Wairarapa Railway Restoration Society facts for kids
The Wairarapa Railway Restoration Society is a group of volunteers who love trains and railway history. They work to save and share the story of railways in the Wairarapa area of New Zealand's lower North Island. The society is based in Carterton, where they look after the old Carterton railway station building. They rent the station from the Carterton District Council, but it is owned by the New Zealand Railways Corporation.
The society runs a museum inside the station building. Volunteers help display old railway items and other local history. You can see things inside the station and also old train cars and equipment in the station yard. The main Wairarapa Line railway track runs right past the museum, and the Wairarapa Connection passenger train still stops there.
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History of the Society
Saving the Carterton Station
The Wairarapa Railway Restoration Society started because the old Carterton station building was almost torn down. This was in the 1980s. Some people in Carterton wanted to save the historic building instead of replacing it with a new one. So, in 1990, they formed a group to stop the demolition and restore the station.
Soon after, they opened a museum there. In 1993, there was a fire at the station, but the society worked hard to fix it. The restoration was finally finished in 1996.
Since then, the society has kept the station buildings and fences in good shape. They also work with other local groups to collect old railway items and local history. These items are kept in their archives and shown in the Carterton Railway Museum at the station.
Who the Society Works With
The Wairarapa Railway Restoration Society is part of bigger groups that also care about history and railways. They are members of:
- Wairarapa Heritage Association
- Federation of Rail Organisations of New Zealand (FRONZ)
The society also works closely with the Carterton District Historical Society to find cool old things for the museum. They get help and support from the Carterton District Council and the Rail Heritage Trust of New Zealand.
What You Can See at the Museum
Exploring the Carterton Railway Museum
The museum is usually open to visitors on Sundays. When you visit, you can see many interesting displays, including:
- Rolling stock: These are old train cars, wagons, and other vehicles that run on railway tracks.
- Photographs: Pictures showing what railways and the area looked like in the past.
- Railway artefacts: Old tools, signs, and other items used on the railway.
- The old Waingawa station building: This is another historic station building that has been moved to the site.
- Railway signalling equipment: Devices used to control train movements and keep them safe.
- Railway motor trolleys: Small vehicles used by railway workers to travel along the tracks.
- A special shunting locomotive: This is an A&G Price TR class 170 (also known as TMS TR724). It's a type of small engine used to move train cars around the yard. This one is stored offsite.
Sometimes, the society helps with plans to move other old railway buildings from around the Wairarapa area to the Carterton station. This helps save them for the future. For example, they have looked at moving the goods shed from Greytown station and a passenger shelter from Solway station.
