Kaitoke Refreshment Rooms Crockery
Cup and saucer bearing Kaitoke refreshment rooms logo dating from period 1897 - 1913. Acknowledgements to Christine Johnson for granting permission to photograph this relic. Photo: Hugh McCracken
A rare "green" Kaitoke Railways Refreshment Rooms logo, made by Wedgewood & Co Ltd, dated 9/1909. Photo: Chris Johnson.
New Zealand Government Railways prefered railway refreshment rooms to dining cars, and pre-World War I the rooms were leased out as businesses. Each supplied its own crockery, readily identified by logos incorporated in the glazing. Kaitoke was no exception, images on this page illustrating the logo and its placement on cups and saucers.
The duration of stops made by trains for refreshments was governed by the time required to service or exchange locomotives; or to wait for the arrival of opposing trains for crossing purposes. At Kaitoke 'up' trains (those heading towards Summit and the Wairarapa) typically took water at the tanks to the north of the station, and often waited for crossings. Passengers rushed to the refreshment rooms to try and get towards the front of the inevitable cue - colloquially termed a 'bun fight'. Cups and saucers were inevitably carried on board the trains, and were supposed to be returned to their originating refreshment rooms once cleaned. Many were discarded out of doors and windows en route, others dumped due to chipping or breakage. The examples illustrated on this page were unearthed from a dump at Paekakariki.
Kaitoke Railways Refreshment Rooms logo number '13'. Photo: Chris Johnson.
Crockery used in the North Island between the two world wars was identified using a numbering system, Kaitoke allocated the number '13'.
References:
Johnson, C.J. (1994) "Collectors' Corner: New Zealand Railway Crockery". In: "New Zealand Railfan" 1(1) pp14-15.
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Page updated 30 May 2005 Hugh McCracken.
