Marton Locomotive Depot

Marton Diesel and Wagon Depot in the late 1990's. The depot is boarded up and is starting to show signs of vandalism. 

Marton has long been a railway town, serving as a key junction on the New Zealand Railways network where the the Marton–New Plymouth Line (MNPL) diverged from the North Island Main Trunk (NIMT). This strategic location made Marton an important hub for the NZR.

During the 1960s, New Zealand Railways transitioned from steam to diesel locomotives. This  change motive power was accompanied by significant upgrades in infrastructure, signaling, and rolling stock. Marton was among the towns to benefit from these improvements.

On 1 April 1965, a modern brick and steel railway station opened replacing the old wooden structure. The station reflected a radical shift in railway building design and construction on the NZR.

The 'new' Marton Railway Station in the mid 1990's. The station is starting to show signs of vandalism with some of the glass windows in the closed waiting room smashed. 

The old steam era engine shed at Marton. The new depot was built in the same area.

In 1966, the old steam-era engine shed was demolished and replaced with a new diesel and wagon depot. Constructed by W M Angus Ltd of Whanganui, the building was built to a new standard NZR design. The depot measured 62 feet (19 metres) long by 33 feet (10 metres) wide and featured a steel frame, concrete end walls, and corrugated aluminium sheeting on the sides and roof, with a single track running through the building. The Taihape depot was built to a very similar design, but it included two tracks instead of one. 

Plan of the Marton Wagon and Diesel Depot.

The depot was located south of Marton's east yard and was accessed off the siding to the grain silos and future malt works. To the north of the depot was a small diesel tank for refuelling locomotives and to the south of the depot stood a 70-foot turntable, a key piece of infrastructure used for turning locomotives.

Whites Aviation photo showing the southern end of the Marton railway yard. The relatively new depot can be seen near the middle of the photo. 3 Mar 1970. Photo courtesy of the National Library of New Zealand. 

Whites Aviation photo showing Marton railway station and yard in 1975. The depot can be seen at the upper left of the photo. Photo courtesy of the National Library of New Zealand. 

The depot included a service pit, storeroom, oil store, locker room, ablutions, and a lunchroom for the fitters assigned to the depot. It was used for minor repairs and servicing of diesel locomotives and rolling stock. Locomotives and rolling stock requiring more extensive work were sent to larger facilities at Palmerston North or Whanganui depots, or to the Hutt, East Town, or Otahuhu workshops.

A 1991 photo of Marton depot showing the depot and small diesel tank. Photo courtesy of Darryl Palmer.

Photo of the depot taken from the east loop. Photo courtesy of Darryl Palmer.

During the mid to late 1980s, the depot lost its fitters and servicing and repair functions as part of a wider reorganisation of New Zealand Railways. The depot was then used to provide shelter for the TR shunting tractor assigned to Marton. Locomotive and wagon repairs and servicing in the lower North Island were consolidated to Palmerston North and the Hutt Workshops near Wellington.

By the mid 1990s, the depot had fallen into disrepair and was suffering from vandalism. The Marton based shunting locomotive no longer used the depot and was instead parked in the east yard or the malting sidings.

With no further use for the building, Tranz Rail demolished the depot in the early 2000's.

All that remains. 

Even though the depot was demolished its memory lives on in model form. Darryl Palmer built a superb model for his S scale New Zealand railways layout. 

And that's about it.