The Silver Stream Railway is a heritage railway at Silverstream

Silverstream

Silverstream is a suburb of Upper Hutt in the lower North Island of New Zealand. It is at the southern end of the city close to the Taita Gorge, which separates Upper Hutt from Lower Hutt...

 in the Hutt Valley near Wellington

Wellington

Wellington is the capital city and third most populous urban area of New Zealand, although it is likely to have surpassed Christchurch due to the exodus following the Canterbury Earthquake. It is at the southwestern tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range...

, 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...

. It regularly operates preserved New Zealand Railways Department

New Zealand Railways Department

The New Zealand Railways Department, NZR or NZGR and often known as the "Railways", was a government department charged with owning and maintaining New Zealand's railway infrastructure and operating the railway system. The Department was created in 1880 and was reformed in 1981 into the New...

 locomotives along a restored section of the Hutt Valley Line (part of the Wairarapa Line

Wairarapa Line

The Wairarapa Line is a secondary railway line in the south-east of the North Island of New Zealand, connecting the capital city of Wellington with the Wairarapa region. The line ends at Woodville, where it joins the Palmerston North - Gisborne Line...

) before a deviation was built in 1954.

History

The beginnings of the Silver Stream Railway were in 1967 when the Wellington branch of the New Zealand Railway and Locomotive Society began a collection of locomotive

Locomotive

A locomotive is a railway vehicle that provides the motive power for a train. The word originates from the Latin loco – "from a place", ablative of locus, "place" + Medieval Latin motivus, "causing motion", and is a shortened form of the term locomotive engine, first used in the early 19th...

s and 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...

. Tracklaying on the old formation of the Hutt Valley Line did not begin until 1977. The collection of locomotives and rolling stock had previously been stored at a site by the Gracefield Branch in Seaview, and this was transferred to the present Silverstream site in 1984. The official opening of the full 1.5 kilometre track took place on 15 February 1986.

List of locomotives

Key:	In Service	In Service, Main Line Certified	Under Overhaul/Restoration	Stored	Static Display	Scrapped

Number	Builder	Builder's Number	Year Built	Acquired by Silverstream	Notes
D 143 NZR 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...	Neilson & Co.	1847	1874	?	Previously in use at Portland Cement, Portland. Originally named Trout. Stored awaiting future restoration.
C 132 NZR C class (1873) The C class consists of a number of tank locomotives built to operate on New Zealand's national rail network during its infancy. It is sometimes referred to as the little C class or the original C class to distinguish it from the C class of 1930....	Dubs & Co.	885	1875	?	Previously owned by NZ Mines Department, Rotowaro. Originally named Pounamu. Wore a brown livery since restoration, until used in filming of "The Last Samurai" where it was painted black. Black livery kept since. Withdrawn from service 2008 for comprehensive overhaul.
D 137 NZR 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...	Scott Brothers	31	1887	?	Displayed in a park after finishing service with Gear Meat in Petone. Then to Silver Stream Railway, stored.
L 509	Avonside Engineering Co.	1207	1877	?	After NZR use, was sold to Public Works Department for construction work. Was used to construct the NIMT and was used on the Parliamentary Special, 1908. Previously at Portland Cement, Portland before being acquired by Silver Stream Railway. Used in Centennial recreation of the Parliamentary Special, 2008. In service.
Gear Meat No.3	Andrew Barclay & Sons.	1335	1913	1989	Bought new for Gear Meat, Petone. Withdrawn 1965 and displayed at Avalon Park, until 1989 when moved to Silver Stream Railway where it was plinthed at the entrance. Moved into storage 17th July 2010.
Napier Harbour Board No.5	John Fowler & Co.	16342	1925	?	Stored at Silver Stream until 2003 when sold to Bryan Bishop. Restored at Silver Stream, entered service 2008.
C 847 NZR C class (1930) The C class consisted of twenty-four steam locomotives built to perform shunting duties on New Zealand's national rail network. It is sometimes known as the big C class to differentiate it from the C class of 1873.-History and construction:...	NZR Hillside Workshops.	255	1930	?	One of last C class in service. Stored at Silver Stream until 1990 when moved to Glenbrook Vintage Railway Glenbrook Vintage Railway The Glenbrook Vintage Railway is a steam railway in Glenbrook, New Zealand. One of New Zealand's premiere rail heritage sites, it is not a museum as such, but rather a fully self-supporting, operating steam railway, built almost entirely by volunteer labour...  for restoration. Restored to "Wellington" style appearance, certified for main line running and leased to Railway Enthusiasts Society Railway Enthusiasts Society The Railway Enthusiasts Society Incorporated is a New Zealand railway enthusiast society registered under the Incorporated Societies Act 1908 on 17 July 1958.-Objectives:The RES objectives are as follows:...  1994-98. In service.
Rm 30	NZR Hutt		1930	1972	Standard Railcar. Named Aotea. Holds NIMT end-to-end speed record. In service.
Rm 34	NZR Hutt		1930	1972	Standard Railcar. Named Tainui. Interior under restoration.
BP Shunter	Planet	2166	1939	1969	Built for BP Oil, Gracefield. To Silver Stream Railway 1969. Stored derelict.
KA 935 NZR Ka class The NZR KA class of 1939 was a class of mixed traffic 4-8-4 steam locomotives that operated on New Zealand's railway network. They were built after the success of the K class to meet the increasing traffic demands of the New Zealand Railways Department...	NZR Hutt Workshops	318	1941	1968	Last KA in NZR service. Donated to the NZR&LS Wellington Branch, stored temporarily at Te Awamutu Railway Museum before moving to Seaview. Regularly run at Seaview. Has seen occasional use at Silver Stream. Awaiting overhaul.
DE 505 NZR DE class The NZR DE class is a New Zealand class of shunting diesel-electric locomotives. The New Zealand Railways intended to replace steam locomotives for shunting duties with this class...	English Electric Co.	1743	1951	1984	One of first DE Class locomotives withdrawn. Under overhaul
DE 508 NZR DE class The NZR DE class is a New Zealand class of shunting diesel-electric locomotives. The New Zealand Railways intended to replace steam locomotives for shunting duties with this class...	English Electric Co.	1746	1951	2003	Formerly part of Tranz Rail Tranz Rail Tranz Rail, formally Tranz Rail Holdings Ltd , was the main rail operator in New Zealand from 1991 until it was purchased by Toll Holdings in 2003.- Formation :...  Heritage Collection. To Silver Stream Railway via Rail Heritage Trust, 2003.
Price 221	A & G Price	221	1968	2000	Built for NZ Steel, Mission Bush. To Silver Stream Railway 2000.

Rolling stock

The railway owns an assortment of rolling stock, some in operational condition while others are awaiting or under restoration. The railway has a wide selection of rolling stock and some of the items are rather rare. One of the most notable items of rolling stock is a 50' passenger carriage of the Wellington and Manawatu Railway (WMR), No. 48, later NZR

New Zealand Railways Department

The New Zealand Railways Department, NZR or NZGR and often known as the "Railways", was a government department charged with owning and maintaining New Zealand's railway infrastructure and operating the railway system. The Department was created in 1880 and was reformed in 1981 into the New...

 A 1126, under restoration by the NZR&LS at the North End Shed. Although four WMR passenger carriages are known to exist, this is the only one under restoration. WMR No. 50 (NZR A 1130) is also stored at the railway, unrestored.

Operation

Trains run on most Sundays and on special occasions. The railway has held "Thomas and Friends" days based on the theme of Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends

Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends

Thomas and Friends is a British children's television series, first broadcast on the ITV network in September 1984. Until 2003, it was named Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends. This series was shot on 35mm film...

and these have proven to be very popular with children.

External links

• The Silver Stream Railway's official website.