Lake Road railway station facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lake Road railway station
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Lake Road station on 1933 map
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| Location | New Zealand | ||||||||||
| Coordinates | 37°57′05″S 175°18′10″E / 37.951304°S 175.302916°E | ||||||||||
| Elevation | 54 m (177 ft) | ||||||||||
| Line(s) | North Island Main Trunk | ||||||||||
| Distance | Wellington 523.48 km (325.28 mi) | ||||||||||
| History | |||||||||||
| Opened | 1 March 1881 | ||||||||||
| Closed | 7 July 1940 | ||||||||||
| Electrified | June 1988 | ||||||||||
| Services | |||||||||||
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Lake Road railway station was a small train stop in the Waikato Region of New Zealand. It was located on the North Island Main Trunk, which is a major railway line. This station was known as a "flag station." This meant trains would only stop there if a passenger waved a flag to get on, or if someone on the train told the guard they wanted to get off.
Building the Station
The railway tracks reached the area near Lake Road by February 1880. The main line to Te Awamutu officially opened on July 1, 1880. At first, Lake Road was not a planned stop on the timetable. However, local farmers wanted a station between Ōhaupō and Ngaroto. They needed a place to send their goods and for people to travel.
In October 1880, it was decided to build a small station at Wrights Road. This spot was halfway between Ōhaupō and Ngaroto. David Henderson was hired to build the station buildings in November 1880. The Lake Road station first appeared on the train timetable on March 1, 1881.
Station Features
By 1884, Lake Road station had a shelter shed to protect passengers from the weather. It also had a platform for people to get on and off trains. There was also a cart approach, which was a path for carts to bring goods to the station.
In 1908, toilets were added for passengers. However, there was also a complaint that the platform was only long enough for two train coaches. This meant longer trains could not fully stop at the platform.
By 1911, the station also had a loading bank. This was a raised area used for loading and unloading goods from trains.
Safety and Changes
In 1911, a sad event happened at the station. A man fell from a moving train and died because he had not told the train guard he wanted to get off at the flag station. This shows how important it was to communicate with the train staff at flag stations.
In 1914, an important change was made to the railway line at Lake Road. The steepness of the track, called the gradient, was made less steep. It changed from a 1 in 43 slope to a 1 in 100 slope. This change made it easier for trains to travel. It also allowed trains to carry much more weight. The maximum weight they could carry increased from 209 tons to 494 tons.
Station Closure
Lake Road railway station closed down on Sunday, July 7, 1940. After this date, trains no longer stopped there for passengers or goods.
