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Taihape railway station in 
Taihape
Taihape is in the Rangitikei District of the North Island of New Zealand. It serves a large rural community. State Highway 1, which runs North to South through the centre of the North Island, passes through the town.
History and culture
Early ...
, New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
was an important intermediate station 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, with a refreshment room, marshalling yard and locomotive depot. The station was opened for goods from 4 August 1904 and for passengers from 1 November 1904. The NIMT was opened to through Auckland to Wellington trains from 9 November 1908, with the first NIMT express trains from 14 February 1909. The formal opening was on Saturday 20 November 1908 by the Prime Minister, Richard Seddon
Richard John Seddon (22 June 1845 – 10 June 1906) was a New Zealand politician who served as the List of prime ministers of New Zealand, 15th Prime Minister of New Zealand, premier (prime minister) of New Zealand from 1893 until his death. ...
.
After closing from 10 April 2005, the station was reopened for passengers for a twelve months trial period from 23 October 2009.
The marshalling yard and locomotive depot operated until the late 1970s. A banker locomotive was added to trains proceeding over the long incline across the central plateau. A turntable was available to turn around locomotives, but it was dismantled and removed in the early 1980s. The goods shed and locomotive depot were at the south end of the rail yard. The New Zealand Railways Road Services
The New Zealand Railways Road Services (NZRRS) was a branch of the New Zealand Railways Department and later the New Zealand Railways Corporation. It operated long-distance, tourist and suburban bus services and freight trucking and parcel serv ...
bus depot was alongside the railway station.
In 1999 Tranz Rail
Tranz Rail, formally Tranz Rail Holdings Limited (New Zealand Rail Limited until 1995), was the main Rail transport in New Zealand, rail operator in New Zealand from 1991 until it was purchased by Toll Holdings in 2003.
History
The New Zealand ...
demolished the historic Taihape railway station. The Refreshment Rooms remained on the former station platform, as did the goods shed and locomotive depot compound at the south end of the Yard.
After a long period of fund-raising by Rotary, the loco turntable was re-purchased and installed, so that special trains can run to Taihape and turn around for the return run. A local engineering company installed an old steam whistle operated by compressed air; which has become the town smoko
In Australian, New Zealand and Falkland Islands English, a smoko (also "smoke-o" or "smoke-oh") is a short, often informal break taken during work or military duty, although any short break such as a rest or a coffee or tea break can be call ...
signal, sounding at 10am, noon, and 3pm. Tourists often mistake the sound for a steam engine at the station.
The bridge over the Hautapu River, just to the south of the station, was built on concrete piers with spans of , and .
References
{{reflist Defunct railway stations in New Zealand Buildings and structures in Manawatū-Whanganui Rail transport in Manawatū-Whanganui Railway stations opened in 1904 Railway stations closed in 2005