Inglewood railway station, New Zealand
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Inglewood 4330
New Zealand
Inglewood | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Inglewood Railway Station in September 2001 | |||||
| General information | |||||
| Location | 35 Moa Street Inglewood 4330 New Zealand | ||||
| Coordinates | 39°09′26.4888″S 174°12′29.0304″E / 39.157358000°S 174.208064000°E | ||||
| Elevation | 202 metres (663 ft) | ||||
| System | New Zealand Government Railways (NZGR) Regional rail | ||||
| Line | Marton–New Plymouth line | ||||
| Distance | 183.45 kilometres (113.99 mi) from Marton | ||||
| Platforms | Single side | ||||
| Construction | |||||
| Structure type | at-grade | ||||
| Parking | No | ||||
| Architectural style | Modified Vogel class 4 | ||||
| History | |||||
| Opened | 30 November 1877 | ||||
| Closed | 21 January 1983 (passengers) 22 September 1986 (freight) | ||||
| Designated | 9 September 2009 | ||||
| Reference no. | 9352 | ||||
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Inglewood railway station is a single-platform railway station on the Marton - New Plymouth Line serving the town of Inglewood in New Zealand's Taranaki district. Located on Moa Street, the station is the oldest remaining railway station in New Zealand still on its original site.[1]
Inglewood railway station remained open for passenger services until the last scheduled train ran on 21 January 1983. Currently, freight trains go past the station but do not stop.
Post & Telegraph Office
The Inglewood station was erected in 1877[2] and included the station building, passenger platform (including a cart approach to platform), 58 ft x 31 ft goods shed, loading bank, two-stall engine shed, stationmaster's house & urinals. The original contract specified a Vogel Class 5 station be built, but as it turned out a class 4 building was constructed. There was also a yard with 3 loops (capacity of 20 wagons, 17 wagons & 17 wagons respectively, plus a 3-wagon back shunt.[3]
No sooner had the station opened than a new contract was let to extend the building, and further work was mentioned in 1880 (for adding a water supply), in 1884 (general improvements), 1896 (to extend the platform and add verandah), 1897 (enlarging and altering station and to add sheep yards) and 1916 (general improvements).[citation needed]
The engine shed is not listed in the next review of facilities in 1897 and was likely closed soon after the line was opened to Stratford in 1879.[citation needed]
For 23 years from 1878, the station was also home to the Inglewood Post Office. Located in an extension to the northern end of the building, this was initially operated by railways staff before the railway and post office business was separated in 1897. Two years later, the postal department installed a soundproof box for the telephone office, but in 1901 the post office was removed from the station and into a separate building in town.[3]
Town Beautification
Inglewood railway station is situated right at the heart of the village, and it wasn't long after the station opened that request for improvements to the general appearance of the railway were lodged. In 1882 requests were made for the planting of willow trees along the railway south of the station, followed in 1889, 1892 and 1894 with requests for permission by the town board to fence and plant the railway reserve.
In 1912 the Inglewood Band Rotunda was built on the North-East corner of the railway reserve.[4] This is now a category 2 heritage structure.[5]
In August 1924, Inglewood’s war memorial (marble figure of the ‘sorrowing soldier‘) was unveiled in the North-West corner of the railway reserve, along with pre-1850 rhododendron hybrid ‘Sir Robert Peel’ which still stands and is reputed to be one of the largest rhododendrons in the southern hemisphere.[6]
