Buckland railway station facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Buckland railway station
Buckland in 1958
Location	New Zealand
Coordinates	37°13′37″S 174°55′40″E / 37.226911°S 174.927664°E / -37.226911; 174.927664
Elevation	58 m (190 ft)
Line(s)	North Island Main Trunk
Distance	Wellington 625.7 km (388.8 mi)
Tracks	doubled 21 November 1954
History
Opened	20 May 1875
Closed	2 February 1969
Services
Preceding station   Historical railways   Following station Pukekohe Line open, station open 3.06 km (1.90 mi)   North Island Main Trunk KiwiRail   Tuakau Line open, station closed 4.39 km (2.73 mi)

Buckland railway station was a train station in New Zealand. It was located on the North Island Main Trunk railway line. This line connects many towns on the North Island. The station served the small community of Buckland, which is south of Pukekohe.

When it first opened, Buckland was a flag station. This means trains only stopped there if someone waved a flag to get on, or if a passenger on the train asked to get off. It was about 53 kilometers (33 miles) south of Auckland.

The station started operating on 20 May 1875. It stopped handling goods on 19 December 1954. Finally, it closed completely for passengers and all other traffic on 2 February 1969.

History of Buckland Station

By September 1878, Buckland station had a passenger building. In 1879, a house for the stationmaster was added. A goods shed, which was about 12 meters (40 feet) by 9 meters (30 feet), was also built.

The station also had a shelter shed for passengers. There was a platform for people to get on and off trains. A special ramp, called a loading bank, was used for loading goods. There were also yards for cattle and even urinals.

Trains could pass each other at Buckland using a special track called a passing loop. This loop was long enough for 34 train wagons. Around 1911, the loop was made longer to hold 66 wagons.

In 1912, the railway line near Tuakau was improved. Some sharp curves were made much gentler. The steepness of the track, called the gradient, was also made less steep. This made train travel smoother and safer.

A roofed area, called a veranda, was added to the station in 1913. In 1897, people thought a lamp was needed at the station. However, in 1928, there were still complaints that the platform was too short and that the station was not lit at night.

In 1929, the train fares for the Southern Line were extended to include Buckland and Tuakau. This meant more people could use the station.

In December 1954, the goods shed and its special track were planned to be removed. By June 1955, this track was gone. This change was made to allow the main railway line between Paerata and Tuakau to have two tracks instead of one.