East Town Railway Workshops facts for kids

The East Town Railway Workshops were a very important place in Whanganui, New Zealand. It was like a big factory and repair shop for the country's trains. The workshops were run by the New Zealand Railways Department (NZR). They didn't just fix trains; they also made tools, equipment, huts, furniture, and even tarpaulins. It was a huge workplace and one of the biggest employers in the city. Sometimes, its name is spelled Eastown or Easttown.

History of the Workshops

Starting Up

The East Town Workshops began way back in August 1880. It was the second railway workshop built as part of Julius Vogel's big plan for public works. In 1879, a company called Gibbes and Pinches started building the main shops. These included places for putting together locomotives, a machine shop, and a wood mill.

The next year, Thomson and McLean built the Blacksmiths Shop and the Boiler Shop. Until 1900, the workshops mainly fixed trains. These trains were used in the areas between Taranaki and Hawke's Bay.

Growing and Changing

In 1900, the Engine Shed was moved to a new spot. A Paint Shop was built for painting trains. Workers also built a pit for servicing wagons. The main shop where locomotives were put together was made bigger.

In 1925, some railway experts from England looked at the workshops. They suggested some big changes. The part of the workshop that fixed locomotives became much smaller. But the Tarpaulin Shop got much bigger. It started making all the tarpaulins needed for the entire North Island. A shop that made railway points and crossings also moved to East Town. This shop had been at the Addington Railway Workshops before.

Joining Forces

For a while, East Town had two separate workshops. One was for maintenance, and the other for locomotives. They were only separated by a road. In August 1931, they decided to combine them into one big operation. This was good for the workers. They got better working conditions and schedules.

Because of this change, the Points and Crossings Shop moved again. It went to the Hutt Workshops. East Town then focused on fixing locomotives, carriages, and brake vans. Later, they also made and fixed tools, railway huts, and furniture. They even worked on heavy track machines. From 1963, they also started fixing shunting locomotives. This work used to be done at the Hutt Workshops.

Between 1947 and 1949, more land was bought. Many workshop buildings were made larger. A new Motor Shop was also built. In January 1949, the first group of apprentices started. These were young people learning trades like carpentry and fitting. More additions were made in 1950. The Tarpaulin Shop got bigger, and a new Wagon Shop was built.

Tarpaulin Production

East Town became very famous for making tarpaulins. These were big covers for goods wagons used all over the country. At first, they were made from canvas. They were treated with oil to make them waterproof. Sailmakers often did this work by hand. Machines were not used until 1915.

A new Tarpaulin Shop opened at the end of 1914. But it was destroyed by fire in January 1915. In 1928, a special tarpaulin factory opened. More staff came from the Newmarket Workshops. Production went up to 50 tarpaulins every week.

Another fire destroyed the Tarpaulin Manufacturing Shop on August 5, 1954. The Addington Workshops had to make more tarpaulins until East Town's shop was rebuilt in mid-1955. Just two months later, on October 18, the Tarpaulin Depot Repair Shop also burned down. In 1973, NZR started using PVC tarpaulins. These were cheaper to make and easier to fix.

The End

The East Town Workshops closed on October 17, 1986. This happened because the New Zealand Railways Corporation wanted to make its workshops more efficient. When it closed, over 450 people from the local area lost their jobs. A new facility was built in Aramoho to replace it, but that one has also closed since then.

What They Built and Fixed

The East Town Workshops did many important jobs for trains. Here are some examples of the work they did:

• In 1951, they built 150 K^C class box wagons. These are wagons used to carry goods.
• They fixed and maintained K class steam locomotives from 1932 until 1967.
• In October 1946, they repaired several types of locomotives. These included A^B, F, K, and W^W class locomotives.
• From 1976 to 1980, they overhauled and upgraded engines for DB and DI class diesel locomotives.
• In mid-1979, they built 85 YH class ballast wagons. These wagons carry material for railway tracks.
• Around 1980, they overhauled all the DE class locomotives.
• They helped with changing the engines in DSC class locomotives. This work was shared with workshops in Auckland and Palmerston North.