Ferrymead Two Foot Railway
Encyclopedia
Ferrymead Heritage Park
Ferrymead Heritage Park is a museum in Christchurch, New Zealand, housing a number of groups with historical themes, the most frequent of which is transport. Formerly known as Ferrymead Historic Park, it was founded in the mid-1960s by a number of groups, local government bodies and other...
, in Heathcote, Christchurch
Christchurch
Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the country's second-largest urban area after Auckland. It lies one third of the way down the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula which itself, since 2006, lies within the formal limits of...
, 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...
. The society operates a two-foot gauge railway, on an oval circuit approximately 450M in length, at the Park. They offer family rides in two small carriages, that have been locally constructed on ex Salt Tub chassis.
Locomotives
The railway has 2 ex Grassmere Salt WorksLake Grassmere
Lake Grassmere is close to Cook Strait in the northeastern South Island of New Zealand.- Geography :Lake Grassmere, south of Blenheim and south of the mouth of the Awatere River, is a shallow lagoon protected from the open sea by a single barrier beach covered by sand dunes...
"Planet" locomotives, built by F. C. Hibberd & Co. of London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. The one operating is named 'Winifred', in honour of the late youngest daughter of George Skellerup, who owned the Grassmere Salt Works, in Marlborough. The other locomotive is currently being restored, and has been named "George", in honour of George Skellerup.
Wagons
The society has numerous wagons on static display. The fleet includes:- 6 coal tubs,
- 2 pit run wagons,
- 1 pit-prop wagon,
- 2 pit prop jinkers,
- 1 Home made work wagon, with a low sided wooden top,
- 1 First class 30 foot bogie carriage, ex Colonial Sugar Mills, in FijiFijiFiji , officially the Republic of Fiji , is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about northeast of New Zealand's North Island...
. This was the only first class carriage of its type, on the Fiji free railway service. - There are also a number of mining wagons, in pieces, awaiting restoration.
Other equipment
A small hand craneCrane (railroad)
A railroad crane, is a type of crane used on a railroad for one of three primary uses: freight handling in goods yards, permanent way maintenance, and accident recovery work...
is currently residing of a home made chassis, but will shortly be placed on static display, in the railway precinct. It will be permanently disabled, because of safety issues.