Rangiriri railway station facts for kids
Rangiriri was a flag station about 2 km (1.2 mi) south-east of Rangiriri, on the North Island Main Trunk line, in the Waikato District of New Zealand, 56 mi (90 km) south of Auckland. It was 588.2 km (365.5 mi) north of Wellington, 3.32 km (2.06 mi) south of Te Kauwhata, 7.26 km (4.51 mi) north of Ohinewai and 9 m (30 ft) above sea level.
History
The station opened on 13 August 1877. The early service averaged about 13 mph (21 km/h), taking about 4hr 30 mins to Auckland, 15mins to Ohinewai and 38mins to Ruawaro (Huntly).
Track doubling to ease congestion had been authorised in 1914, but work was delayed by the war. Doubling from Ohinewai to Te Kauwhata didn't open until 14 December 1958. Rangiriri was a tablet station by 1918. A cattle yard was built in 1925. Automatic colour light signals were installed in 1930 and electric lighting in 1938.
From 1925 Firth’s had a pumice concrete works near the station, beside Te Onetea Stream, making products, such as garden rollers, water troughs, concrete posts, pipes, and washing coppers, until it relocated to Frankton about 1934, though a 1935 advertorial was by Firth Concrete, Rangiriri. 1896 returns show that Firth had an interest in goods traffic at Rangiriri at that time.