A slice of railway history up for sale

Richard and Robyn Hay, with children John, 9 months, Aynsley, 3 and Mary, 5, are selling the Hyde Railway Station. Photo / Otago Daily Times

A historic piece of southern rail history is to be sold after the man who restored it said it was time to move on.

The Hyde Railway Station, built in 1894 and part of the Otago Central Rail Trail, is for sale with a starting price of $100,000.

Richard Hay, then a 23-year-old Dunedin joiner, bought the station from the Railways Corporation in 1990. The free-market ethos of the time was not kind to provincial rail. It seemed "everything was for sale".

"If I hadn't saved the place, it would have had a bulldozer through it."

Mr Hay saved the station to honour the "old timers" who with "pick and shovel" carved out the Otago Central railway line.

Mr Hay's wife, Robyn, said "bird shit and straw" was all there was in the little kauri station 20 years ago. The station had been unmanned for 20 years before the last passenger train in April, 1990.

Mr Hay steadily acquired heritage items and replica instruments, and now the station is a repository of New Zealand and rail history.

They hoped the buyer would honour the equipment's history, and did not move it from the site.

Being on the Otago Central Rail Trail ensured a steady stream of visitors, and the Hays believed the station was ideal for a commercial venture.

Mr Hay said the couple had less time to spend in Hyde because of their young family.

The Hays live in Berwick, with children Mary (5), Aynsley (3), and John (9 months).

The couple would miss the locals, the area's sunsets, and picking the thyme, rosehips, sweetpeas and gooseberries that grew in the area.

Mrs Hay said her husband panned the gold for her wedding ring nearby, in the Taieri River.

There could also be a friendly ghost at the station, according to the Hays.

Someone, perhaps a former station master, made their presence felt, but the place did not have a threatening atmosphere, Mr Hay said.

Another oddity was the internal door between the general waiting room, and the ladies' waiting room, which was frequently ajar when Mr Hay arrived. He always firmly closed it on departure.

Mr Hay said the station "oozes history". Friends and family farewelled soldiers, some of whom never returned, on its platforms during the world wars.

The station was the last the ill-fated Cromwell to Dunedin train stopped at on June 4, 1943, before crashing on a downhill curve 5km south, killing 21 passengers.

In 1992 the community successfully fought the Railways Corporation which wanted to rip up part of the track, leaving a smaller portion.

The group fought to have the extra portion retained. The Otago Central Rail Trail Trust chairwoman Daphne Hull said it would love to buy the station but could not afford it.

"I think [the station] should be part of the rail trail experience."

The building is not listed with the Historic Places Trust.

However, Historic Places Trust Otago Southland area manager Owen Graham said the trust would be disappointed if the building was removed. Its history was tied to the area.

The online auction closes next Wednesday.

- OTAGO DAILY TIMES