Lake Road railway station

Lake Road railway station
Lake Road station on 1933 map
General information
LocationNew Zealand
Coordinates37°57′05″S 175°18′10″E / 37.951304°S 175.302916°E / -37.951304; 175.302916
Elevation54 m (177 ft)
Line(s)North Island Main Trunk
DistanceWellington 523.48 km (325.28 mi)
History
Opened1 March 1881
Closed7 July 1940[1]
ElectrifiedJune 1988
Services
Preceding station   Historical railways   Following station
Ōhaupō
Line open
station closed
3.68 km (2.29 mi) 		  North Island Main Trunk
KiwiRail 		  Ngaroto
Line open
station closed
3.42 km (2.13 mi)

Lake Road railway station was a flag station in the Waikato Region and on the North Island Main Trunk in New Zealand.[2][3]

By February 1880 the contractor, Mr Fallon, had laid the rails from Ōhaupō to a point south of Lake Road.[4] The line opened to Te Awamutu on Thursday 1 July 1880.[5] Lake Road wasn't shown in the original timetable,[6] but, in 1880, there was pressure from local farmers for a station between Ōhaupō and Ngaroto.[7]

In October 1880 it was decided to open a 7th class station at Wrights Road, mid-way between Ōhaupō and Ngaroto.[8] David Henderson won the contract for the station buildings in November 1880.[9] The station first appeared in the 1 March 1881 timetable.[10] By 1884 Lake Road had a shelter shed, platform and cart approach.[9] Toilets were added in 1908,[11] but there was also a complaint that the platform was only long enough for two coaches.[12]

By 1911 it also had a loading bank. That year a man died when he'd not informed the guard that he wanted to get off at the flag station and fell from the moving train.[13] In 1914 the 1 in 43 gradient at Lake Road was eased to 1 in 100, allowing train tonnages to be increased from a maximum of 209 to 494 tons.[14]

On Sunday 7 July 1940 Lake Road closed to all traffic.[9]

  1. ^ "Juliet Scoble: Names & Opening & Closing Dates of Railway Stations in New Zealand" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 July 2020. Retrieved 23 September 2015.
  2. ^ New Zealand Railway and Tramway Atlas (First ed.). Quail Map Co. 1965. pp. 3 & 4.
  3. ^ Pierre, Bill (1981). North Island Main Trunk. Wellington: A.H&A.W Reed. pp. 289–290. ISBN 0589013165.
  4. ^ "SPECIAL TELEGRAMS. NEW ZEALAND HERALD". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 10 February 1880. Retrieved 18 April 2021.
  5. ^ "TE AWAMUTU RAILWAY EXTENSION THE OPENING. WAIKATO TIMES". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 3 July 1880. Retrieved 18 April 2021.
  6. ^ "NEW ZEALAND HERALD". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 5 July 1880. Retrieved 18 April 2021.
  7. ^ "WAIKATO TIMES". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 22 May 1880. Retrieved 18 April 2021.
  8. ^ "WAIKATO DISTRICT NEWS. NEW ZEALAND HERALD". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 7 October 1880. Retrieved 18 April 2021.
  9. ^ a b c "Stations" (PDF). NZR Rolling Stock Lists. Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 February 2013. Retrieved 10 August 2020.
  10. ^ "NEW ZEALAND HERALD". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 1 March 1881. Retrieved 18 April 2021.
  11. ^ "RAILWAYS STATEMENT (14th July, 1908). BY THE MINISTER FOR RAILWAYS. THE HON. WM. HALL-JONES". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. Retrieved 18 April 2021.
  12. ^ "The Lake Road Station. WAIKATO ARGUS". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 23 September 1908. Retrieved 18 April 2021.
  13. ^ "RAILWAY FATALITY. WAIPA POST". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 17 November 1911. Retrieved 18 April 2021.
  14. ^ "REPORT ON NEW ZEALAND GOVERNMENT RAILWAYS, BY MR. E. H. HILEY, GENERAL MANAGER". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 1914. Retrieved 18 April 2021.