Manunui station was on the

North Island Main Trunk The North Island Main Trunk (NIMT) is the main railway line in the North Island of New Zealand, connecting the capital city Wellington with the country's largest city, Auckland. The line is long, built to the New Zealand rail gauge of and ser ...

line, in the

Ruapehu District Ruapehu District is a territorial authority in the centre of New Zealand's North Island. It has an area of 6,734 square kilometers and the district's population in was . Features The district is landlocked, and contains the western half of the ...

of New Zealand, serving Manunui. It was south east of Matapuna and north of Piriaka. Freight was handled from 2 September 1904, though it wasn't until 16 September 1908 that it was listed as having a station yard, formation and fencing and 10 November 1908, when it was described as a 6th class station, with passenger platform, urinals, cart approach, a x goods shed and loading bank. On 24 July 1913 a request for lighting was added. A

passing loop A passing loop (UK usage) or passing siding (North America) (also called a crossing loop, crossing place, refuge loop or, colloquially, a hole) is a place on a single line railway or tramway, often located at or near a station, where trains or ...

originally provided for trains of up to 26 wagons, but was extended to 100 in 1970 and 123 in 1980. By then

Caltex Caltex is a petroleum brand name of Chevron Corporation used in the Asia-Pacific region, the Middle East, and Southern Africa. It is also the brand name of non-Chevron petroleum companies in some countries (such as New Zealand, and previously ...

had a siding for 11 wagons and a fertiliser store for 15. On 6 April 1909 a Post Office opened at the station. In May 1911 a burglar blew the post office safe. In October 1911 was said to be moved from station. However, in 1912 the Town Board asked for a stationmaster and postmaster to be appointed as the post office was on the station. Signalling was interlocked by tablet in 1918. In 1938 fixed home and distance colour-light signals were installed and it became a switch-out tablet station. Two Railways Department houses were added in 1954, but on 17 February 1978 the goods shed closed, on 31 January 1982 the station closed, except for goods in wagon loads and by 22 January 1989 there was only a concrete block equipment building left. Township_of_Manunui_(21313200120)

Ellis & Burnand built a large timber mill here. It was named Manunui from 24 August 1904, having previously been known as Waimarino. Logs were brought by a tramway from Ohotaka, with a bridge built over the

Whanganui River The Whanganui River is a major river in the North Island of New Zealand. It is the country's third-longest river, and has special status owing to its importance to the region's Māori people. In March 2017 it became the world's second natura ...

in 1905. The mill closed in 1942 and burnt down in 1949, but the Ellis Veneer works continued, producing about of

plywood Plywood is a material manufactured from thin layers or "plies" of wood veneer that are glued together with adjacent layers having their wood grain rotated up to 90 degrees to one another. It is an engineered wood from the family of manufactured ...

in 1953. From 1911 Pungapunga Sawmilling Co also had a siding for 5 wagons.

References

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External links

Video
train at Manunui in 2017
Ruapehu District Rail transport in Manawatū-Whanganui Buildings and structures in Manawatū-Whanganui Railway stations opened in 1904 Railway stations closed in 1982 1904 establishments in New Zealand 1982 disestablishments in New Zealand Defunct railway stations in New Zealand