Ōhau railway station was a station at

Ōhau Ōhau is a village and semi-rural community in the Horowhenua District and Manawatū-Whanganui region of New Zealand's North Island. It is located just south of Levin, New Zealand, Levin on State Highway 1 (New Zealand), State Highway 1. The ...

on the

North Island Main Trunk The North Island Main Trunk (NIMT) is the main railway line in the North Island of New Zealand, connecting the capital city Wellington with the country's largest city, Auckland. The line is long, built to the New Zealand rail gauge of and ser ...

in the

Horowhenua District Horowhenua District is a Districts of New Zealand, territorial authority district on the west coast of the North Island of New Zealand, administered by Horowhenua District Council. Located north of Wellington and Kāpiti Coast District, Kāpiti, ...

New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...

. It closed on 2 November 1987, though most services had stopped in 1971. Only a 1989 equipment building and a

passing loop A passing loop (UK usage) or passing siding (North America) (also called a crossing loop, crossing place, refuge loop or, colloquially, a hole) is a place on a single line railway or tramway, often located at or near a station, where trains o ...

remain.

History

Ōhau was opened as a

flag station In public transport, a request stop, flag stop, or whistle stop is a bus stop, stop or train station, station at which buses or trains, respectively, stop only on request; that is, only if there are passengers or freight to be picked up or drop ...

by the

Wellington and Manawatu Railway Company The Wellington and Manawatu Railway Company (WMR or W&MR) was a private rail transport, railway Railway company, company that built, owned and operated the Wellington–Manawatu Line, Wellington-Manawatu railway line between Thorndon, New Zeal ...

on Monday 2 August 1886, when trains started to run between

Longburn Longburn (or Karere) is a rural settlement just outside Palmerston North in the Manawatū-Whanganui area of New Zealand. Made up of large dairy processing plants Longburn is often mistaken to be a small township and not seen as a large satellit ...

and Ōtaki. A special train ran from

to Ōhau in April 1886. The first through train from

Wellington Wellington is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the third-largest city in New Zealand (second largest in the North Island ...

Palmerston North Palmerston North (; , colloquially known as Palmerston or Palmy) is a city in the North Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Manawatū-Whanganui region. Located in the eastern Manawatū Plains, the city is near the north bank of the Manaw ...

ran on 30 November 1886. A goods shed was built in 1893. When

New Zealand Railways Department The New Zealand Railways Department, NZR or NZGR (New Zealand Government Railways) and often known as the "Railways", was a government department charged with owning and maintaining Rail transport in New Zealand, New Zealand's railway infrastruc ...

took over in 1908, tablet signalling was introduced. The station was improved in 1909, the platform extended south by 2½ chains and cattle yards built, so that by 1911 it had a shelter shed, platform, cart approach, by goods shed, loading bank, cattle and sheep yards and a passing loop for 56 wagons (extended in 1913 to 70 wagons, in 1940 to 90 wagons and in 1956 to 100 wagons). Electricity was connected in 1930. Railway houses were built in 1892, 1903, 1921, 1927 (2), 1938 and 1962. Water supply was an issue from 1901 to 1950. In 1912 it was planned that down express engines would water at Ōhau and in 1913 a new well was sunk and a shed was shifted from Ōtaki for use as a pump house. In 1921 the wind pump blew down and was replaced by a larger windmill. By 1923 AB class engines were able to fill up at Ōhau, but in 1935 vat and windmill were replaced by a small tank. In 1950 the well was deepened and a 600-gallon concrete tank built. From 1912 to 1956, the repair and length of the platform were also issues, as it was then in very poor condition. By 1934 the timber was decayed. It was shortened from to in 1938 using concrete, but in 1939 the broken surface required the efforts of several men to shift a barrow load of milk, thus delaying trains. It was said the barrows then damaged the repaired platform. More repairs were done in 1945 and 1946. In 1956 the platform was again lengthened by , to allow for 10 coaches. In 1963, a shed south end of station building was knocked down. On Sunday 27 June 1971 Ōhau closed to all traffic. A goods shed, high-level loading bank, low-level loading bank and a lean-to type station building with waiting room and ticket office remained, but the station and goods shed were demolished later that year. Despite closure, it was reported in 1981 that scrap metal was being sent out and fertiliser and lime brought in, presumably to private sidings. On Sunday 31 January 1982 the station was again reported closed, except for Shingle Supplies private siding.

Ōhau River bridge

Just south of the station the NIMT crosses the Ōhau River on a 6-span steel girder bridge, supported on concrete piers.

References

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External links

Photo of new road bridge over railway in 1957
Defunct railway stations in New Zealand Rail transport in Manawatū-Whanganui Buildings and structures in Manawatū-Whanganui Horowhenua District Railway stations in New Zealand opened in 1886 Railway stations in New Zealand closed in 1987