Hope railway station, Tasman Region facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Hope
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|---|---|
| New Zealand Government Railways Department regional rail | |
| Location | 194 Ranzau Rd West, Hope, Richmond |
| Coordinates | 41°21′10.65″S 173°9′4.69″E / 41.3529583°S 173.1513028°E |
| Owned by | Railways Department |
| Line(s) | Nelson Section |
| Platforms | None |
| Tracks | Main line (1) Siding (1) |
| History | |
| Opened | 1876-01-29 |
| Closed | 1955-09-03 |
The Hope railway station was a small train station in the countryside. It served the town of Hope in the Tasman region of New Zealand's South Island. Hope is located on State Highway 6, between the bigger towns of Richmond and Brightwater. It was one of 25 stations on the Nelson Section railway line. This station was open from 1876 until 1955.
Contents
What Was Hope Station Like?
Hope station was quite simple. It had a small wooden shelter where passengers could wait for trains. There was also a building called a goods shed. This shed was used to store items that were being sent or received by train. The station also had a siding, which is an extra track where trains could wait or be loaded.
A Look Back: Hope Station's History
The Hope railway station has an interesting history. It was part of the Nelson Section railway line.
Building the Line
The very first part of the Nelson Section railway was built from Stoke to Foxhill. This was because the path for this section was decided first. The Hope railway station was built as part of this early construction. It opened on January 29, 1876, along with the first completed part of the line from Nelson to Foxhill.
The Goods Shed Story
Hope was one of only seven stations on the Nelson Section that had a goods shed. In 1949, people noticed that the goods shed at Hope was in bad shape. A group called the Nelson Progress League was trying to get the government to spend money on the railway. They used Hope's goods shed as an example of how run-down the railway was. Later, the old goods shed was taken down. A smaller, simpler structure was put in its place.
Busy Times with Timber
In the 1950s, a company called Valetta Timber Company built a sawmill near the station. A sawmill is a place where logs are cut into timber. This sawmill had its own private rail siding. This meant trains could go right up to the sawmill to pick up timber. This made the Hope station very busy, as lots of timber was sent out by train.
Why Did It Close?
The Hope station closed for three days in June 1954. But then the Nelson Section railway was given a second chance. However, this did not last long. The Hope station, along with the rest of the Nelson Section, closed for good on September 3, 1955.
Hope Station Today
Today, the area where the Hope station used to be is no longer a railway yard. It is now part of a business called Taylor Timbers Ltd. This company sells lumber, which is wood that has been cut and prepared for building.
