Pleasant Point Museum and Railway
Encyclopedia
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.
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 ex-NZR locomotives, Ab 699, D 16, and Tr 18 (TMS 62) are all regularly operated.
The Museum includes historic railway memorabilia and vintage computers, and the society also operates an Old Time Movie Theatre.
Narrow gauge
A narrow gauge railway is a railway that has a track gauge narrower than the of standard gauge railways. Most existing narrow gauge railways have gauges of between and .- Overview :...
heritage railway
Heritage railway
thumb|right|the Historical [[Khyber train safari|Khyber Railway]] goes through the [[Khyber Pass]], [[Pakistan]]A heritage railway , preserved railway , tourist railway , or tourist railroad is a railway that is run as a tourist attraction, in some cases by volunteers, and...
located in the small country town of Pleasant Point
Pleasant Point, New Zealand
Pleasant Point is a small country town in southern Canterbury, New Zealand, some 19 km inland from Timaru. A service town for the surrounding farming district, it has a population of 1,222 and one of its main attractions is the heritage railway, the Pleasant Point Museum and Railway, which...
in southern Canterbury
Canterbury, New Zealand
The New Zealand region of Canterbury is mainly composed of the Canterbury Plains and the surrounding mountains. Its main city, Christchurch, hosts the main office of the Christchurch City Council, the Canterbury Regional Council - called Environment Canterbury - and the University of Canterbury.-...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, inland from Timaru
Timaru
TimaruUrban AreaPopulation:27,200Extent:Former Timaru City CouncilTerritorial AuthorityName:Timaru District CouncilPopulation:42,867 Land area:2,736.54 km² Mayor:Janie AnnearWebsite:...
. Its main terminal is located at Pleasant Point station, which was an important stop on the Fairlie Branch
Fairlie Branch
The Fairlie Branch was a branch line railway in southern Canterbury which formed part of New Zealand's national railway network. Construction began in 1874, and at its farthest extent, it terminated just beyond Fairlie in Eversley...
. 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:- ABNZR Ab classThe NZR AB class was a class of 4-6-2 Pacific tender steam locomotive that operated on New Zealand's national railway system. Originally an improvement on the 1906 A class, 141 were built between 1915 and 1927 by NZR's Addington Workshops, A & G Price Limited of Thames, New Zealand, and North...
699: a tenderTender locomotiveA tender or coal-car is a special rail vehicle hauled by a steam locomotive containing the locomotive's fuel and water. Steam locomotives consume large quantities of water compared to the quantity of fuel, so tenders are necessary to keep the locomotive running over long distances. A locomotive...
steam locomotiveSteam locomotiveA steam locomotive is a railway locomotive that produces its power through a steam engine. These locomotives are fueled by burning some combustible material, usually coal, wood or oil, to produce steam in a boiler, which drives the steam engine...
from 1922 - DNZR D class (1874)The NZR D class was a class of tank steam locomotives that operated on New Zealand's national railway network. The first members of the class entered service in 1874, and all had left the service of NZR by the end of 1927, which allowed the D classification to be used again in 1929.- Introduction...
16: a tank locomotiveTank locomotiveA tank locomotive or tank engine is a steam locomotive that carries its water in one or more on-board water tanks, instead of pulling it behind it in a tender. It will most likely also have some kind of bunker to hold the fuel. There are several different types of tank locomotive dependent upon...
from 1878 - TRNZR TR classThe NZR TR class is a class of diesel shunting locomotives built by many different manufacturers. Many of these locomotives have been withdrawn, but some are still in service. The first locomotives of this class were built by the Drewry Car Co in 1936, and had 52 kW or 90 kW petrol engines...
18: a diesel shunter from 1936 - A PWDNew Zealand Ministry of WorksThe New Zealand Ministry of Works, formerly the Department of Public Works and sometimes referred to as the Public Works Department or PWD, was founded in 1876 and disestablished and privatised in 1988...
Ruston and HornsbyRuston (engine builder)Ruston & Hornsby, later known as Ruston, was an industrial equipment manufacturer in Lincoln, England, the company's history going back to 1840. The company is best known as a manufacturer of narrow and standard gauge diesel locomotives and also of steam shovels. Other products included cars, steam...
diesel shunter built in 1955. - An RM classNZR RM classThe RM class is the classification used by the New Zealand Railways Department and its successors given to most railcars and railbuses that have operated on New Zealand's national rail network. As NZR and its successors has operated many diverse types of railcars, alternate names have been given...
Model T Ford railcarNZR RM class (Model T Ford)The NZR RM class Model T Ford railcar was a type of railcar that operated on New Zealand's national rail network. Only two were built, classified as RM 4 and RM 5, and they were experimental railcars designed in an attempt to offer improved passenger services on quiet country branch lines that...
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
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
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
Rolling stock
Rolling stock comprises all the vehicles that move on a railway. It usually includes both powered and unpowered vehicles, for example locomotives, railroad cars, coaches and wagons...
includes New Zealand's only "half birdcage" passenger carriage, which dates from 1895. The ex-NZR locomotives, Ab 699, D 16, and Tr 18 (TMS 62) are all regularly operated.
The Museum includes historic railway memorabilia and vintage computers, and the society also operates an Old Time Movie Theatre.