Keirunga Park Railway Leaflet

The Keirunga Park Railway

Pufflett Road
Havelock North
Phone (06) 877 8857

The Keirunga Park Railway

The Keirunga Park Railway is the club track of the Havelock North Live Steamers and Associates, an incorporated society formed in 1985 by a group of enthusiasts who realised that a ground-level multi-gauge track in Hawke’s Bay would be an asset to those involved in the hobby of model engineering.

After investigating various possible sites in the area, negotiations with the local Council resulted in permission being granted for the club to use the parkland adjacent to Keirunga Gardens.

Following extensive surveying of the hilly site, an acceptable route for the railway was finalised and construction began on 2 August 1986. Five and a half years and over 26,000 man- hours later, Mr Harry Romanes OBE, patron of the society and Chairman of the Hawke’s Bay Regional Council, opened the railway on 18 April 1992.

Considerable assistance was given by many firms and organisations by way of donated materials, use of plant and machinery, and technical expertise. Service organisations contributed labour and materials for specific projects. Financial support was received from TrustBank, Sport and Recreation grants, local businesses and private individuals. To all who helped, HNLS&A are most grateful. We now invite you to enjoy the magnificent facility built by our members.

THE TRACK is 846 metres (just over half a mile) long and caters for 3.5″, 5″ and 7.25″ gauges. Traversing the hilly topography of the park demands a ruling gradient of 1 in 100 uphill and 1 in 50 downhill. The ruling curve radius is 43 feet.

Three crossing loops are provided and a diversion is possible at the first of these to provide a “short cut” back to Keirunga Park station. The single track main line crosses four high viaducts – a curved wooden trestle, a steel arch and two concrete structures, as well as passing through three tunnels. The view constantly changes as the line winds around the hillside and along the steep slopes of a deep valley.

Facilities include a hoist for lifting locomotives to track level, a 12 foot turntable and traverser, elevated steaming bays serviced with 12 volt and mains power, compressed air and softened water, and communication and water points at all loops.  The line is full signalled with automatic three-aspect colour light signals, with two-position semaphores controlling the Keirunga Park station area. All points are to the design of Henry Holder of Carnforth, UK, and, together with the semaphore signals, are controlled electrically by a Westinghouse Style “L” miniature lever frame (donated by NZ Railways) in the signal box at Keirunga Park. At the time of writing the KPR has the largest number of “Holder Points” in the world.

Public Running

The railway is open to the public on the first and third Sunday of each month (weather permitting) and rides are available between the hours of 11.00am and 4.00pm.  Up-to-date information can be obtained by telephoning (06) 877-8857 at any time.

In addition the railway is open to the public during the same hours at Easter and Labour weekends, when the Club is joined by visiting locomotives from other Clubs around the country.

Further information can be obtained from:

The General Manager
103 Te Mata Road,
Havelock North

The Keirunga Park Railway Track

FLETCHER’S CROSSING
STEWARTSSONS LOOP
SUMMIT OF LINE
HILLCREST
JUNCTION
KEIRUNGA PARK
ENTRANCE TO CAR PARK

HAVELOCK NORTH

We are here
KEIRUNGA GARDENS

Just next door to Keirunga Park Railway, and set amid the lovely Keirunga Gardens is the Keirunga Homestead, built in 1906, and now the headquarters of

Keirunga Gardens
Arts & Crafts Society Inc

Home of a number of art, craft and interest groups including:

Classical Music Listening
Miniatures & Dolls’ House
Theatre
Pottery
Silverwork
Spinning & Weaving
Canecraft
Painting
Patchwork & Quilting
Film Society
Gardening

There is room for new members in most groups

New interest groups within the Society welcomed

For further information

Write to the Society at PO Box 8265, Havelock North
or Phone (06) 877-5118