Carriages

Sunday 10th December 2023 ((From 11:00am ’til 4:00pm))

A 1429 – Addington Workshops

Carriage ‘A’ 1429 entered service on 30/10/1915 once construction was completed at Addington Workshops, Christchurch.

It was originally allocated to the Invercargill section, and is 47ft 6in long. Like A 184 it is split into two compartments separated by a centre lavatory. These compartments were originally fitted with 26 and 22 “Addington” seats respectively, later replaced with 37″Scarret” seats. The original gas lighting was replaced with electric lighting in September of 1927. ‘A’ 1429 was steam heated from new and came to the Plains Railway in 1974.

Like sister carriage ‘A’ 184, ‘A’ 1429 also featured in the Television New Zealand mini-series ‘Hanlon’, and had the battery boxes removed. These have not been reinstated by the Plains Railway over the time since.

‘A’ 1429 was most recently repainted and overhauled in the early 2000’s returning to service in 2002.

A 184 – Addington Workshops

Carriage ‘A’ 184 was constructed at the now non-existent Addington Workshops, Christchurch, in 1913 and was commissioned on the 11 of July that year.

‘A’ 184 is 47 feet, 6 inches long and contains two compartments separated by a centre lavatory. Before its withdrawal from service on 26/06/1970 37 ‘Scarret’ seats were fitted, along with battery boxes and electric lighting.

‘A’ 184 featured in the Television New Zealand mini-series ‘Hanlon’, and to recreate her ‘classic’ appearance had the battery boxes removed. These have not been reinstated by the Plains Railway over the time since.

‘A’ 184 was most recently repainted and overhauled in the early 2000’s returning to service in 2004.

Aa 1024 – Petone Workshops

Carriage ‘Aa’ 1024 was built at Petone Shops, Wellington, and commissioned to service on 17/09/1908.
The ‘Aa’ cars were wider bodied than the A class cars, hence the sub-classification letter. These cars were originally built for the then new North Island Main Trunk (NIMT) expresses between Auckland and Wellington. ‘Aa’1024 was designated a 2nd Class non-smoker carriage. The ‘Aa’ cars featured two lavatories in the centre of the car, one for ‘Gentlemen’ and one for ‘Ladies’. ‘Aa’ 1024 retained these two centre lavatories throughout its working life, and still has them today. Each 19′ 7″(19foot 7inch) long compartment was originally fitted with 22 ‘Addington’ chairs. The interior had a linoleum floor and the woodwork was painted or varnished accordingly. ‘Aa’ 1024 received electric lighting and battery boxes on 20/06/1925.

On the 13th of July 1950 ‘Aa’ 1024 along with a handful of other ‘Aa’ class cars was transferred to the South Island for an improved Lyttleton Wharf service between Christchurch and Lyttleton. As such, it was one of the only ‘Aa’ cars to come to the South Island. The South Island ‘Aa’ cars were limited to Rangiora in the north and Timaru in the south due to their wider bodies and greater length than most of the South Islands passenger fleet (mostly 47′ 6″ carriages, and then also narrower than their North Island counterparts). 52 ‘Scarret’ seats were fitted in July 1961. ‘Aa’ 1024 was sold to the Plains Railway on 22/02/1974 and was written off by the Railways Department on 30/03/1974.

Aa 1024 is currently under restoration to make a welome addition to the Railways operating carriage fleet, with the interior now almost complete work is about to begin on the exterior of the car to prepare it for painting. An original numberplate from the car-side has also been discovered, and with thanks to an online auction site, returned to the carriage. You can find out more about the restoration of Aa 1024 on our Restoration Projects Page.

F 322 – Hillside Workshops

‘F’ 322 was built at Hillside Workshops, Dunedin, in 1907.

‘F’ 322 was originally assigned to Dunedin, before eventually finding its way to the West Coast where it was used on coal trains from the various mines.

Fitted with Gas Lights from new, the lighting in ‘F’ 322 was never replaced with electric lighting.

‘F’ 322 was written off on the 10th of November 1979 in Christchurch as TMS Number ‘F151’.

It came to the Plains Railway Museum in January 1980 where it was restored for use and is now put to use on Running Days where the carriages are being used.

More About THE PLAINS VINTAGE RAILWAY & HISTORICAL MUSEUM HISTORY

The branch was opened in sections, to Westerfield at 13.39 kilometres in April 1880, to Anama at 30.9 kilometres in October 1882 and onto Cavendish at 35.02 kilometres from the junction at Tinwald in March of 1884. The line originally terminated here, on the south bank of the Ashburton River. However, the decision was made to extend the line 2.58 kilometres to the township of Mt Somers, a bridge was built over the Ashburton River and the line opened in October 1885. The termination of the line at this point, still relied on cartage of coal and lime to Mt Somer's township, from the bush tramway built behind the Mountain. For this reason the line was extended a further 5.5 kilometres to Springburn which opened in September 1889, bringing the branches total length to 43.17 kilometres.

The branch operated a daily 'mixed train' - that is to say a train carrying both goods and passengers - for almost half a century, before roading improvements saw the decline in passenger numbers leading to the closure of the line to passengers in 1933. The branch continued to see less and less traffic, until World War II. A military camp was opened at Westerfield which saw military passenger services and and increase in general freight for the duration of the war. However, this traffic increased proved to be a spike, and after the war the traffic returned to its pre-war levels. This led to trains being run from Ashburton, instead of the branches western terminus of Springburn, and a reduction in services to two per week down from daily. Closure of the Mt Somers - Springburn section was first mentioned in 1930, and in 1957 the Railways Department closed this section to all traffic. The continual decrease in traffic saw the entire line closed to traffic in January 1968, however wheat trains continued to run from a small country station named 'Valetta' until April of the same year.

Work on tearing up the line started at the Mt Somers end, and made its way down the remaining track towards Tinwald not long before 1970. With the closing of the Mt Somers/Springburn branch in 1968 a small group of local enthusiasts who belonged to the local model engineers decided to try and save a small portion of the branch line with the intention to run a steam train on it for the locals and visitors. A public meeting was held and the “Ashburton Railway & Preservation Society Incorporated” was officially formed on the 4th June 1971, with the goal to preserve and operate a vintage train as well as to display some of the local agricultural history of Mid Canterbury. After negotiations with New Zealand Railways, a 50 chain portion was purchased, and later a further portion of the line, bringing the total distance to a mile from Tinwald, to Frasers Road, about 2.5km. The section from the South Island Main Trunk to the Plains Railway’s section, including the mainline turnout, was retained by the Railways Department, later Tranz Rail and now Kiwi Rail.

The Society at this time, also gained a motorised trolley jigger, an un-restored ‘A’ class carriage (36 seater ‘A’ 184, built at Addington Workshops in 1913), a wooden sided M Wagon, and were negotiating the purchase of the last steam locomotive in service through Ashburton (Ja 1260) which pulled the Friday and Sunday evening “midnight” express service from Christchurch to Invercargill, from the NZR.

Other donated and loaned exhibits were housed in Ashburton’s Pioneer Hall. A two road Engine Shed, complete with a concrete inspection pit, was built from donated and recycled Materials from an old Railway shed on West Street.

The Minister of Railways at the time was Mr Tom McGuigan officially opened “The Plains Railway”, by driving the last golden spike into the line in 1973. A ceremonial trip was then run with all the official guests on board, including the Deputy Mayor Mr L R McNally, Member of Parliament R Talbot, and Society President John French, travelling in the 1913 Carriage towed by the then 100 year old Dubs Locomotive. Tom McGuigan is quoted as saying, “Not everything can or even should be preserved, but there are certain things which are highly significant of an event or an era. The steam train is a fine example of such things, not only because of the large and important role it played in this country’s development, but also because it was – and indeed remains – something which fascinates people of all ages”. The Gala Opening was attended by hundreds of visitors, who enjoyed a ride on the train, traction engines and a hand-powered jigger, along with other restored vehicles.

Alongside the railway The Plains also operates vintage and historic farm machinery to grow crops on the agricultural land owned by the Museum. This machinery includes traction engines, harversters, ploughs and even an old style Threshing Machine.