Thames Small Gauge Railway

12 photos taken on January 19, 2020.

The Thames Small Gauge Railway Society Incorporated in Thames, New Zealand, is made up of a group of dedicated enthusiasts who have joined together to create a miniature railway on the foreshore of Thames for the benefit of the whole community. In 1993 the first meeting was called and the society was formed. The Thames Community Board agreed that, as a trail, a temporary track could be laid north of the Karaka Creek on the Brown Street Reserve. A small kidney shaped track of 137 metres was laid with second hand rail, with the dual gauges of 5” and 7 ¼”. A siding and spur to load and unload trains was incorporated. The track was relatively tight with a radius of only 35 foot on the northern curve. A Sunday’s run would involve putting picnic tables inside the track, having a thermos for tea, and a gazebo for shelter. It was three times around the track for one dolllar - four if the driver lost count.