Friday 6 October 2017

Otago Central Railway [36]: Ngapuna

Ngapuna is the first station past Middlemarch at 70.08 km. It has historically been a small station with a shelter shed, loading bank and a stockyard. This changed little during its life, possibly only the platform was lengthened. As the station closed in 1979, the site was cleared. The Rail Trail Trust has obtained the original station building and returned it to the site; the loading bank remains in place also.

Middlemarch to Ngapuna. Note the ballast siding just north of the 42 mile peg (Tisdalls).
 The overall station layout.
 The main facilities of the station.
 The station building is more or less at its original site, although the platform was removed post closure.
 Looking into Ngapuna from the south. The 70 km peg extreme left.
 Looking into Ngapuna from the north.
At the Middlemarch end of Ngapuna is this culvert, which was extra wide because both the main line and loop crossed it. This view indicates that the main line was actually to the left.

Tisdalls Ballast Pit was between Middlemarch and Ngapuna, just north of the 42 mile peg. It was closed in 1934 when the pit opened at Hyde. There was a siding as well as a water tank for locomotives.