Pleasant Point Museum and Railway

Heritage Railway
name = Pleasant Point Museum and Railway


caption=Pleasant Point Station.
locale = Pleasant Point, Canterbury, NZL
terminus = Pleasant Point
linename = Formerly part of the Fairlie Branch
builtby = New Zealand Government Railways
originalgauge = RailGauge|42
preservedgauge = RailGauge|42
era =
owned =
operator = Pleasant Point Railway Trust
stations = Two
length =2.5km
originalopen =24 December 1875
closed = 2 March 1968
stageyears =
stage =
years = 1968
events =
The Pleasant Point Museum and Railway is a narrow gauge heritage railway located in the small country town of Pleasant Point in southern Canterbury, New Zealand, inland from Timaru. Its main terminal is located at Pleasant Point station, which was an important stop on the Fairlie Branch. For just over a year from 24 December 1875, Pleasant Point was actually the terminus of the line as construction further inland proceeded, and upon completion of the line, it functioned as a typical country station until closure of the Fairlie Branch came on 2 March 1968. After the line closed, a historical society was formed with the aim of preserving Pleasant Point station, as the original building from 1875 still stood, with the addition of a 1930s booking office. The society ultimately managed to preserve the station, yard, and roughly 2.5 km of track.

Motive power

Motive power at the Pleasant Point Railway includes:

*A^B 699: a tender steam locomotive from 1922
*D 16: a tank locomotive from 1878
*TR 18: a diesel shunter from 1936
*A PWD Ruston and Hornsby diesel shunter built in 1955.
*An RM class Model T Ford railcar replica

The Model T Ford railcar is a replica of an experimental railcar built in 1925 and scrapped in the 1930s. It is a significant rarity - one other replica of a Model T Ford railcar exists in the United States but it was built to different specifications. The unique nature of the railcar has enhanced the popularity of the Railway and it runs multiple trips on operating days. Trains run during the summer and at other holiday periods. Rolling stock includes New Zealand's only "half birdcage" passenger carriage, which dates from 1895.

The Museum includes historic railway memorabilia and vintage computers, and the society also operates an Old Time Movie Theatre.

ee also

*Railway preservation in New Zealand

External links

* [http://pleasantpointrail.org.nz/index.php?page=home Official site of the Pleasant Point Museum and Railway]
* [http://www.employmentmatters.net.nz/story.asp?id=1013 Article about the development of the Railway]

References

* Churchman, Geoffrey B., and Hurst, Tony; "The Railways Of New Zealand: A Journey Through History", HarperCollins Publishers (New Zealand), 1991 reprint
* Leitch, David, and Scott, Brian; "Exploring New Zealand's Ghost Railways", Grantham House, 1998 revised edition

Pleasant Point Railway