Ohai Railway Board Heritage Trust

The Ohai Railway Board Heritage Trust was a railway preservation society in Southland, New Zealand, focused on conserving the industrial railway heritage associated with the former Ohai Railway Board and the Wairio Branch. The trust was based at Wairio in the former Ohai Railway Board workshops and yard, where it held locomotives, rolling stock, components, and other railway artefacts. Its collection included two diesel shunting locomotives, the remains of P class steam locomotives P 60 and P 133, and several items of rolling stock. In 2002, the trust acquired diesel shunter DS 201 from Alliance Meats at Lorneville and obtained the former Ohai Railway Board Mitsubishi shunter No. 1, which was being stored at Wairio. In 2003, it recovered the chassis of P 60 and the engine unit of P 133, adding historically significant remnants of Southland steam operation to its holdings. The trust at one stage considered operating heritage railway services between Bluff and Ohai. That proposal was not pursued, and the organisation's lease over the former Ohai Railway Board workshops and yard at Wairio was allowed to lapse in 2006. The lapse of the lease marked a major change in the trust's activities: rather than operating from its former base, its locomotives and rolling stock became dispersed among private owners, heritage organisations, and other storage locations. The trust's access to the Wairio yard became a further issue in December 2011, when KiwiRail served its members with a trespass notice barring entry to the yard and workshop buildings. The notice followed concerns that members had entered without obtaining permission. A trust member said that the organisation had been worried about the neglected condition of the site and a possible fire hazard, and had entered to undertake cleaning work. The incident reflected the practical difficulties of preserving railway property located on infrastructure controlled by another organisation after the trust's lease had ended. By 2014, the remaining collection was undergoing further changes. P 133 was acquired and moved to Mosgiel, with an intention that it would later be transported to Middlemarch for static display while efforts to raise funds for a possible restoration continued. DS 201 was sold to a private owner and moved to Dunedin; although operational, it required repainting. The chassis of P 60 was acquired by the Lumsden Heritage Trust together with three wagons. In 2016, Southland District Council arranged for several items of rolling stock to be leased to other South Island heritage groups. The Ohai Railway Board Heritage Trust is therefore best understood as a defunct preservation organisation rather than a commercial transport brand. Its historical significance lies in its attempt to preserve the physical remains of the Ohai Railway Board and the associated coalfield railway environment, as well as in the later distribution of its collection among other New Zealand heritage custodians.

The Ohai Railway Board Heritage Trust was formed in New Zealand to preserve the railway history of Southland, particularly the industrial railway heritage connected with the former Ohai Railway Board and the Wairio Branch. The trust operated from the former Ohai Railway Board workshops and yard at Wairio, a location associated with the railway infrastructure that served the Ohai coalfield and surrounding district. The organisation assembled a collection of locomotives, locomotive remains, wagons, and other railway equipment. In 2002 it acquired diesel shunter DS 201 from Alliance Meats at Lorneville and obtained the former Ohai Railway Board Mitsubishi shunter No. 1, which was stored at Wairio. The trust expanded its collection in 2003 by recovering the chassis of P 60 and the engine unit of P 133 on 4 April. These components represented the remnants of New Zealand railway steam locomotives from the P class, whose preservation was important even where complete restoration was not immediately possible. The trust considered establishing heritage train services between Bluff and Ohai. The proposed operation would have connected the Southland port area with the former coalfield railway and provided a public interpretation of the line's history. The plan was not taken forward, however, and the lease on the former Ohai Railway Board workshops and yard was allowed to lapse in 2006. The end of the lease removed the trust's established base and contributed to the later dispersal of its assets. Most of the trust's locomotives and rolling stock remained at Wairio for a period after the lease ended. DS 201 was moved to Dunedin, while the remains of P 60 were relocated to Lumsden. In December 2011, KiwiRail served trust members with a trespass notice prohibiting them from entering the Wairio yard and workshop buildings. KiwiRail's position was that permission had not been obtained. A member of the trust said the group had been concerned about the site's neglected condition and a potential fire risk, and had entered to clean the area. The dispute illustrated the challenges faced by volunteer preservation groups seeking to care for railway sites that are owned or controlled by a separate infrastructure operator. Further changes occurred in 2014. P 133 was purchased and transported to Mosgiel, with plans for a later move to Middlemarch for static display while funding was sought for a possible return to working order. DS 201 was purchased by a private owner and transferred to Dunedin. The shunter was described as operational but in need of repainting. The Lumsden Heritage Trust acquired the P 60 chassis along with three wagons. In 2016, several items of rolling stock were leased to other South Island heritage groups in arrangements involving Southland District Council. The trust is now regarded as defunct. Its legacy survives through the locomotives, locomotive remains, wagons, and other artefacts that passed into the care of private owners and other heritage organisations. Its history is part of the broader story of railway preservation in Southland and of efforts to retain physical evidence of the former Ohai Railway Board's operations.

• 2016

  Rolling stock leased to other heritage groups

  [1]Ohai Railway Board Heritage Trusten.wikipedia.org

  Several items of rolling stock were leased to other South Island heritage organisations through Southland District Council arrangements.

• 2014

  Major collection transfers

  [1]Ohai Railway Board Heritage Trusten.wikipedia.org

  P 133 moved to Mosgiel, DS 201 was transferred to a private owner in Dunedin, and the P 60 chassis with three wagons went to the Lumsden Heritage Trust.

• 2011

  Access to Wairio site restricted

  [1]Ohai Railway Board Heritage Trusten.wikipedia.org

  KiwiRail served a trespass notice on trust members, preventing access to the Wairio yard and workshop buildings without permission.

• 2006

  Wairio lease lapses

  [1]Ohai Railway Board Heritage Trusten.wikipedia.org

  The lease over the former Ohai Railway Board workshops and yard ended after the proposed Bluff–Ohai heritage service was not pursued.

• 2003

  Recovery of P-class locomotive remains

  [1]Ohai Railway Board Heritage Trusten.wikipedia.org

  The trust recovered the chassis of P 60 and the engine unit of P 133 on 4 April.

• 2002

  Acquisition of diesel shunters

  [1]Ohai Railway Board Heritage Trusten.wikipedia.org

  The trust acquired DS 201 from Alliance Meats at Lorneville and obtained the former Ohai Railway Board Mitsubishi shunter No. 1 for storage at Wairio.

A Southland railway heritage trust dedicated to preserving the equipment and historical record of the former Ohai Railway Board, rather than operating as a commercial rail carrier.

• Diesel shunting locomotive · 2002

  DS 201

  A diesel shunting locomotive acquired by the trust from Alliance Meats at Lorneville in 2002. It later left the trust's collection, was transferred to Dunedin, and was described as operational but requiring repainting.

• Diesel shunting locomotive

  Ohai Railway Board Mitsubishi shunter No. 1

  A Mitsubishi-built shunting locomotive formerly associated with the Ohai Railway Board. The trust obtained it for preservation and stored it at Wairio.

• Steam locomotive remains · 2003

  P 60 remains

  The surviving chassis of P 60, a P-class 2-8-0 tender locomotive. The trust recovered the chassis in 2003; it was later acquired by the Lumsden Heritage Trust together with three wagons.

• Steam locomotive remains · 2003

  P 133 remains

  The engine unit of P 133 was recovered by the trust in 2003. It was subsequently purchased and moved to Mosgiel, with a proposed future static display at Middlemarch and possible restoration dependent on funding.

• Railway wagons and equipment

  Historic rolling stock collection

  A group of railway wagons and associated equipment preserved as part of the trust's Southland railway collection. After the trust's Wairio lease ended, items were transferred or leased to other heritage custodians.

• Bluff–Ohai heritage railway proposal

  Southland, New Zealand

  The trust considered operating heritage railway services between Bluff and Ohai to interpret and preserve the region's railway history.

  Outcome. The proposal was not pursued, and the trust's lease at the former Wairio workshops and yard later lapsed in 2006.

  Source

• 2016

  Leasing of rolling stock to other heritage organisationsOther

  Background

  Several items of rolling stock remained available for preservation after the trust's own base and activities had declined.

  Action taken

  Southland District Council arranged leases of several items to other South Island heritage groups.

  Aftermath

  The equipment continued to be held within the regional heritage network, although collection records were not fully updated to reflect the leases.

  Source

• 2014

  Transfer and redistribution of collection assetsOther

  Background

  The trust's former base was no longer available and its historic equipment required alternative custody.

  Action taken

  P 133 moved to Mosgiel, DS 201 was sold to a private owner and moved to Dunedin, and the P 60 chassis with three wagons was acquired by the Lumsden Heritage Trust.

  Aftermath

  The collection became distributed across several South Island locations, with possible future display or restoration dependent on the receiving custodians.

  Source

• 2006

  Abandonment of proposed heritage service and lease lapseStrategy

  Background

  The trust had considered running heritage services between Bluff and Ohai but did not proceed with the plan.

  Action taken

  The lease on the former Ohai Railway Board workshops and yard at Wairio was allowed to lapse.

  Aftermath

  The trust lost its principal operating base, and much of its collection remained at or was later moved away from the Wairio site.

  Source

• 2016

  Rolling stock leased to other South Island heritage groups[1]Ohai Railway Board Heritage Trusten.wikipedia.org

  Other

  Several pieces of the former trust collection were leased to other South Island heritage organisations through arrangements involving Southland District Council.

• 2014

  Trust collection becomes distributed among South Island heritage custodians[1]Ohai Railway Board Heritage Trusten.wikipedia.org

  Other

  P 133 moved to Mosgiel, DS 201 was sold and transferred to Dunedin, and the P 60 chassis and three wagons were acquired by the Lumsden Heritage Trust.

• 2011

  KiwiRail issues trespass notice to trust members at Wairio[1]Ohai Railway Board Heritage Trusten.wikipedia.org

  Other

  In December 2011, KiwiRail barred members of the trust from the Wairio yard and workshop buildings after alleging that access had occurred without permission. A trust member said the group had been responding to concerns about site neglect and fire risk.

• 2006

  Ohai Railway Board Heritage Trust lease at Wairio lapses[1]Ohai Railway Board Heritage Trusten.wikipedia.org

  Other

  The trust's lease over the former Ohai Railway Board workshops and yard at Wairio was allowed to expire after plans for heritage services between Bluff and Ohai were abandoned.

1. 1Ohai Railway Board Heritage Trusten.wikipedia.org