Subscribe to RSSRemuera SignalBox Shining Example
Wonderful to see the work the Remuera Railway Station Preservation Trust has done with the Remuera station signal box.
It shows how important it is to preserve relics of the country’s old railway.
This is how it looks today.
This is how it looked in January.
The trust is now fundraising to do up the adjourning railway station building, which is closed off to the public station area. It presently houses a video production company.
The roof is Marseille tiled with distinctive cresting and 2 brick chimneys and pots.
The verandas have corrugated iron roofs supported by decorated cast iron brackets.
Remuera began as a stop on the old Auckland-Onehunga route in 1873. In 1903 the government embarked on an expanded rail line programme and the duplicate line was built to Penrose, later extended all the way to Hamilton with stations built at Remuera, Greenlane, Ellerslie and Penrose.
The present Remuera building was completed in 1907 and the station was manned until 1942. From 1970 it became a busy freight station after a company called Alltrans building a freight depot there but that stopped in the late 80s.
The station buildings are considered one of the best examples of an “island” station (built as part of track duplication) left remaining in NZ.
Last Christmas, work was done at Remuera for electrification.
Tracks had to be lowered so wires could be placed under the tunnel at the station.
Work being finished at Remuera over Christmas
The next station signal box that needs a public airing is the old Newmarket station one which is locked away and supposed to be part of the planned Parnell stop.
11 Comments
It’s a shame committed don’t get to stand under the station as opposed to being made to stand under a dark bridge.
For the old station building to come back into use it will surely need to be raised up as the platform is to low for commuter trains.
@Matt L
Lower the track?
Paul - They did that last year for electrification however that doesn’t change the fact that the currently used platform is a different height from the old platform, you can see this in photo 7
I’d still rather see new functional kit at the stations: proper cover , good lighting, free wireless broadband, buses stopping at the stations and running on perpendicular routes to the rail not along side it.
Let’s have 21 C rail not a nostalgia ride.
It is a pity that what I presume was the old Waitakere Station signalbox burnt down earlier this week.
@Kalelovil That’s sad. Is nothing left of it?
Nothing at all. The fire was so strong the building has collapsed in on itself. I was quite surprised when I arrived home on the day and their was police officer in the station carpark holding a rifle.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/local-news/western-leader/4254161/Art-suspected-for-fire
(I’m not sure that it was a signalbox but judging from the look and location of the building before the fire I suspect it was associated with the railway. Anybody know for sure? Did Waitakere have a signalbox and did it remain when the station building was moved to MOTAT?)
Why is the platform raised where the station is not located? Do they not plan to use the station anymore?
The apartments next door are all on former railway land that TranzRail flogged off during their asset stripping days in control of NZ Rail. My understanding is that the building was sold off and/or leased longterm to a business and it’s now out of bounds to commuters. Said commuters board trains from the elevated section of the platform and have the overpass as the only shelter. Talk about throwing the baby out with the water.
The restored signal box looks great, is it actually being used for something?