The Pleasant Point Railway and Historical Society is an award-winning attraction located in the small town of Pleasant Point, in southern Canterbury, New Zealand.
It has been rated as one of New Zealand's best preservation railways, and it is not hard to see why. The society is run by a small army of volunteers who are all working to preserve New Zealand's railway history and the history of the South Canterbury area. Visitors from around the world have made their way to Pleasant Point to ride the train, including visitors from Japan, Taiwan, Australia, Holland, China, the UK, Germany, Canada, and Israel.
The society has two steam engines, two diesels, one of the world’s only Model T Ford railcars, and a 137-year-old station. The incredibly detailed miniature railway has to be seen to be believed. A tiny little town with so many intricate working pieces, worth the visit just to see that. The Printery holds an impressive collection of antique presses. Upstairs there's a room full of vintage goodness, early computers, and other machinery, posters, school equipment, and more. Plus a movie theatre, complete with antique seats.
The Pleasant Point Railway and Historical Society is a heritage railway located in the small country town of Pleasant Point in southern Canterbury, New Zealand, inland from Timaru. The society was formed with the aim of preserving Pleasant Point station, as the original building from 1875 still stood, with the addition of a 1930s booking office. The society ultimately managed to preserve the station and the railway line, and it has since become a popular tourist attraction. The society runs fully operational steam locomotives, including the 1922 locomotive Ab699, and a rare replica of a Model T Ford Railcar. Visitors can travel in style behind a steam locomotive in the society's restored carriages, experiencing what it was like to travel in first, second, and third class. The Pleasant Point Railway and Historical Society is a must-visit if you're in the Timaru District on one of their open days. Displays range from the country’s worst railway disaster at Tangiwai in 1953, a large model train display, to old printing machines and computers. The society is a testament to the hard work and dedication of its volunteers, who have worked tirelessly to preserve New Zealand's railway history.