On Saturday (February 22) Goldfields Railway in Waihi welcomed an addition to its fleet of vintage locomotives in the form of a TR845 yard shunter with origins dating back 40 years.
Previously in the possession of KiwiRail at Te Rapa, the locomotive was delivered by truck and moved into place amongst the historic railway’s other engines.
The shunter will spend the next few months being tested to get up to speed before it can join the main line on which carriages from yesteryear carry visitors on the rail trail between Waihi and Waikino via the world-renowned Karangahake Gorge.
Visitors can load up their bikes on the train and sit back to enjoy the eye-catching 30-minute journey along the Ohinemuri River.
The station was opened in November 1905 and the line was commissioned to travel between Paeroa and Waihi to accommodate the influx of new workers and residents brought to the town by the expansion of the Martha mine.
Today it is a veritable treasure trove of memorabilia from the days when Waihi was a booming gold mining town. Completing the look is a bunch of retro stacked suitcases ready to be loaded onto the train.
When waiting on the platform for one of the three daily services, visitors feel like they have truly stepped back in time.
