Lower Hutt train line celebrates 150 years

The 150th anniversary of a crucial railway line was celebrated in classic style this month.

The Wellington to Lower Hutt railway line, which opened in 1874, had its 150th anniversary on April 14.

Families and fans turned out to Wellington Railway Station to see first-hand classic locomotives and passenger carriages parked at the station.

Older visitors enjoyed a trip down memory lane as they walked up the aisle of classic train carriages now only used for special excursion services.

Attendees were even allowed to climb into the cabs of the trains and see how the trains worked and ran in the 20th century.

Classic locomotives at the free event included Ka 942, which was manufactured by NZ Railways in 1940, and weighed 145.6 tonnes.

The locomotives are in the care of heritage railway groups around the lower North Island, which provided use of their fleet for the event along with KiwiRail. They included Steam Incorporated, Plimmerton-based Mainline Steam, Pahiatua Railcar Society and Hutt Valley-based Silver Stream Railway.

Steam Incorporated works to restore ex-New Zealand government railways locomotives to “full” working order, their website says. They allow to their fleet to be used to provide unique rail journeys on KiwiRail train lines.

Steam Incorporated member Michael, who did not want to give his last name, said the carriage he has worked on was built in 1934 or 1933. It had been used on the main trunk line, and a provincial express through to Napier and new Plymouth.

He and other members of Steam Incorporated maintained the carriage, restoring the inside and out to its original state. The electric lights still worked, he said.