Silver Stream Railway facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Silver Stream Railway |
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A steam train on the Silver Stream Railway, 6 March 2002. The locomotive is C 132.
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| Locale | Upper Hutt, Wellington,  New Zealand |
| Commercial operations | |
| Name | Part of the Hutt Valley Line |
| Built by | New Zealand Government Railways |
| Original gauge | 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) |
| Preserved operations | |
| Preserved gauge | 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) |
| Commercial history | |
| Opened | December 1875 |
| Closed | 21 November 1954 |
| Preservation history | |
| Reopened | 15 February 1986. |
Silver Stream Railway is a special railway in Silverstream, near Wellington, New Zealand. It's a "heritage railway," which means it keeps old trains running for people to enjoy. You can ride on historic train engines, called locomotives, along a restored part of the old Hutt Valley Line. This part of the track was used before a new route was built in 1954.
Contents
How the Railway Started
The idea for Silver Stream Railway began in 1967. The Wellington branch of the New Zealand Railway and Locomotive Society started collecting old train engines and carriages. These are known as locomotives and rolling stock.
Building the tracks on the old railway path, or "trackbed," didn't start until 1977. The collected trains were first stored in Seaview. In 1984, they were moved to the current Silverstream site. The railway officially opened its full 1.5-kilometer track on February 15, 1986.
Our Train Engines (Locomotives)
A locomotive is the powerful engine that pulls a train. Silver Stream Railway has many different types of locomotives. Some are ready to run, while others are being fixed up or are on display.
| Key: | In Service | In Service, Main Line Certified | Under Overhaul/Restoration | Stored | Static Display | Scrapped |
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| Number | Builder | Year Built | Acquired by Silver Stream | Notes |
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| D 143 | Neilson & Co. | 1874 | ? | This engine was once named Trout. It is currently stored and waiting to be restored. |
| Ww 571 | NZR Hillside. | 1914 | 1969 | This engine ran at Silver Stream Railway from 1988 to 2006. It is now stored for future restoration. |
| C 132 | Dubs & Co. | 1875 | ? | This engine was originally named Pounamu. It was used in the movie "The Last Samurai" and painted black for the film. It is currently being fixed up. |
| D 137 | Scott Brothers | 1887 | ? | This engine was displayed in a park before coming to Silver Stream Railway. It is now stored. |
| L 509 | Avonside Engineering Co. | 1877 | ? | This engine helped build the Main Trunk railway line. It is currently running at the railway. |
| Eb26 | Goodman Manufacturing Company. | 1929 | 2015 | This engine was first electric, then changed to diesel. It was given to Silver Stream Railway in 2014 and is now in service. |
| P.W.D 531 | Andrew Barclay Sons and Company. | 1921 | ? | This engine started service at the railway in 2012. It is leased from another steam society. |
| Gear Meat No.3 | Andrew Barclay Sons and Company. | 1913 | 1989 | This engine was displayed at Avalon Park before moving to Silver Stream Railway. It is now in storage. |
| Andrew Barclay Sons and Company. | 1909 | 1963 | This engine was sold to new owners and moved to Silver Stream Railway in 2013. It is waiting to be restored. | |
| C 847 | NZR Hillside Workshops. | 1930 | ? | This was one of the last C class engines to be used by NZR. It is currently in service. |
| Rm 30 | NZR Hutt | 1930 | 1972 | This is a special railcar named Aotea. It holds a speed record for a long journey. It is in service. |
| Rm 34 | NZR Hutt | 1930 | 1972 | This is another railcar named Tainui. Its inside is currently being restored. |
| BP Shunter | Planet | 1939 | 1969 | This small engine was built for BP Oil. It was taken apart in 2015. |
| KA 935 | NZR Hutt Workshops | 1941 | 1968 | This was the last KA engine used by NZR. It is waiting for a major fix-up. |
| DE 505 | English Electric Co. | 1951 | 1984 | This was one of the first DE class engines to stop being used by NZR. It is now in service. |
| DE 508 | English Electric Co. | 1951 | 2003 | This engine came to Silver Stream Railway in 2003. It is currently in service. |
| Price 221 | A & G Price | 1968 | 2000 | This engine was built for NZ Steel. It came to Silver Stream Railway in 2000. |
Other Train Cars (Rolling Stock)
"Rolling stock" refers to all the other vehicles that run on the railway tracks, like passenger carriages and freight wagons. Silver Stream Railway has many different types of these. Some are ready to use, while others are being restored.
One very special item is a 50-foot passenger carriage from the old Wellington and Manawatu Railway. This carriage, No. 48 (later NZR A 1126), is being restored. Another carriage, WMR No. 50 (NZR A 1130), is also stored at the railway.
Our Train Carriages and Wagons
| Key: | In Service | In Service, Main Line Certified | Under Overhaul/Restoration | Stored | Static Display | Scrapped |
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| Number | Builder | Year Built | Acquired by Silver Stream | Notes |
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| L 4246 | NZR Addington. | 1897 | 197? | This wagon was restored between 2008 and 2012. It won an award for best goods wagon restoration in 2013. |
When You Can Visit
Trains usually run from 11 AM to 4 PM on the first and third Sundays of most months. In June, July, August, and December, the railway is only open on the first Sunday.
The railway is also open on some public holiday Mondays. You can even arrange special private trips, called "charters," throughout the year. There are also special event days where many trains run. On these days, you might get to see behind the scenes in the workshop and look at other locomotives and rolling stock.
