Newman Railway Station

Story

Newman railway station was a station on the Wairarapa Line in the Manawatu-Wanganui region of New Zealand’s North Island. It served the small rural community of Newman, north of Eketahuna. It is accessed via Cliff Road, but is now located on private property.HistoryEarly yearsThe crossing of the Makakahi River by the Wellington – Woodville railway in December 1894 enabled the establishment of a station at Newman. The station was initially freight-only, while passenger trains continued to terminate at nearby Eketahuna as it was the nearest station with passenger accommodations.After the railway reached Eketahuna in 1889, local timber merchant Tom Price established a sawmill at Newman, named Albion Mill. At first, the timber was transported by cart to Eketahuna to be shipped out, but this caused problems with the local council when inclement weather caused his carts to damage the roads. Therefore, when Newman station was established, a siding was laid north of the station to his mill at the township of Newman. Until the mill closed in March 1900, it provided a significant source of traffic for the station. Price’s operations were responsible for of totora, rimu, and matai being shipped to his timber yard in Petone.Nireaha TramwayOne of the most significant aspects of Newman’s history is its short-lived status as the junction with the Nireaha Tramway from 1895 to 1900. Unlike many other timber tramways of the period, the Nireaha Tramway was constructed to railway standards, with a fully ballasted track and iron rails, and used the national track gauge of.