Description
The Glen Afton Line, also known as the Bush Tramway Club, is a heritage railway located in the Waikato region of New Zealand. The railway is run by a group of dedicated volunteers who provide the public with steam and/or diesel train rides on a 5.4 km (3.4 mi) section of the former Glen Afton Branch. The railway operates on the first Sunday of every month, with hourly departures between 10 am and 3 pm. Visitors can enjoy a short ride on the train, which is a 7.5 km (4.7 mi) return trip between P
The railway also has a significant collection of heritage industrial railway items on display, much of which came from the coal and timber industries.
The Glen Afton Branch was a branch railway line built in 1911 to serve coal mines in the Awaroa district west of Huntly at Rotowaro, Pukemiro, and Glen Afton. The branch line was dieselised in 1966, and passenger trains, mainly for miners, ran until 1972. The Bush Tramway Club was founded in 1965 to preserve equipment from New Zealand's former bush tramways and light industrial lines, railway lines which were used to remove timber from the bush and transport coal from mines to dairy factories. The club obtained use of the Rotowaro-Glen Afton section in 1974 and has since purchased most of the rail corridor land.
The Open Day ticket covers rides on the main train, and rides on an old bush "jigger" are usually available at a small extra cost. Souvenirs, a sausage sizzle, other food items, and drinks are normally available on Open Days. The railway operates restored locomotives, and visitors can see one of the club's operational steam locomotives. The Glen Afton Line is a great place to visit for those interested in New Zealand's railway history and industrial heritage.
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