Mercer Railway Station

Mercer railway station in Mercer, New Zealand, is 72km from Auckland and 609km from Wellington on the North Island Main Trunk line. It opened on 20 May 1875 and was closed to passengers about 1970 and to goods in the 1990s. It burnt down in 1879^[2] and also in 1900.^[3] Until 1958 it was the first refreshment stop south of Auckland.^[4]

History

In 1902 the newly rebuilt station was described as, "a long wood and iron building, which contains a large refreshment room and bar, ladies' room, public room, booking office, stationmaster's room, and post and telegraph department. There is also a large engine shed, besides a pump house and coalshed, and there are eight cottages in the immediate vicinity", with 9 staff - stationmaster, porter, cadet, 2 engine drivers, 2 firemen, and 2 greasers.^[5]

Until New Zealand Railways took over in 1917,^[6] the refreshment rooms were managed by the Mercer Railway Hotel, opposite the station. The hotel was rebuilt in 1898, with 15 bedrooms, 3 sitting rooms and a 50 seat dining room.^[7] The refreshment rooms gained importance when dining cars on main trunk expresses were removed as a wartime measure.^[8]

Accidents

An engine cleaner died in 1899 after trying to jump onto a moving engine.^[9]

A Wellington to Auckland "Limited" express derailed on 28 October 1940 killing the driver and fireman and injuring 12 passengers. An estimate put the speed at 75mph (though some at the inquiry gave evidence of normal speed)^[10] on the 30 mph 8-chain radius curve, just south of the station, near the former 304m tunnel opened out in 1936.^[11] The engine, K900,^[12] tipped on its side and was overrun by six carriages.^[13] The curve has been greatly eased in the 2006 Mercer to Long Swamp Expressway 4-laning of 12km of SH1, which included this 1km of rail deviation.^[14]

Another derailment at Mercer was on 3 September 2013, when a freight train blocked both the road and railway.^[15]

Future services

In 2011 a feasibility report on reinstating passenger services said a station with a platform 155m long and 750mm high for 6-car trains would cost $4m. The proposal was shelved.^[16]

External links

Photos

• view from above tunnel
• 1900s view from above tunnel
• about 1900 J Class locomotive and tunnel
• stationmaster on a jigger about 1902
• 1950s
• 1968 aerial
• from north and from south 1972 aerial
• aerial view of 4-laned SH1 and realigned railway

Map

• large scale map showing station, tunnel, wharf branch and 1940 crash site

References