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The Canterbury Railway Society Incorporated, based at the Ferrymead Heritage Park, is celebrating 60 years since it began.
The Ferrymead Railway project – the first heritage railway to be established in Canterbury. The Canterbury Branch of the New Zealand Railway & Locomotive Society, which later became the Canterbury Railway Society, was donated a small steam locomotive from a West Coast sawmill in late 1964. This became the first piece of rolling stock for the Ferrymead Railway.
As a temporary measure the locomotive was stored in the front garden of a member’s property along Clyde Road in Ilam. A site to establish an operating railway was finally settled upon at Ferrymead, along the embankment of the very first public railway to open in NZ. This original line had opened on December 1, 1863, and was to the broad gauge of 5 foot and 3 inches. It was used to transport goods and passengers from the river port at Ferrymead to Christchurch. It was only ever intended to be a temporary railway, as work was underway constructing the Lyttelton Railway Tunnel which was completed in December 1867 and the Ferrymead line closed shortly after.
The dedicated volunteers began the arduous work of establishing an operational railway. Physical groundwork at Ferrymead started in late 1965. Track, sleepers, fitting, and other necessary pieces of equipment were acquired. They started to lay a completely new railway, to the narrow gauge (NZ standard) of 3 feet and 6 inches. Two tractors, one fitted with a blade, was to become invaluable in clearing the old formation of scrub enabling the railway construction to begin. The first piece of rolling stock to arrive onsite at Ferrymead was an 1880’s era brake van which had been used at a Camp near Annat, it arrived in January 1966.
The Ferrymead Railway grew from that first donated steam locomotive into the largest collection of preserved rolling stock in the South Island with more than 70 items. These range from the oldest carriage in NZ, built in 1874 – restored as part of the Heritage Train; the oldest operating steam locomotive in NZ built in 1872 – F 13 Peveril; through to operational heritage electric locomotives Ec 7 and Eo 3 formerly used in Christchurch and Otira respectively built in the 1920’s; and three Vulcan railcars. Most of the collection items have links with being used in the Canterbury Region, or within the South Island.
The volunteers, their families, and supporters will celebrate 60 years of the Railway on the Saturday of Labour Weekend with an enthusiast’s photography day, a commemorative book launch, finished off with a celebratory buffet dinner.
Over Sunday and Monday of Labour weekend, the Ferrymead Railway will be showcasing its extensive collection with guided tours behind the scenes as well as operating passenger services predominantly using steam motive power. Entry to Ferrymead Heritage Park is required, and train tickets can be purchased from Moorhouse village station within the park on the day.
