Plains Vintage Railway
Encyclopedia
The Plains Vintage Railway is a heritage railway near Ashburton
, New Zealand
that operates on three kilometres of trackage that was once part of the Mount Somers Branch
before it closed. Public services run regularly and utilise preserved and restored locomotive
s and rolling stock once used on New Zealand's national railway network
.
, K 88, was recovered in 1974 from the Oreti River
in Southland and restored to a fully operational condition on the Plains Vintage Railway's line in 1981. This set a pattern other railway enthusiasts have followed, recovering a number of locomotives of various classes from where they were dumped, including two other members of the Rogers K class. One of them, K 94, is also owned by the Plains Vintage Railway, presently in an unrestored condition, and when used as a comparison, it vividly illustrates the condition in which K 88 was found and the work required to bring the locomotive to running condition. K 88 received a second overhaul beginning in the late 1990s. It was completed in April 2002. The second restoration saw her receive a brand new boiler.
The museum's rail rolling stock contains several historically important items. These are 'K' 88 - which hauled the first inter city express in New Zealand between Christchurch and Dunedin; 'Ja' 1260 which was the last steam engine to be used on a time-tabled service in New Zealand; and Vulcan Railcar RM 50 which holds the official New Zealand Railways speed record of 78 mph.
Ashburton, New Zealand
Ashburton is a town and district in the Canterbury Region on the east coast of the South Island of New Zealand. It is the third-largest centre in Canterbury, after Christchurch and Timaru. The area around Ashburton is frequently referred to as Mid Canterbury, which is also the name of the...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
that operates on three kilometres of trackage that was once part of the Mount Somers Branch
Mount Somers Branch
The Mount Somers Branch, sometimes known as the Springburn Branch, was a branch line railway in the region of Canterbury, New Zealand. The line was built in stages from 1878, reaching Mount Somers in 1885. A further section to Springburn was added in 1889; this closed in 1957, followed by the...
before it closed. Public services run regularly and utilise preserved and restored locomotive
Locomotive
A locomotive is a railway vehicle that provides the motive power for a train. The word originates from the Latin loco – "from a place", ablative of locus, "place" + Medieval Latin motivus, "causing motion", and is a shortened form of the term locomotive engine, first used in the early 19th...
s and rolling stock once used on New Zealand's national railway network
Rail transport in New Zealand
Rail transport in New Zealand consists of a network of gauge railway lines in both the North and South Islands. Rail services are focused primarily on freight, particularly bulk freight, with limited passenger services on some lines...
.
Overview
The Plains Vintage Railway came to world attention when a member of the Rogers K classNZR K class (1877)
The NZR Rogers K class was the first example of American-built locomotives to be used on New Zealand's railways. Their success coloured locomotive development in New Zealand until the end of steam.-History:...
, K 88, was recovered in 1974 from the Oreti River
Oreti River
The Oreti River is one of the main rivers of Southland, New Zealand, and is 170 kilometres in length.The Oreti has its headwaters close to the Mavora Lakes between Lake Te Anau and Lake Wakatipu, and flows south across the Southland Plains to its outflow into Foveaux Strait at the southeastern end...
in Southland and restored to a fully operational condition on the Plains Vintage Railway's line in 1981. This set a pattern other railway enthusiasts have followed, recovering a number of locomotives of various classes from where they were dumped, including two other members of the Rogers K class. One of them, K 94, is also owned by the Plains Vintage Railway, presently in an unrestored condition, and when used as a comparison, it vividly illustrates the condition in which K 88 was found and the work required to bring the locomotive to running condition. K 88 received a second overhaul beginning in the late 1990s. It was completed in April 2002. The second restoration saw her receive a brand new boiler.
The museum's rail rolling stock contains several historically important items. These are 'K' 88 - which hauled the first inter city express in New Zealand between Christchurch and Dunedin; 'Ja' 1260 which was the last steam engine to be used on a time-tabled service in New Zealand; and Vulcan Railcar RM 50 which holds the official New Zealand Railways speed record of 78 mph.