Garden Railway Forum

Converted golf carts running o an abandoned railway. Interesting as the communities it served have also died. Difficult to decide which came first, the loss of the railway or the loss of the industries served by the railway


Rik

Plastic wheels and wooden rails with angle iron in the "sidings" plus a rudimentary portable turntable at each end of the line

Rik

It doesn't look all that long-abandoned..

And some very interesting solutions to the cost of wheels and storage roads. They look to work well enough.

Old Man Aaron wrote: Wed Nov 05, 2025 2:01 pm It doesn't look all that long-abandoned..

And some very interesting solutions to the cost of wheels and storage roads. They look to work well enough.

Fourteen years ago it was abandoned, apparently. There are some sections you definitely wouldn't want to run a proper train over
They have a 25 year lease so they hope to get another eleven years out of it.

Rik

South Island and a visit to Shantytown just outside Greymouth. They've done an impressive job of rebuilding what was once a gold mining community. They've relaid a short section of track which was originally used for logging. A&G Price diesel on duty.
Rik

I got chatting to the guide (Paddy) and he offered to give me a tour of the engine shed. Only one (Avonside) loco functional at the moment but some interesting other locos in the process of restoration or storage.



Rik

Thankyou for posting Rik, there are some interesting photos in there. And all sorts of useful 'detail'.

Petersfield wrote: Fri Nov 07, 2025 8:05 pm Thankyou for posting Rik, there are some interesting photos in there. And all sorts of useful 'detail'.

If by 'detail' you are referring to the plumbing, I couldn't agree more! Amazing locomotives.

Guess what I found...

Paddy mentioned this engine. I hadn't appreciated how much of it is still intact - but it's not going to be an easy restoration, by the look of it. More a case of preserving what's there, I suspect.

Rik

Another train ride today. This time Dunedin Railway's Taieri Gorge trip. I can't understand why this railway hasn't featured on any of those Great Railway Journeys type of programmes - unless I've missed it. An awe inspiring feat of engineering.

Rik

ge_rik wrote: Sat Nov 08, 2025 4:58 am Another train ride today. This time Dunedin Railway's Taieri Gorge trip. I can't understand why this railway hasn't featured on any of those Great Railway Journeys type of programmes - unless I've missed it. An awe inspiring feat of engineering.

Rik

I'm glad you got to add that to your itinerary. It's not only awe inspiring engineering, the views are pretty stunning as well. And Dunedin station is just...wow!

Lonsdaler wrote: Sat Nov 08, 2025 6:27 am .........And Dunedin station is just...wow!

It certainly makes a statement!!!

Rik

Took another train ride at Oamaru. - from the town out to the penguin colony.

Rik

Nice little loco, built by Stephenson & Hawthorne. Could form the basis for a model.

Rik

The wooden bridges from the mainline railway have also been preserved (after a fashion!). Again, more modelling inspiration? I have taken loads more photos if anyone wants them.



Rik

For a $2 entrance fee, I got to see a quite impressive collection of model railway layouts above an antiques market. An extensive HO model depicting scenes from around Oamaru (including an exquisite model of the original wooden station building), an OO layout based on UK practice, a Hornby Dublo three rail layout, an HO Marlin stud layout, a clockwork Hornby O gauge layout and a Lionel O gauge layout. Had a long chat with one of the old guys running it who complained spares were really hard to come by in NZ - so if I had and spare spares ......


Rik

ge_rik wrote: Sun Nov 09, 2025 5:58 am Nice little loco, built by Stephenson & Hawthorne. Could form the basis for a model.

PXL_20251108_221046596~2.jpg


PXL_20251108_221104478~2.jpg


Rik

Agreed Rik. Here’s my RSH Husky in 4mm/ft from the Highlevel kit. A good prototype for a narrow gauge version in garden railway scales.

That's tasty! Another wonderful paint job too.

Peter Butler wrote: Sun Nov 09, 2025 3:41 pm That's tasty! Another wonderful paint job too.

Absolutely!! I wonder who'll be the first to produce a 16mm (or 15mm) version?

Rik