Whakatu - The Cold Store

Whakatu Cold Stores. 4/10/22.

While visiting Whakatu in early October I was able to take a number of photos of the large cold store complex. Construction of the cold store was an important step in the growth of the Whakatu Freezing Works and it still continues to serve the primary producers of the Hawkes Bay.

In early 1972 the Hawkes Bay Famers Meat Company needed to replace their aging blast freezers and cold stores. This was due to upcoming rule changes by the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries to meet new European Economic Commission standards. The new standards included the removal of wood from refrigerated areas. HBFMC investigated upgrading the existing cold stores within the Whakatu Freezing Works but it was found this would be too difficult to do while maintaining production. 

Instead HBFMC decided to build a completely new cold store complex that included 10 blast freeze rooms each capable of freezing 2000 lamb carcasses in 14 hours, three large freezer stores, a covered railway siding capable of holding 12 UK class bogie container wagons carrying 24 insulated 20 foot containers, an office block and staff amenities. The new cold store would be linked to the freezing works by a covered bridge that crossed the Palmerston North - Gisborne railway line and Anderson Road. 

A newspaper supplement from January 1976 celebrating the opening of the new Hawkes Bay Farmers Meat Company Cool Stores at Whakatu. Photo courtesy of the Knowledge Bank - Hawkes Bay Digital Archives Trust. knowledge.org.nz

Construction began in November 1972 and the new cold store was opened in January 1976. The cost of the new cold store was just under $11 million. 

Meat from the freezing works was transported to the cold stores through the overhead bridge. Once at the cold stores the carcasses would be blast frozen and stored. Refrigerated railway wagons or insulated containers on flat wagons would be shunted into the enclosed area where they would be loaded before being sent mainly to ports for export.

In October 1986, it was announced that Whakatu Freezing Works would close. While many of the old freezing works buildings were demolished the relatively new cold stores remained. The cold stores are still in use and are operated by Lineage Logistics.

Overhead view of the Whakatu Cold Store.

The Whakatu Cold Store is located on Anderson Road which has easy access to a number of main arterial roads. The Cold Store is also connected to the Palmerston North - Gisborne line by a siding that comes off the Whakatu loop. Looking at the track leading to the cold store, it doesn't look like any wagons have been loaded there for some time.

The siding coming off the loop at Whakatu and heading towards the cold store. 4/10/22.

The siding crossing Anderson Road. 4/10/22.

The approach to the cold store sidings. 4/10/22.

The line then connects with the cold store sidings. The layout of the cold store sidings is unusual and is similar to the old sidings on the wharfs at New Zealand ports.

The sidings consist of three lines that merge into two lines at the eastern and western ends of the cold stores. A single line passes through a long enclosed loading area. 

The access siding connecting to the cold store sidings, 4/10/22.

The western end of the cold store. 4/10/22.

The sidings are connected through a series of crossovers. All the track is embedded in concrete which allows for a large flat area suitable for use by trucks, forklifts and other vehicles. It also provides a nice, obstacle free surface for shunters and other railway staff. Overhead lighting is provided along the length of the sidings. 

The cold store sidings looking towards the western end of the sidings. 4/10/22.

An old bogie shunters wagon was parked at the eastern end of the sidings. This wagon looked like an early version of shunters wagons that have been repurposed using the underframes of old ZA class covered wagons. A hand rail goes around three sides of the wagon to provide a secure hand hold for shunters. Looking at the condition of the wagon and the track its unlikely this wagon has had any use for a long time.

The old shunting wagon sits at the western end of the cold store sidings. 4/10/22.

Another shot of the shunting wagon. 4/10/22.

Looking east towards the cold store from the western end of the sidings. 4/10/22.

At each end of the sidings there were concrete and gravel stop blocks to prevent wagons from going over the end of the siding tracks.

The western end of the sidings. 4/10/22.

Heading to the eastern end I was able to have a good look at the cold store building. The cold store is built up so the floor is level for wagons. This allowed forklifts to have better access to wagons and containers improving loading times.

The cold stores looking west from the eastern end of the sidings. 4/10/22.

Looking towards the eastern end of the sidings. 4/10/22.

The eastern end of the sidings. 4/10/22.

As far as cold stores go this is one of the larger ones that I've seen. The multiple tracks and crossovers would have made for some interesting shunting moves and I would have enjoyed seeing old DE, DI or DSC locomotives shunting these sidings back in the late 70's and early to mid 1980's.

And that's about it.