Newspaper Article 2005 – Station’s loving restoration on track

Station’s loving restoration

on track

Volunteers have given the Opapa railway station a new lease of life.

The Opapa railway station now stands proudly off the road and beside the railway tracks halfway between Hastings and Waipukurau.

Since the rail traffic declined through Opapa in the late-1970’s, the grand little station slowly began to fade, getting to the point where it could have been described as standing in splendid isolation and not-so-splendid deterioration.

That was until about 13 years ago when a group of Hawke’s Bay railway enthusiasts saw the state of the once-proud old lady of the trackside, and were determined to restore her.

Their task was not to be an easy one. The building had been virtually stripped bare by the railway owners at the time, and other items had either been stolen or taken as souvenirs.

Everything had gone, including the lighting for seating.

The grounds were overgrown with weeds and blackberries, and the building was being considered for removal or worse – demolition. In fact, in 1996 the building came within seven days of being bulldozed.

But, as one of the band of enthusiasts said, the station had charm and character “with good bones” and was crying out for restoration.

And in the end, all the hard work and long hours were worth it, with the Rail Heritage Trust awarding it a prestigious Restoration Award.

For the small band of volunteers it was recognition of a remarkable effort … and for the people of Hawke’s Bay it creates a great sense of pride.

The first efforts towards restoration started in 1993, with the first four years of volunteer weekends being devoted to clearing the immediate surrounds as well as stripping and replacing rotten weatherboards.

The building was, at that time of no use to the railways as the loop track had been removed and items like signs, and even a potbelly stove, started to go missing.

With the threat of demolition strong in 1996 the Friends of Opapa Railway Station Incorporated was formed with the help of the Hastings District Council, and was able to take on the lease to the station.

With the lease in place and the station safe, the major restoration work got under way, with the first task being repiling.

A heavy coat of paint was applied to prevent further deterioration, giving volunteers time to get on to replacing boards without the worry of further weather damage.

By 2000 the entire platform had been resealed and a start made on rebuilding picket fences.

A year later, the restoration crew located and recovered a rusting old corrugated iron water tank, and many hours were spent scraping the rust off and painting it inside and out. It was not just for show – the water gathered in it was used to water the grounds around the station.

Plumbing was carried out, the kitchen restored to working condition and by 2003, semaphore signal levers had been sourced and installed by the water tank.

In their desire to ensure the restoration was authentic, volunteers went searching for a suitable large swinging gate.

They found one…in Hukanui, in northern Wairarapa, and, after a considerable amount of work, whipped it into shape.

While work was carried out replacing damaged floorboards inside, shrubs and plants, mostly native, were planted in the grounds.

An interesting by-product of the planting process was the discovery of an old red brick well nearby.

That, in turn, will be restored.

Opapa station is now once more a picture of rural character and rustic beauty. It serves as a superbly restored reminder of a unique part of the nation’s rail history.

Opapa serviced the Te Aute area when the railhead reached there in 1876 from Napier, with the line completed to Ormondville by 1880.

The present station was built in 1897 (after fire destroyed the first) and it had separate refreshment rooms on the north end, which were removed in 1945 when the introduction of diesel rail cars meant steam passenger trains no longer needed to stop for water, before or after the incline.

Opapa once had four tracks in use – the main line, a passing loop and two holding sidings.

They remained in place until 1981 as it was often necessary to split the trains before tackling the Opapa bank, commonly called the Te Aute incline.

It was a busy station up until the late-1970s, with a settlement of railway houses to accommodate permanent staff who worked there. Three houses were on the roadside while the other two were on the other side of the tracks.

Two were removed in the late ‘70s and two others were destroyed by fire.

One still stands and is about to be joined by another home on the site of a house lost to fire in 2000.

Opapa had been a refreshment stop, Post Office, watering stop for steam engines, passing bay, stockyard and splitting yard for trains tackling the incline.

There is still more restoration work to be done, with a full interior overhaul planned.

The Friends of the Opapa Railway Station are also looking to eventually replace the passing loop track, with a view to hosting occasional railcar excursions, once Pahiatua enthusiasts have completed their restoration.

Steam-train excursions from Paekakariki and fielding would also be looked at.

Through the help and enthusiasm of sponsors, and the huge amount of time put in by volunteers, the remarkable restoration has taken place.

The grand little station has never looked better.

Anyone keen to join the society, or make a donation towards its work, can contact either Lee Hall on 878 4918, Bryan Rickard on 873 5543 or Spud Langley on 876 8367.

Photo captions –

BEFORE: The once-grand Opapa railway station looking weary and neglected.

AS IT IS TODAY: Smart and fresh and a tribute to the tireless efforts of the Hawke’s Bay railway enthusiasts.

STEAMY: A glimpse of the past as a passenger train pulls into Opapa in 1961.