feilding.co.nz. Retrieved 13 February 2021.
  9. ^ "Cemeteries". www.mdc.govt.nz. Retrieved 13 February 2021.
  10. ^ "FEILDING CEMETERY. FEILDING STAR". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 26 August 1882. Retrieved 13 February 2021.
  11. ^ "MANCHESTER HIGHWAY BOARD. MANAWATU TIMES". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 5 September 1877. Retrieved 13 February 2021.
  12. ^ "PALMERSTON NORTH. WANGANUI HERALD". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 20 April 1878. Retrieved 6 February 2021.
  13. ^ "FOXTON WHARF AND MAIN TRUNK DEVIATION COMMISSION (REPORT OF THE) TOGETHER WITH MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS AND EVIDENCE". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 1916. Retrieved 13 February 2021.
  14. ^ a b "Names & Opening & Closing Dates of Railway Stations in New Zealand by Juliet Scoble (2012)" (PDF).
  15. ^ "CHAMBER OF COMMERCE. FEILDING STAR". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 10 November 1914. Retrieved 13 February 2021.
  16. ^ "HEAVY RAIN. MANAWATU TIMES". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 28 November 1921. Retrieved 13 February 2021.
  17. ^ "FEILDING. MANAWATU STANDARD". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 10 November 1933. Retrieved 13 February 2021.
  18. ^ "RAILWAYS STATEMENT (BY THE MINISTER OF RAILWAYS, HON. D. G. SULLIVAN)". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 1938. Retrieved 13 February 2021.
  19. ^ "Working and Waiting. MANAWATU TIMES". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 4 November 1939. Retrieved 13 February 2021.
  20. ^ "RAILWAYS STATEMENT (BY THE MINISTER OF RAILWAYS, HON. D. G. SULLIVAN)". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 1940. Retrieved 13 February 2021.
  21. ^ "Pilots Lose Their Lives. MANAWATU STANDARD". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 4 August 1945. Retrieved 13 February 2021.

External links edit