Wairarapa Railway Restoration Society facts for kids
The Wairarapa Railway Restoration Society is a group that helps protect and save old railway items and buildings. They are based in Carterton, a town in the Wairarapa region on New Zealand's lower North Island. The society uses the historic Carterton railway station building. They rent it from the Carterton District Council, but it is owned by the New Zealand Railways Corporation.
The society runs a museum at the station. Volunteers help to display many interesting railway items and other local history. You can see things inside the station building and also old trains and carriages, called rolling stock, in the station's train yard. The main Wairarapa Line railway track goes right through the site. The station is also a stop for the Wairarapa Connection passenger train.
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Why the Society Started
The Wairarapa Railway Restoration Society began because people wanted to save the old Carterton railway station. In the 1980s, there was a plan to pull down the historic station building. The idea was to build a new, more modern one instead.
Some people in the local community were worried about losing the old building. So, in 1990, they formed a group to stop the demolition. Their main goal was to save and restore the station building. The museum opened its doors not long after the group started.
Restoring the Station Building
The restoration work faced a challenge in 1993 when there was an arson attack. This means someone deliberately set fire to the building. However, the society worked hard to recover from this event. The full refurbishment of the station building was finally finished in 1996.
Since then, the society has continued to look after the buildings and fences at the site. They also work with other local groups who share their interest in history. Together, they collect and display items of local historical interest in the Carterton Railway Museum at the station.
Who the Society Works With
The Wairarapa Railway Restoration Society is part of bigger groups. They are a member of:
- Wairarapa Heritage Association
- Federation of Rail Organisations of New Zealand (FRONZ)
The society also works closely with the Carterton District Historical Society. They team up to find and get old items for the museum. The Carterton District Council and the Rail Heritage Trust of New Zealand also support the society's important work.
What to See at the Museum
The museum is usually open to visitors on Sundays. When you visit, you can see many different displays, including:
- Old trains and carriages (rolling stock)
- Historical photographs
- Railway tools and objects (artefacts)
- The old Waingawa station building
- Equipment used for railway signals
- Small railway motor trolleys
- An old A&G Price shunting locomotive. This is a small engine used to move carriages around the yard. It is a TR class 170 (TMS TR724) and is stored away from the main site.
Sometimes, the society has also been involved in plans to move other historic railway buildings to the Carterton station area. This helps to protect them. Examples include the goods shed from Greytown station and a passenger shelter building from Solway station.
