Taonui railway station facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Taonui railway station
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Taonui in 1949
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| Location | New Zealand | ||||||||||
| Coordinates | 40°15′20″S 175°35′56″E / 40.255527°S 175.598977°E | ||||||||||
| Elevation | 62 m (203 ft) | ||||||||||
| Owned by | KiwiRail | ||||||||||
| Line(s) | North Island Main Trunk | ||||||||||
| Distance | Wellington 150.9 km (93.8 mi) | ||||||||||
| Platforms | 1 | ||||||||||
| History | |||||||||||
| Opened | 20 November 1879 | ||||||||||
| Closed | 10 August 1959 | ||||||||||
| Electrified | 25 kV 50 Hz AC June 1988 | ||||||||||
| Services | |||||||||||
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The Taonui railway station was once an important stop on the main railway line in New Zealand's North Island. It was located in the Manawatū-Whanganui region. This station was special because, for a few years, it was where another railway line, called the Taonui Branch, connected.
Even though the station itself is no longer open, a special section of track called a passing loop is still there. This loop allows trains to wait while another train passes by. The station opened in 1876 and closed in 1959. Today, the Te Araroa long-distance walking trail goes right past where the station used to be.
Near the old station site, you can find the Feilding Aerodrome (an airport) to the northeast. Also, Taonui School is located to the southwest.
Station History
The railway tracks connecting Palmerston North and Feilding were finished by July 1876. The railway officially opened on October 19, 1876. However, the Taonui station platform wasn't requested until April 12, 1879.
It's thought that the station probably opened when the Taonui Branch railway line was ready. This happened on November 20, 1879. At first, passengers had to wait at Taonui if the train needed to pick up goods from the branch line. This changed after March 31, 1880, when horses started moving goods on the branch line instead of trains. The branch line itself closed in 1895.
In 1882, Taonui was called a flag station. This meant trains would only stop if someone waved a flag to get on or off. It first appeared in a train schedule in 1883. By 1896, the station had several features:
- A small shelter for passengers
- A platform to get on and off trains
- A loading area for carts
- A special bank for loading goods
- Yards for cattle
- A passing loop long enough for 68 wagons
The railway line was built through very thick bush. Many sawmills, like Bailey Brothers, used the railway to transport timber. Bailey Brothers even had their own private track, called a siding, from 1878 to 1894. After the timber business slowed down, the railway started carrying livestock from new farms. For example, in 1937, over 30,000 sheep and pigs were sent by train from Taonui and a nearby station called Aorangi.
Station Closure
A report from June 19, 1959, noted that the station still had a shelter, platform, and sheep yards. However, it wasn't used for passengers, small packages, or most goods anymore. In the last year, only six wagons of sheep were sent from the station.
Because of this low use, the station officially closed to all traffic on August 10, 1959. After it closed, the small shelter shed was moved to a nearby farmer's field. Years later, the farmer gave the shed to the Feilding and District Steam Rail Society. This group restored the shed, and it is now part of their depot in Feilding. The restoration work was even recognized with an award in 2002.
