Running Days

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

Operating Days at The Plains Vintage Railway & Historical Museum

FARES

All tickets purchased entitle the bearer to ALL DAY rides on our train on the day of purchase. EFTPOS is available on site!
We do not accept credit cards.

Public Running Days

We’re Celebrating!!!!

Over the weekend of 18th & 19th Nov, we celebrate the 50th Anniversary since the Opening of our Heritage Railway in 1973, by operating our 3 Steam Locos: A64, K88, Ja1260 along with Railcar Rm50 during each day. A rare chance to experience the grand old days of Steam and Rail Travel! Each Ticket purchased gives the holder unlimited Rides on the day of Purchase: Adults $12, Child $6 (under 17 years), Family $30 (2A, 2C) & preschoolers free.

Find out more >

Operating Locomotives: K88, A64 and Ja 1260 ** 50th Celebration **

November 19, 2023

Operating locomotive Ja 1260 *Christmas Celebration*

December 10, 2023

Operating locomotive to be advised

December 27, 2023

Operating locomotive to be advised

January 7, 2024

Locomotive to be advised. Operating loco to be advised

January 14, 2024

Locomotive to be advised. Operating loco to be advised

January 21, 2024

Locomotive to be advised. Operating loco to be advised

February 4, 2024

Locomotive to be advised. Operating loco to be advised

February 18, 2024

Locomotive to be advised. Operating loco to be advised

March 30, 2024

Locomotive to be advised. Easter Weekend

March 31, 2024

Locomotive to be advised. Operating loco to be advised

April 14, 2024

Locomotive to be advised. Operating loco to be advised

April 28, 2024

Locomotive to be advised. Ashburtons Wheels Week

May 4, 2024

Find us at 20 Maronan Road, Tinwald, Ashburton, which is beside the Tinwald Domain, where plenty of parking is available. Entry to the complex is via donation.

Limited displays are viewable all year round – or contact us prior to your visit to arrange a guided tour: Find out more

We operate Public Running Days from September to June, with train rides every half hour – from 11am – with the last train departing at 3.30pm.

Our Museum Village buildings are open, with stationary engines and vintage machinery on display.
Also on site is the Ashburton Fire Museum, Ashburton Steam & Model Engineers, Ashburton Woodworkers and Lynn Museum who are usually open (staff dependent).

The ticket office is located in the station building where you can purchase souvenirs and trinkets. The station waiting room also has a range of children’s activities to keep them busy.

The popup playground provides inflatable fun for the kids (weather permitting), and there is usually hot food available, along with coffee from vendors on site, but you can also bring a picnic and enjoy the Tinwald Domain surroundings, playground and duck pond.

To get the latest up to date information visit our Facebook page: The Plains Railway & Historical Museum.

You can find us at 20 Maronan Road, Tinwald, Ashburton, which is beside the Tinwald Domain, where there is plenty of parking available.

You can also type ‘The Plains Vintage Railway’ into your phone map app or click here for directions.

Visitor's reviews

"Great place to take the grand kids they had a ball. The fire engine rides and train rides were great for young and old. Highly recommend."

"Awesome place. Step back in time viewing both NZ and Ashburton's history with brilliant displays of fire engines, household items, farming equipment, you name it through to a beautifully restored steam train, plus a working railcar train providing rides. Even has a working blacksmith. If visiting Ashburton put it on your must do list. Really worth the visit be it for family or adults."

"If you are interested in handtools and machinery of time gone by this is a must visit. A group of us spent a fascinating time looking at old carpenters and printers tools. Steam engines, Railcar, carriages, working Smithy with a blacksmith making things. Lots more of very exciting machines. Well worth a visit."

"LOVED the ride on the steam train! What a great place to visit! All of the engines working, shiny brass and soft chugging engines! I loved the beautiful, little church, very quaint and photogenic."

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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.