Who We Are
We are a group of likeminded individuals that have come together over a passion for locomotives and our Southland community. In 2015, we created a trust to work towards preserving rail heritage for our community which became registered as a charity in 2016. Our original intention was to seek ownership of the Kingston Flyer until it sold privately in 2017.
Our F150
Built in Glasgow, Scotland by Dubs and Co, F150 served on New Zealand Railways from October 1882 until her retirement in 1958 in Invercargill. In 1962 it was gifted to the Invercargill City Council and installed in the Newfield playground along with a WWII Valentine, where many of us in Southland hold treasured childhood memories of playing on it until 1974. With its strong ties to the Southland community, the F150 became the focus of the trust to bring heritage rail back to Southland.
The vision
Our dream is to return our loco to the rail where she belongs and run her with carriages several times a year between Invercargill and Bluff, alongside securing a dedicated section of heritage railway for our Southland community.
In the media
August 11 2025 Group closer to securing heritage railway route in the South - Aimee Wilson, What’s On Invers
May 23 2023: Heritage Train restoration project underway - Aimee Wilson, What’s On Invers
January 7 2023: On the rails: Bringing a 19th century locomotive back up to steam - Louisa Steyl, Southland Times
December 21 2016: Southern Steam Train Trust brings K92 locomotive to Invercargill - Amber-Leigh Woolf, Southland Times