A 150-year-old train has been recovered from a beach near Whanganui Port after sitting in the sand for about 75 years.
At the coastal city’s port, work has been underway in recent months to improve flood protection and safe navigation of the area through infrastructure upgrades.
Last month, during work on the beachfront at the harbour’s south mole, contractors hit something hard in the sand.
It was identified as a train called Skunk, one of the first locomotives to run a scheduled service between Palmerston North and Foxton from 1876.
It was lifted out of the sand on Thursday and taken to Steam Rail Whanganui’s yard for assessment.
President Blair Jordan told RNZ it was a surprise to find the train.
“It is the first time it has actually appeared after many people have tried to find it, there is very much a lot of excitement with the find.”
Jordan said it served in Manawatū and down in Westport in the South Island before returning to Whanganui where it was left in 1918 after construction of part of the city’s port.
He said whilst the train was rusty, it wasn’t in as bad a condition as what they thought it might be, given its age.
“The boiler and chassis and everything seems to be fairly well complete so it is an exciting find.”
It could never be restored to running again, but it could become a static exhibit, Jordan said.
A fundraising campaign would likely get underway soon to cover the cost of restoration.
rnz.co.nz
