List of New Zealand railway museums and heritage lines facts for kids
New Zealand has many amazing groups that work hard to save and restore old trains, railway lines, and stations. This is called railway preservation. These groups help keep the history of trains alive for everyone to enjoy. They often run special heritage train rides, open museums, and even build tiny model railways!
Saving New Zealand's Old Trains
Many of these groups are part of the Federation of Rail Organisations of New Zealand. This federation brings together different railway museums, special heritage train lines, clubs, and trusts from all over New Zealand. It even includes groups that build small, working model trains and those that look after narrow gauge railways (train lines that are narrower than usual).
Groups That Save Old Trains
Here are some of the groups involved in railway preservation, listed by region:
North Island
Northland
- Bay of Islands Vintage Railway Charitable Trust
- Whangarei Steam & Model Railway Club
- Whangarei Model Engineering Club
Auckland
- Mainline Steam
- Glenbrook Vintage Railway
- Railway Enthusiasts Society
- The Waitakere Tramline Society
- Watercare Services
- Western Springs Railway
- Western Springs Tramway
- Auckland Society of Model Engineers Incorporated
- Manukau Live Steamers
Waikato / Coromandel
- Bush Tramway Club
- DF 1501 Restoration Charitable Trust
- Driving Creek Railway
- Goldfields Railway
- Victoria Battery Tramway Society
- Te Aroha Mountain Railway
- Thames Small Gauge Railway Society
- Hamilton Model Engineers
- Cambridge Model Engineering Society Inc
- Waihi Small Gauge Railway
Bay of Plenty
- Rotorua - Ngongotaha Rail Trust
- Geyserland Express Trust
- Tauranga Model Marine and Engineering Club
- Eastern Bay of Plenty Model Engineering Society
East Cape / Hawke's Bay
- East Coast Museum of Technology
- Gisborne City Vintage Railway
- Hawkes Bay Steam Society
- Ormondville Rail Preservation Group
- Hawkes Bay Model Engineering Society
- Havelock North Live Steamers & Associates
Taranaki
- Pioneer Village Soc Inc
- Waitara Railway Preservation Society
- New Plymouth Society of Model & Experimental Engineers
Wairarapa
- Friends of the Fell Society Fell Engine Museum Featherston
- Pahiatua Railcar Society
- Wairarapa Railway Restoration Society, based at the Carterton railway station
Manawatu
- Feilding and District Steam Rail Society
- Steamrail Wanganui Incorporated
- Palmerston North Model Engineering Club Inc
- Esplanade Scenic Railway
Wellington
- Craven Crane Preservation Group
- Department of Conservation
- Mainline Steam
- New Zealand Railway and Locomotive Society (or see website)
- Rail Heritage Trust of New Zealand
- Rimutaka Incline Railway Heritage Trust
- Silver Stream Railway
- Steam Incorporated (Engine Shed - Paekakariki)
- Wellington and Manawatu Railway Trust
- Wellington Tramway Museum (or see website)
- Paekakariki Station Precinct Trust
- Wellington CableCar Museum
- Kapiti Miniature Railway & Model Engineering Society Inc
- Featherston Miniature Fell Society
- Maidstone Model Engineering Society
- Hutt Valley Model Engineering Society
South Island
Nelson / Marlborough
- Blenheim Riverside Railway
- Nelson Railway Society (Founders Heritage Park)
- Picton Society of Model Engineers
- Marlborough Associated Modellers Society
- Nelson Society of Modellers
Westland
- Charming Creek Railway
- Reefton Historic Trust Board
- West Coast Historical & Mechanical Society, Shantytown
- Westport Railway Preservation Society
Canterbury
- Mainline Steam
- Ashburton Railway & Preservation Society
- Canterbury Railway Society (Ferrymead Railway)
- Canterbury Steam Preservation Society (McLeans Island Steamscene)
- Christchurch Tramway Ltd
- Diesel Traction Group
- Heritage Tramways Trust
- Midland Rail Heritage Trust
- Midland Railway Company (NZ) Ltd
- National Railway Museum of New Zealand
- Pleasant Point Museum and Railway
- Tramway Historical Society (Ferrymead Tramway)
- Weka Pass Railway
- Canterbury Society of Model & Experimental Engineers
- Christchurch Live Steamers
- Ashburton Steam Model & Engineering Club
- South Canterbury Model Engineers
Otago
- Oamaru Steam and Railway Restoration Society [1]
- Otago Excursion Train Trust (part owners of Dunedin Railways)
- Otago Railway & Locomotive Society (Ocean Beach Railway)
- Project Steam (Dunedin) Inc
- The Otago Model Engineering Society
- Otago Miniature Road & Rail Society Inc
Southland
- Ohai Railway Board Heritage Trust
- Gore Model Engineering Club
- Southland Society of Model Engineers
Cook Islands
- Rarotonga Steam Railway in the Cook Islands
Other Cool Railway Groups
- Kingston Flyer
- Ferrymead Heritage Park
- RM 133 Trust
- Otago Settlers Museum has two steam engines on display
See also
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List of New Zealand railway museums and heritage lines Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.