Passenger Services

Passenger services were usually run as mixed services, with a service run early in the morning to take children to high school in New Plymouth, returning in the late afternoon. In 1877 there were two return services, operated from New Plymouth,^[10] with a third service added three times a week by 1883.^[11] As well as regular services, picnic trains to Sentry Hill ^[12][13] were popular in the late 19th and early 20th century.

Passenger accommodation was removed after World War Two, to be replaced with Railways Road Service buses. These continued operating until 1991 when private enterprise took over the services.

Waitara Station

Waitara's original Class 5 station building was located on the north side of the tracks (close to where the good shed was eventually located).^[16] The replacement Class 4 station building was located on the south (town) side of the yard when it was built in 1893,^[17] after lobbying from the Raleigh Town Board for the station to be in a more convenient location.^[18] This change of location created a situation where the passenger station was located on a loop in the goods yard, rather than the main line as is more usual.

The station complex was upgraded again at the end of 1911 with a full repaint and the addition of a veranda to the station building.^[19]

Sentry Hill Junction

The railway junction at Sentry Hill was built facing Waitara rather than New Plymouth. Initially, this made sense as Waitara was the major port for the region, but this decision required that all trains from New Plymouth to destinations south were required to stop and have the locomotive swap ends of the train to continue their journey. This operation became an increasing bottleneck in the system, especially after 1886 when through services began between Wellington and the new deep water port at the New Plymouth Breakwater. A proposed "loop line" bypassing Sentry Hill station and allowing the direct running of trains was eventually approved and opened in 1892, creating a triangle junction arrangement and avoiding the need to remarshal through trains between New Plymouth and points south.^[20]

With this solution came a new issue, however, as it caused direct trains to bypass the old Sentry Hill station site which was now located on the branch line instead of the main line. For a time, trains needing to stop at the station would reverse into or out of the station yard before continuing their journey, but this wasn't a satisfactory solution.

To fix this problem, in 1894 a new Sentry Hill passenger station was opened^[21] located roughly 49 chains south of the old station and just past the junction points for the new loop line.^[20] The old Sentry Hill station was closed and passenger facilities removed (though the yard and goods shed remained at the old location pending completion of the new station site).

The new Sentry Hill station location was not entirely satisfactory. There were complaints about poor access to the new platform, and the station location was located on a grade that was less than desirable from an operational perspective. In 1903 a new passenger shelter was even constructed at the old Sentry Hill station site after petitions from the local community and was served by branch line trains, despite the new station still being in operation a short distance away on the mainline.^[20]

Lepperton Junction

In 1907 it was decided to relocate the entire junction half a mile south to a more suitable site. The new site was closer to Lepperton than Sentry Hill and so the new junction was named Lepperton Junction. The station and yards opened in 1908 and included extending the Waitara Branch line parallel with the main line between the old and new station sites.

On the same date that Lepperton Junction opened both the “new” Sentry Hill station and the original Lepperton station (located closer to Manutahi Road) were closed to all traffic.^[18] From the same date the “old” Sentry Hill station was fully reopened, now serving as a branch line station only. The rails for the direct link between Waitara and New Plymouth remained in situ (though largely unused) until 1914. In that year the rails for the original direct link between Waitara and New Plymouth were finally lifted and the triangle junction arrangement was removed for good.^[20]

Routes North

During the 1880s the final route for what would become the North Island Main Trunk railway between Auckland and Wellington was still being considered. The current route was decided in 1884, but, when it was realised just how difficult that route was, further surveys considered two other options in 1888. One of these was via Taumarunui to Waitara.

A practical route for the line was found by heading north from Waitara along the coast until reaching the Mimi River valley, before heading inland along the river valley. From the top of the valley, a tunnel to Tangarakau was needed, before following the Ohura River Valley. "The total distance is 40. miles, and the steepest gradient one in 50, and only two small tunnels will be required. The country is somewhat broken."^[22]

This proposal was still under consideration in 1893 (along with an alternative route linking just south of Stratford, which would eventually become the Stratford – Okahukara Line).^[23] An alternative survey considered taking the link up the Urenui River.^[24] A report in 1899 ended any chance of the route being built through Waitara, citing that the land for most of the route is not well suited for development and, as the route would not be able to compete with sea travel, the aim of the route should be to connect as much back country as possible with the local port instead.^[25]

Extension to Urenui

In 1911 the Clifton Country Council passed a resolution calling for the railway to be extended to the township of Urenui,^[26] a distance of approximately 9 miles (14 km). It was stated that "That the ordinary traffic on the main road between Urenui and Waitara has increased to such proportions as to make a railway a matter of necessity," as well as citing the difficulty to sourcing suitable roading metal and the undue burden of the cost of maintaining the road. In 1912 North Taranaki Dairy Company lent their support to the idea, suggesting the extension run further to Mimi Junction.^[27]

Such an extension would have required a substantial bridge over the Waitara river, with an opening span to allow for steamer traffic to pass through.^[28]

Light railway to Te Kūiti

In 1920 another extension proposal was put forward by the Clifton County Council, this time for a light railway between Waitara and Te Kūiti via Mokau and its coal mines.^[29] Concern was raised by some councils that this might hamper the push for the completion of the Main North Road and the Mokau River bridge. Nothing came of this proposal.

Other railway buildings

Aside from the railway proper, other railway buildings still exist in the vicinity. The former Sentry Hill goods shed is still extant a short distance from where it originally stood. It is visible behind the Lepperton Tennis Club courts on Manutahi Road, which has been there since the 1950s.^[40] In Waitara, two-thirds of the former Midhirst railway station sits on Memorial Place next to the War Memorial Hall. By the river mouth, the former north signal box from Stratford was relocated to Waitara in 1960 as a clubhouse for the Waitara Boating Club.^[41]