Old Henderson Train Station

In the Western Leader of 16 October, an article described how the Henderson Heritage Trust had come to an agreement with NZ Rail Corp for a long-term lease of the old railway station buildings. Now, the Trust is putting together plans for restoration work, already in receipt of $50,000 from the Waitakere City Council for re-roofing work last year.

According to the article, the station ceased to operate as a station in 1987. It reopened as a cafe in 1993, then a furniture store until 2000. Since then, it's been a target for vandals -- and looked much worse up to a short time ago. More photos (I headed down to the end of the new island platform to take the shots last Monday):

 

This is what has replaced it -- the new Henderson Train Station (although the local council dearly wanted it called Waitakere Central Train Station, but lost out after the NZ Geographic Board stepped in, because of the location of the pretty green building just to the far left, the council offices.)

 

I don't mind the new station, it's actually a nifty piece of work -- but it just hasn't the same romance as the old buildings have.

Sean Millar's information from Railway Stations of Auckland's Western Line:

Main station building 1912. A 30-lever signal box was added in 1915, but sold in 1970 and has a current home somewhere on Atkinson Road in Titirangi. A large freight terminal planned in 1978 did not come to fruition.

Before the double tracking, and after the station's closure in 1987, I remember the quick scramble up the short tarsealed incline from Railside Avenue to the single side platform, where you waited at one end to head to the Auckland Central Railway Station (then at Beach Road, now at Britomart), and at the other to head west. Now it's a quick scramble up a lift, stairs or escalator, across the walkway, then down to the platform.