The Plains Vintage Railway & Historical Museum facts for kids

Ashburton Railway & Preservation Society
The Plains Vintage Railway & Historical Museum
Entrance road and parking lot for the railway and museum
Locale	Tinwald, Ashburton, Canterbury, New Zealand
Terminus	The Plains Museum
Coordinates	43°55′24″S 171°42′30″E / 43.923267°S 171.708422°E / -43.923267; 171.708422
Connections	KiwiRail Main South Line
Commercial operations
Name	Mount Somers Branchline
Built by	New Zealand Government Railways
Original gauge	1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
Preserved operations
Owned by	Ashburton Railway & Preservation Society
Operated by	Ashburton Railway & Preservation Society
Stations	One
Length	2.5km
Preserved gauge	1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
Commercial history
Opened	4 October 1885
Closed	1 January 1968
Preservation history
1971	Formation of Society
1973	First Operation of Trains
1981	First Operation of K 88
2011	40th Anniversary Event
2016	45th Anniversary Event

The Plains Vintage Railway & Historical Museum is a special place in Tinwald, New Zealand. It has an old-fashioned railway and a village that looks like it's from the past. The railway, called The Plains Railway, runs on about 3 kilometers of old tracks. These tracks were once part of the Mount Somers Branch line.

Both the village and the railway are open often for people to visit. You can see old locomotives and train cars that used to run on New Zealand's national railway. The village shows you what life was like long ago in New Zealand.

Discover The Plains Railway & Museum

The Ashburton Railway & Preservation Society Inc. (AR&PS) started in 1971. Their main goal was to buy a part of the old Mt Somers Branch railway. They wanted to run restored trains there. They also wanted to save old farm machines that were disappearing from the area.

To do this, the AR&PS created The Plains Vintage Railway & Historical Museum. They started collecting railway items, farm equipment, and other historical things from the local area. They also built new buildings for storage and display. Some of the most important buildings, like the cottage, church, and railway station, were moved from other places to the museum site.

The Story of K 88

The K 88 Trust Board was a group formed in 1995. Their big goal was to fix up and get the old train engine, K 88, working again. They also hoped to restore K 94. This group was a charity that worked to raise money for these projects.

The plan for K 88 was to:

• Lease K 88 and K 94 from the Ashburton Railway & Preservation Society.
• Build a shed where K 88 could be fixed.
• Get K 88 working again.
• Raise money for the work.

In 1996, the K 88 Trust officially leased the locomotives. They also bought an old supermarket building in Ashburton to use as their workshop.

Money was raised, and the restoration of K 88 began in 1997. A new water tank for its tender (the part that carries water and fuel) was built. K 88 had been stored for many years because its boiler was too old to use. The restoration included a brand new boiler and tender tank. The old boiler was unsafe because its firebox was too thin.

The new boiler was built by Lyttelton Engineering Limited. It cost a lot of money, but funds were raised. In 1998, parts from another old train, K 95, were found in a river and used for K 88's tender. The new boiler was put onto K 88's frame in 2000. The train was first tested with steam in 2001.

K 88 was officially back in service on March 30, 2002. It even showed off a new paint job that looked like it did when it first arrived in 1878. Today, K 88 is still running at The Plains Railway. It is famous for many reasons:

• It pulled the first express train between Christchurch and Dunedin.
• It was one of the original Kingston Flyer trains.
• It was the first train in the world to be fixed after being recovered from a riverbed.
• It is the oldest tender locomotive from NZR still in New Zealand.

K 94's Journey

The restoration of K 94 never really got started, even though work began in 1986. Many of its good parts were used to help fix K 88. Today, K 94 is stored behind the carriage shed at The Plains Vintage Railway & Historical Museum. You can see it there and compare it to K 88 to understand how much work was needed to restore K 88.

Fire at the Workshop

On January 17, 2015, the old workshop building at the museum caught fire. Someone had set it on fire on purpose. The fire destroyed most of the tools, parts, and other items inside the shed. Only a few things could be saved. Firefighters arrived quickly to put out the blaze. The fire was thought to be suspicious. The locomotive shed next to the workshop was also damaged, but it was repaired and made safe.

Trains and Rolling Stock

The Plains Railway became famous when one of the old Rogers K class trains, K 88, was found in a river in Southland in 1974. It was brought to The Plains Railway and fixed up to run again by 1982. This inspired other train fans to find and restore more old locomotives. Another K class train, K 94, was also found and brought to the museum. It was going to be restored, but the work stopped. It is now stored and helps visitors see what K 88 looked like before its big restoration. K 88 had a second major restoration starting in 1997, which finished in 2002. It got a brand new boiler and tender tank.

The museum has several important train items:

• A 64: This is the second oldest working steam locomotive in New Zealand.
• J^A 1260: This was the last steam train to pull the night train out of Invercargill and the last steam train out of Christchurch.
• K 88 Washington: This train is famous for many reasons, as mentioned above.
• Vulcan Railcar RM 50: This railcar holds the official New Zealand Railways speed record of 78 miles per hour!
• T^R 38: This was the first petrol (gasoline) locomotive in New Zealand.

Other trains have visited the railway too:

• B 10 from the Oamaru Steam and Rail Restoration Society visited in 2013.
• F 163 "Ivanhoe" visited in 1979 for a festival.
• K 92 visited from 2004 to 2007 and sometimes ran with K 88.
• W 192 visited several times between 1992 and 2001.
• F 150 was stored at The Plains Railway from 1986 until 2019.

NZR Steam Locomotives

Key:	In service	In service, Mainline Certified	Under overhaul/restoration/repair	Stored	Static display	Scrapped

Original Class and Number	Names	Builder	Builders Number	Year Built	Arrived	Notes
A 64		Dubs and Co.	651	1873	1972	Started service in 1875. It was the main working train from 1973 until K 88 was fixed. It was restored again in 2000 and returned to service. It is now the second-oldest operating steam locomotive in New Zealand.
JA 1260		NZR Hillside Workshops	383	1952	February 1973	Started service in 1952. It pulled the last steam express trains out of Dunedin and Christchurch in 1971. It was brought to The Plains Railway in 1973 and started running in 1975. It returned to service in March 2018 after repairs.
K 88	Washington	Rogers Locomotive Works	2454	1877	July 1974	Famous for pulling the first express train between Christchurch and Dunedin in 1878. It was dumped in a river in 1927 and recovered in 1974. It was restored and running by 1982. It was used in TV shows and movies. After its boiler was condemned in 1987, it got a new boiler and tender tank and was back in service in 2002. It is still active today.
K 94		Rogers Locomotive Works	2470	1878	21 April 1986	Also dumped in the river in 1926 and recovered in 1986. Its restoration started but stopped. It is now stored in parts and used for comparison with K 88.

NZR Diesel Locomotives

Key:	In service	In service, Mainline Certified	Under overhaul/restoration/repair	Stored	Static display	Scrapped

Original Class and Number	TMS/Reclassified Class and Number	Builder	Builders Number	Year Built	Arrived	Notes
DSA 218	DSA 224	Drewry	2416	1953	4 April 2014	Started service in 1953 for shunting (moving trains around). It was bought by the AR&PS in 2014 and is being restored.
TR 38	WW 4048	A & G Price	144	1939	February 1982	The first diesel rail tractor in New Zealand. It was bought by the AR&PS in 1982. It can run, but needs its engine fixed.

Industrial Diesel Locomotives

Key:	In service	In service, Mainline Certified	Under overhaul/restoration/repair	Stored	Static display	Scrapped

Type	Plains Railway Identity	Builder	Builders Number	Year Built	Arrived	Notes
Ruston		Ruston & Hornsby	458956	1961	2003	Used for moving light trains and for work trains.
Howard	TR 12	J & F Howard, England	976	1930	28 March 1986	Donated in 1986. It is being actively restored.
Price	TR 119	A & G Price	198	1960	12 September 1995	Bought in 1995 and restored in 1996. It won an award for its restoration. It is used for moving trains and for work trains.

Railcars

Key:	In service	In service, Mainline Certified	Under overhaul/restoration/repair	Stored	Static display	Scrapped

Original Class and Number	Builder	Builders Number	Year Built	Arrived	Notes
RM 50	Vulcan Foundry	4845	1940	March 1979	Started service in 1940. It holds the official New Zealand railway speed record of 125.5 km/h (78 mph). It was bought by the society in 1979. It runs regularly in summer and is currently the main train used at the railway.

Spare parts for the railcar are stored outside.

Carriages

Key:	In service	In service, Mainline Certified	Under overhaul/restoration	Stored	Static display	Scrapped

Original class and number	Builder	Type	Year built	Arrived	Notes
A 184	NZR Addington Workshops	47' 6" wooden body, passenger coach	1913	1971	Started service in 1913. It was used in a TV mini-series and for special shuttle trains. It was repaired and repainted in 2004.
A 475	NZR Addington Workshops	43' 9" wooden body, passenger coach	1900	2 December 1988	Started service in 1900. It was stored on a farm and moved indoors in 2018.
A 784	NZR Addington Workshops	47' 6" wooden body, passenger coach	1903	2003	Started service in 1903. It is stored outside.
A 1429	NZR Addington Workshops	47' 6" wooden body, passenger coach	1915	1970s	Started service in 1915. It was also used in a TV mini-series and for special shuttle trains. It was repainted in 2002.
AA 1024	NZR Petone Workshops	50' 0" wooden body, passenger coach	1908	1974	Started service in 1908. It was bought by the AR&PS in 1974. Restoration began in 2008.

Guards and Brake Vans

Key:	In service	In service, Mainline Certified	Under overhaul/restoration	Stored	Static display	Scrapped

Original class and number	TMS class and number	Builder	Type	Year built	Arrived	Notes
F 322	F 151	NZR Hillside Workshops	30 ft (9.1 m) wooden body, guards' van	1907	1979	Started service in 1907. It was restored and repainted in 1984. It was also used in a TV mini-series and for special shuttle trains.
F 532	F 1212	NZR Addington Workshops	50 ft (15 m) wooden body, guards' van	1931	N/A	Started service in 1931. It was scrapped after an arson attack in 2007. Its frame and parts are now used for other repairs.

Wagons

Key:	In service	In service, Mainline Certified	Under overhaul/restoration	Stored	Static display	Scrapped

Original class and number	TMS class and number	Type	Builder	Year built	Arrived	Notes
E 852		Tank	N/A	1880s	1974	Used for water supply and tree pruning. It was restored in 2011 and is now back in service for public running days.
LA 13498		High Side	NZR Petone Workshops	1922	N/A	Used to store coal.
LB 9579		High Side	NZR Petone Workshops	1911	1972	Used to carry passengers when no carriages were available. It is now used to store parts and is waiting for restoration.
M 173		Low Side	N/A	N/A	1972	Overhauled in 1995. It was sometimes used with A 64 but is now stored due to its condition.
NA 1875	NA 4647 NAK 6622	Flat Deck	NZR Addington Workshops	1977	N/A	Used regularly for work trains. Owned by the Rail Heritage Trust of New Zealand.
UCT 1603	UCT 170	Tank	NZR Hillside Workshops	1970	N/A	Used for transporting Tallow. It is the only one of its kind preserved. Owned by the Rail Heritage Trust of New Zealand.
V 76		Insulated Meat	Hillside Workshops	1903	2 October 2015	Used for transporting meat. It was donated to The Plains in 2014.
VS 863	VS 898	Insulated Meat	Commonwealth Engineering, Australia (erected by NZR Addington Workshops)	1958	1979	Used for transporting chilled meats. It also stores parts for the Vulcan Railcar RM 50.
YB 138	YB 375	Ballast	N/A	1921	N/A	Used for ballast trains in the past. It is currently out of service and waiting for repairs.
YC 890	YC 2272	Ballast	NZR Addington Workshops	1961	N/A	Used for ballast trains. Owned by the Rail Heritage Trust of New Zealand.

Cranes

Key:	In service	In service, Mainline Certified	Under overhaul/restoration	Stored	Static display	Scrapped

Type	Number	Builder	Builder's number	Year built	Arrived	Notes
2-ton Hand Crane	N/A	Ransomes and Rapier	N/A	1877	1972	On loan to the AR&PS.
Wheelset Crane	360	N/A	N/A	1911/1926	1987	Rebuilt in 1926. It is currently being restored.
5 Ton Lift Steam Crane	N/A	Whitticker	N/A	N/A	1978	Used for laying tracks and other lifting work. It has been stored out of service since the 1990s.

Jiggers

The society has several small rail vehicles called jiggers. These include:

• 3 four-wheel motor jiggers
• 1 three-wheel motor jigger
• 2 four-wheel hand jiggers
• 1 three-wheel hand jigger

They also have four trailers for these jiggers.

Traction Engines

The museum has three large traction engines and one portable engine in its collection. Traction engines are like old-fashioned steam-powered tractors.

• A 1/3 scale Burrell Traction Engine built by a local engineer.
• A McLaren N^O. 1718, owned by the Ashburton District Council.
• A Marshall N^O. 59534.

Some members used to lend their engines to the museum, but those have moved to other places. The portable engine is privately owned but is part of the collection.

Traction Engines

Key:	Operational	Under overhaul/restoration	Stored	Stored, Serviceable Condition	Static display	Scrapped

Type	Builder	Builder's number	Year built	Arrived at The Plains Railway	Notes
Burrell	Hughey Rainey	n/a	1963	1963	Built in 1963 and used on open days.
Marshall	Marshall, Sons & Co.	59534	1910 or 1912	N/A	Donated to the AR&PS. Used until 2006.
McLaren	J&H McLaren & Co.	1718	1925	1990s	Owned by Ashburton District Council. It is on long-term loan to the AR&PS and used on open days. It is the only engine in New Zealand still owned by its original buyer.

Portable Engines

Key:	Operational	Under overhaul/restoration	Stored	Stored, Serviceable Condition	Static display	Scrapped

Type	Builder	Builder's number	Year built	Arrived at The Plains Railway	Notes
Marshall	Marshall, Sons & Co.	4483	1879	N/A	Stored in working condition.

The AR&PS also has a boiler from a Garrett Portable Traction Engine.

Machinery

Binders

Key:	Operational	Under overhaul/restoration	Stored	Stored, Serviceable Condition	Static display	Scrapped

Builder	Year built	Arrived at The Plains Railway	Notes
Massey Harris	N/A	N/A	Used to harvest oats.
N/A	N/A	N/A	Stored.

Images for kids

• 

  McLaren Traction Engine No. 1718 after a repaint in 2014.

• 

  A 64 at the photo stand in 2014.

• 

  D^SA 218 shortly after arriving at the museum in 2014.

• 

  J^A 1260 after being washed in 2014.

• 

  K 88 with a mixed train in 2014.

• 

  RM 50 leaving the station in 2014.