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From issue: Winter 2003

Signalling the Past

by Ian Dougherty

One of only two unmodified New Zealand Railways signal boxes on their original sites beside working railways has been restored by the Rail Heritage Trust.

Years of neglect had left the signal box in need of the three r's - repiling, restoring and repainting. Photo: Oakley Gray Architects Oakley Gray were involved in this station's restoration.

Commuters heading to work, pupils to school and punters from the nearby racecourse once made Wingatui Railway Station a centre of bustling activity. The station also served a large brickworks and local freight needs, and was the junction for the busy Otago Central branch line.

Keeping the passenger and goods trains on the right tracks was a classic 1913 railway signal box of a type that was once common throughout New Zealand. As signalling switched from mechanical to electronic, the boxes became redundant and were progressively removed from most stations.

The restored signal box, boarded-up station building and island platform that could become a rail heritage precinct. Picture: Ian Dougherty

The Wingatui signal box is the last survivor in the South Island of such structures on its original site on a working railway - the other being at Auckland's Remuera Railway Station.

The Wingatui box has survived almost by accident. The station was closed in 1986 and the station building and signal box were leased to the Saddle Hill Rover Scout Crew. However, the Scout group relinquished the lease and the Rail Heritage Trust took over both buildings in 2001 to restore and maintain them.

Rail Heritage Trust chairman Euan McQueen says the trust likes to be an owner of last resort.

"Our role is essentially facilitating restoration projects, sometimes providing seeding finance and small grants for particular projects, and offering advice and information that can help groups."

The restoration of the signal box cost more than $60,000, the bulk of which was provided by the Lottery Grants Board, the Community Trust of Otago and the Rail Heritage Trust. Other contributions came from the Taieri Gorge Railway, Railway Staff Welfare Trust and gaming machines via the Scottwood Group and Pub Charity.

Attention has now turned to the 1914 station building. "Our vision is that this small railway precinct - station, signal box and platform - will be restored to tidy and sound condition," says McQueen. The site is open and allows a good view of the precinct; and each day the Taieri Gorge Limited train passes (it stops for passengers), so the station is used as in its traditional role."

The boarded-up building is leased for storage by the Taieri Gorge Railway. Passengers wanting to catch the tourist train have to wait on the platform. There are no plans to re-open the station building once it has been restored.

Ian Dougherty is a Dunedin-based journalist and writer who used to take the train past the Wingatui Railway Station on his way between Mosgiel and Caversham to attend secondary school.