Old rail, new purpose: 344 tonnes helping bring F150 back to life
What does a pile of rusty old rail have to do with getting F150 back under steam?
Quite a lot, as it turns out.
Sitting in Northern Southland Transport Holdings’ Victoria Avenue yard in Invercargill was a stockpile of surplus railway rail belonging to Environment Southland. It was heavily corroded and, for the most part, no longer suitable for reuse, even by heritage railways.
Some of it is believed to have come from the former Riverton to Tuatapere branch, which closed in 1976.
It had already lived one Southland railway life. We wondered if it might have one more.
An indication of the condition the scrap rail was in - September 2026
A new use for old rail
Southern Steam approached Environment Southland with an idea: we would coordinate removing and recycling the surplus rail, with the proceeds from the scrap metal shared between Environment Southland and Southern Steam.
Environment Southland got behind it.
The scrap rail was inherited from the Southland Catchment Board when its assets and responsibilities were transferred to Environment Southland in 1989. The rail had been used by the Southland Catchment Board for erosion protection work along riverbanks across Southland. Over time, the scrap rail had been phased out in favour of more effective protection work.
It was the perfect fit: recycle the old steel, clear the site and put some of its value back into Southland's railway heritage. Simple enough.
Our estimates suggested there would be about 180 tonnes of rail....we were a bit out.
There were 344 tonnes. Thankfully, the engineering calculations for F150 get a little more scrutiny.
A bit of Southland help
Shifting that much steel became one of those projects where local businesses saw what we were trying to achieve and found ways to help. The real testament to how we've managed to get so far with the F150 restoration to date.
Southland Machine Hire, owned by Andy, Wayne and John Tuffley, gave us a great deal for their labour, with Drainage Excavation Services Ltd supplying the excavator and tipulator truck.
Drainage Excavation Services’s excavator making light work of some of the 344 tonnes beside the Waihopai river.
Mike Butterfield at Invercargill Scrap Metals (2000) Ltd also got behind the project, offering and holding a competitive scrap rate while we got things moving.
By the time the last load left Victoria Avenue, 344 tonnes of old rail had been recycled and the site cleaned up, with Northern Southland Transport Holdings very happy with the result.
And Southern Steam had received a boost towards the next stage of F150's restoration, including completing the boiler repairs.
Old railway to support new beginnings
This is the bit we particularly like, where heritage has helped us steam ahead with the new future for the F150.
Some of that rail is believed to have once formed part of the Riverton to Tuatapere railway that was closed in 31 July 1976. That means half a century after that line closed, the value in the old steel is now helping restore our 1881 Southland steam locomotive.
F150 might sit at the centre of what we're doing but bringing her back has never just been about just restoring a locomotive. We want people to experience her and showcase the power of community coming together.
It's for those who remember F150 beside the tank in the Newfield playground, those who have worked in Southland workshops to restore her, and for the generations of Southlanders who have never experienced the real sight, sound and smell of a steam locomotive.
One day, we hope they'll get that chance. In the meantime, we welcome you to our monthly open days on the 3rd Sunday of every month at our Inglewood Road shed.
A peek into one of our open days - Sunday 21 June 2026
Thank you Southland!
A huge thank you to Environment Southland for being willing to work with us and try something a bit different with a pile of rail that had reached the end of the line.
And to Southland Machine Hire, Drainage Excavation Services Ltd, Invercargill Scrap Metals (2000) Ltd and Northern Southland Transport Holdings, thank you for the part each of you played in making it work.
A council, a charity and a handful of local businesses each brought something different to the job. Scrap metal thoughtfully recycled, the site cleared, and its value stayed here in Southland. It is this sort of attitude and collaborative that makes us so proud to call ourselves Southlanders.
Not a bad final job for 344 tonnes of rusty old rail!
