The Rimutaka Deviation is a deviation of the Wairarapa Line that was built between 1948 and 1955 between Upper Hutt and Featherston. It replaced the section of track that contained the Rimutaka Incline. This section was opened in 1878 and closed in 1955. The maps below show the route in a simple route map form and a detailed rail map form.

Maymorn is one of two new stations that were built on the deviation, the other being Rimutaka Loop at the opposite end of the Remutaka Tunnel. It replaced Mangaroa Station on the old route, and originally had the same name. In total there have been three Mangaroa stations. The first station at 23 miles 21 chains from Wellington was originally called Mungaroa. About 1 1/2 miles to the south was Cruickshank’s Siding. In 1891 NZR closed Mungaroa and relocated it to the siding site (21 miles 71 chains at the time the line closed). The name was changed to Mangaroa in 1909. In 1955 Mangaroa was moved to the deviation and in 1959 its name was altered to Maymorn, a name adapted from the May Morn Estate Ltd’s Siding which was near the first site of Mungaroa. This siding was first opened in 1913 for a sawmill but the company shut down the following year. A military camp was established nearby during the First World War and took over the siding, then it was eventually removed in 1920 after the camp closed.

The three Mangaroas. The first station is lower right, the second is lower left and the third and present station is top centre.

General layout of Maymorn Station. This is the base for the Rimutaka Incline Railway, a putative heritage railway that was formed in 2003 with the intention of resurrecting the Rimutaka Incline historical railway between Summit and Cross Creek. The RIR has constructed various buildings and laid sidings into these, but has yet to commence any works on its proposed line to Summit, having failed to obtain resource consent for the proposal. Currently the RIR is mainly focusing on the restoration of some of its collection of rolling stock, including two Wb class steam locomotives.

Maymorn was the main construction base on the Wellington side of the Remutaka Range for the Rimutaka Deviation. This 1951 aerial mosaic shows the housing settlement and construction works underway on the Deviation. Formation works had been carried out in Maymorn station yard, but the deviation was not yet built from Upper Hutt although formation works could be seen underway closer to Upper Hutt.

Full maps of the Wairarapa Line and Maymorn are available from the Volumes page. Click on the Volumes menu at the top of this page to access them.