Tui Railway Station
Encyclopedia
Tui railway station was a rural railway station that served the small farming settlement of Tui in the Tasman District of New Zealand
’s South Island
. It was one of 25 stations on the Nelson Section
, and lasted from 1912 to 1955.
Facilities at this station included: stockyards, accessed via a 22-wagon backshunt
; two loops, having a 37 and 27 wagon capacity respectively; a station building; a main goods shed with dimensions of 30 by 20 ft (9.1 by 6.1 ) and a second smaller goods shed; a loading bank; an outhouse; a railway house (for many years occupied by the local surfaceman); and a water vat.
handed control over to the Railways Department
. This section became the last section of the line for most of the life of the Nelson Section, with Glenhope remaining the terminus for all but five years of its operation.
The area in which the station was located was originally known as Mana, and was home to several sawmills. Much of the verdant growth was cleared so farms could be established on the land. While initially successful, these farms eventually proved to be uneconomic.
One of the more prominent local facilities was a school, which opened the same year as the railway and lasted until amalgamation with the nearby Tapawera
school in 1942. This proved to be an unpopular move with local parents of school-aged children, until they were mollified by the decision of the last teacher to work at the school to remain in the area and drive a school bus to and from Tapawera.
With the increasing popularity of motor cars in the early 20th century, the plan for the Tui area included the construction of a road overbridge at the southern end of the station yard to safely convey traffic for the upper Sherry River valley over the railway line. The bridge was completed with no problems in 1909. About 260 metres (853 ft) along Tui Road from its junction with the main highway nearest the station, the road turned left to cross the overbridge. On the other side of the bridge, the road rounded a 90-degree right-hand curve to pass behind the station yard before turning left again to cross the river.
This station was closed for three days in June 1954 until the Nelson Section was granted a reprieve, and closed permanently on 3 September 1955.
Tui station was one of the longest surviving and best preserved of the former Nelson Section stations still on its original site. The station building and smaller goods shed remained in situ until 2006 when they were donated to the Nelson Railway Society
and moved to Founders Park, Nelson for restoration. The Society received a Merit Award at the 2008 FRONZ Conference for their work on this restoration project. The restored station was officially reopened at a ceremony on Saturday, 16 August 2008.
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
’s South Island
South Island
The South Island is the larger of the two major islands of New Zealand, the other being the more populous North Island. It is bordered to the north by Cook Strait, to the west by the Tasman Sea, to the south and east by the Pacific Ocean...
. It was one of 25 stations on the Nelson Section
Nelson Section
The Nelson Section was an isolated, gauge, government-owned railway line between Nelson and Glenhope in the Tasman district of New Zealand's South Island. It operated for years between 1876 and 1955...
, and lasted from 1912 to 1955.
Facilities at this station included: stockyards, accessed via a 22-wagon backshunt
Backshunt
* A backshunt is a railway track configuration in situations where a change in direction is required and a traditional curve cannot fit.There are two main applications of a backshunt....
; two loops, having a 37 and 27 wagon capacity respectively; a station building; a main goods shed with dimensions of 30 by 20 ft (9.1 by 6.1 ) and a second smaller goods shed; a loading bank; an outhouse; a railway house (for many years occupied by the local surfaceman); and a water vat.
History
Tui station was opened along with the Kiwi to Glenhope section of the line on 2 September 1912, the date the Public Works DepartmentNew Zealand Ministry of Works
The New Zealand Ministry of Works, formerly the Department of Public Works and sometimes referred to as the Public Works Department or PWD, was founded in 1876 and disestablished and privatised in 1988...
handed control over to the Railways Department
New Zealand Railways Department
The New Zealand Railways Department, NZR or NZGR and often known as the "Railways", was a government department charged with owning and maintaining New Zealand's railway infrastructure and operating the railway system. The Department was created in 1880 and was reformed in 1981 into the New...
. This section became the last section of the line for most of the life of the Nelson Section, with Glenhope remaining the terminus for all but five years of its operation.
The area in which the station was located was originally known as Mana, and was home to several sawmills. Much of the verdant growth was cleared so farms could be established on the land. While initially successful, these farms eventually proved to be uneconomic.
One of the more prominent local facilities was a school, which opened the same year as the railway and lasted until amalgamation with the nearby Tapawera
Tapawera
Tapawera is a small Kahurangi Gateway town in New Zealand's South Island. It is located 30 kilometres southwest of Nelson by the banks of the Motueka River...
school in 1942. This proved to be an unpopular move with local parents of school-aged children, until they were mollified by the decision of the last teacher to work at the school to remain in the area and drive a school bus to and from Tapawera.
With the increasing popularity of motor cars in the early 20th century, the plan for the Tui area included the construction of a road overbridge at the southern end of the station yard to safely convey traffic for the upper Sherry River valley over the railway line. The bridge was completed with no problems in 1909. About 260 metres (853 ft) along Tui Road from its junction with the main highway nearest the station, the road turned left to cross the overbridge. On the other side of the bridge, the road rounded a 90-degree right-hand curve to pass behind the station yard before turning left again to cross the river.
This station was closed for three days in June 1954 until the Nelson Section was granted a reprieve, and closed permanently on 3 September 1955.
Today
The road overbridge at the southern end of the yard has been removed, and Tui Road now runs straight through where it used to turn left towards the bridge. At the northern end of the former station yard, the road curves left and heads towards the river.Tui station was one of the longest surviving and best preserved of the former Nelson Section stations still on its original site. The station building and smaller goods shed remained in situ until 2006 when they were donated to the Nelson Railway Society
Nelson Railway Society
The Nelson Railway Society operates a short heritage railway line in the Founders Heritage Park, Nelson, New Zealand.The society has recovered and now utilises station buildings from a couple of former stations on the Nelson Section, including the Tui Railway Station building.The society uses a DSA...
and moved to Founders Park, Nelson for restoration. The Society received a Merit Award at the 2008 FRONZ Conference for their work on this restoration project. The restored station was officially reopened at a ceremony on Saturday, 16 August 2008.