Ohai Railway Board Heritage Trust

The Ohai Railway Board Heritage Trust is a defunct railway preservation society that was formed to preserve Southland's rail history. The trust was formerly based at Wairio on the Wairio Branch in the former Ohai Railway Board workshops, and owned a number of locomotives and items of rolling stock, including the remains of two P class 2-8-0 tender locomotives.

Trust Lapses

In 2006 the ORBHT's lease on the former ORB workshops and yard at Wairio was allowed to lapse after the trust decided no to pursue the idea of running heritage services from Bluff to Ohai. The trust's locomotives and rolling stock remained on the site; as of January 2015, most of the trust's stock remained at Wairio with the exception of diesel shunting locomotive DS 201 and the remains of steam locomotive P 60, which had moved to Dunedin and Lumsden respectively.

Banned

In December 2011, members of the ORBHT were banned from entering the Wairio yard and workshop buildings after being served a trespass notice by KiwiRail. The notice was served on the grounds that the trust's members had not sought permission from KiwiRail to access the site; one of the trust members responded by saying the trust had become concerned with the neglected state of the site and the potential fire risk, and had stepped in to clean the site up.[1]

Locomotives and Rolling Stock

In 2002, the ORBHT purchased two diesel shunting locomotives, DS 201 from Alliance Meats at Lorneville and the former Ohai Railway Board Mitsubishi shunter NO 1 which was then stored at Wairio. In 2003 they also recovered the chassis of P 60 and the engine unit of P 133 on 4 April 2003. In 2014 P 133 was unknownly purchased and was transported to Mosgiel. It will be later transported to Middlemarch for static display for funding so it can be restored to working condition.[2] Also in 2014 DS 201 was purchased by a private owner and transported to Dunedin.[3][4] The 'DS' is in operational order but requires a repaint. The chassis of P 60 was purchased by the Lumsden Heritage Trust along with three wagons.

Locomotives

Key: In service In service, Mainline Certified Under overhaul/restoration Stored Static display Scrapped
Number Builder Builders number Year Built Arrived at Wairio Notes
ORB NO 1 Mitsubishi Heavy Industries 1475 1967 1992 Entered service for the Ohai Railway Board in 1967. Withdrawn in 1992 and stored at Wairio, later purchased by the ORBHT. Currently stored unserviceable at the Wairio workshops.

Carriages

Key: In service In service, Mainline Certified Under overhaul/restoration Stored Static display Scrapped
Number Builder Year built Arrived at Wairio Notes
A 294 NZR Petone Workshops 1892 14 February 2003 Named Nightcaps. Entered service for the New Zealand Railways Department in 1892. Withdrawn in 1952 and purchased by the Ohai Railway Board. It was later leased to the Oamaru Steam and Rail Restoration Society in 1990. It was stored in Oamaru until being transferred back to Wairio on 14 February 2003.
A 525 NZR Addington Workshops 1896 2003 Named Ohai. Entered service for the New Zealand Railways Department in 1896. Withdrawn and sold to the Ohai Railway Board on 16 August 1952. It was later leased to the Oamaru Steam and Rail Restoration Society in 1990. It was stored in Oamaru until being transferred back to Wairio on 14 February 2003.

Vans

Key: In service In service, Mainline Certified Under overhaul/restoration Stored Static display Scrapped
Number Builder Year built Arrived at Wairio Notes
F 11 n/a 1886 9 August 2002 Named Morley. Entered service for the New Zealand Railways Department in 1886. Withdrawn in 1937 and converted to Way & Works ballast plough van E 932. Purchased by the Ohai Railway Board in 1941, later leased to the Oamaru Steam and Rail Restoration Society in 1994. It was stored in Oamaru until being transferred back to Wairio on 9 August 2002.

Wagons

Key: In service In service, Mainline Certified Under overhaul/restoration Stored Static display Scrapped
Number Builder Year built Arrived at Wairio Notes
ER 295 NZR Otahuhu Workshops 1954 2000 Formerly JC 5307 (1954 - 1978), E 4189 (1978) and E 5326 (1978 - 1981). Withdrawn on 17 August 1974. Owned by the Rail Heritage Trust of New Zealand and leased to the ORBHT.
Unidentified L n/a n/a n/a Formerly owned by the Ohai Railway Board.
LA 2962 NZR Otahuhu Workshops 1931 n/a Pre-TMS: LA 17119. Withdrawn in Invercargill in August 1978. Formerly owned by the Ohai Railway Board.
LA 16320 NZR Otahuhu Workshops 1931 n/a Pre-TMS: LA 17134. Withdrawn on 10 October 1966 after traffic damage. Formerly owned by the Ohai Railway Board.
LB 2631 NZR Addington Workshops 22 May 1976 n/a Owned by the Rail Heritage Trust of New Zealand and leased to the ORBHT.
LPF 388 n/a 1995 2000 Pre-TMS: the number is unidentified. Owned by the Rail Heritage Trust of New Zealand and leased to the ORBHT. Used for transportation of fertiliser.
LPS 351 n/a 1989 n/a Pre-TMS: the number is unidentified. Former LPA wagon converted for scrap haulage, Owned by the Rail Heritage Trust of New Zealand. Formerly leased to the ORBHT, now on static display at Lumsden railway station.
WOA 620 NZR Otahuhu Workshops 1939 n/a Formerly LA 19320.
XA 2583 n/a n/a n/a Rebuilt in 1950 at the Otahuhu Workshop] after an accident. Donated to the ORBHT by PPCS. Frame and body only.
XA 2587 n/a n/a n/a Rebuilt in 1950 at the Otahuhu Workshops after an accident. It was then donated to the ORBHT by PPCS.

References

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