National Railway Museum of New Zealand facts for kids
The National Railway Museum of New Zealand (often called the NRM) is a special place being built in Christchurch, New Zealand. It will show the amazing story of trains in New Zealand. The museum is being set up at Ferrymead Heritage Park in Ferrymead, Christchurch. This is a very important spot because New Zealand's very first railway opened here way back in 1863!
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How the Museum Works and Gets Money
The National Railway Museum of New Zealand Incorporated is a group that owns and runs the museum. This group is also a registered charity, which means it's a non-profit organization that helps the community. Alan Spooner is currently in charge as the president of the group.
To help pay for everything, the NRM has its own bookshop. They mostly sell books and magazines about trains and railways in New Zealand. This helps them raise money to build and run the museum.
What You Can See at the Museum
The museum already owns some cool trains! They have an electric locomotive (a type of train engine) and an electric multiple unit (a train with many carriages that can run on its own) from Wellington. They also have three wagons and a leased diesel shunter (a smaller engine used to move carriages around).
The museum will also show other trains from the old NZR and special engines used in the bush. These will come from the Canterbury Railway Society. You'll also see other railway vehicles and equipment, like a big turntable from Auckland. A turntable is a spinning platform used to turn train engines around. The museum is still being built, but the turntable is already in place!
A very old train, an NZR C class (1873), was saved from a old train dump in Buller Gorge. It was moved to the NRM in 2024 from the Westport Railway Preservation Society. This train is a real piece of history!
Trains and Wagons at the Museum
The museum has different types of trains and wagons. Here's a look at some of them:
| Key: | In service (working) | In service, Mainline Certified (working on main tracks) | Under overhaul/restoration (being fixed up) | Stored (kept safely) | Static display (on show, not working) | Scrapped (taken apart) |
|---|
Diesel Locomotives
Diesel locomotives are train engines that run on diesel fuel.
| Type | Builder | Year built | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DC4876 | General Motors Canada | 1966 | Stored | This engine was rebuilt in 1979. |
| TR 190 | NZR Hillside Workshops | 1978 | Stored | This engine is owned by the Rail Heritage Trust of New Zealand. |
Electric Locomotives
Electric locomotives are train engines that run on electricity.
| Type | Builder | Year built | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EA 2 | Toshiba Heavy Industries | 1968 | Stored |
Electric Multiple Units
Electric multiple units (EMUs) are trains made of several carriages that can all run on electricity. They don't need a separate engine.
| Type | Name | Builder | Year built | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| D 162 | Phoenix | English Electric | 1953 | Stored | |
| DM 16 | Phoenix | English Electric | 1949 | Stored |
Wagons
Wagons are the carriages or cars that trains pull. They carry goods, not people.
| Type | Builder | Year built | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LA 13817 | NZR Hillside Workshops | 1922 | Stored | |
| T 199 | NZR Addington Workshops | 1966 | Stored | |
| YD 490 | Differential Car Co | 1958 | In service | This wagon is used by the Canterbury Railway Society for work trains. |
