The F150 and Southern Steam journey

• 1881

  Built in Glasgow for £1,690

• 1882

  Entered service in Greymouth

• 1924

  Transferred to Christchurch & Lyttelton. Note: Otira tunnel opened 1924.

• 1955

  Transferred to Invercargill

• 1958

  Withdrawn from service in Invercargill

• 1962

  Moved to the Newfield Park Playground

• 1974

  Donated to the Ocean Beach Railway and moved to Dunedin

• 1986

  Leased to Plains Railway in Ashburton, dismantled but not restored

• November 2015

  The Southern Steam Train Charitable Trust (Southern Steam Trust) was incorporated with the original objective to preserve in perpetuity the Kingston Flyer as a community owned asset.

• June 2016

  Southern Steam becomes accepted as a registered Charitable Trust in New Zealand under CC53478.

• February 2017

  Kingston Flyer sells to private buyers. Southern Steam identified the return to Southland and full restoration of steam locomotive F150 as a worthy follow-on project.

• July 2022

  Locomotive restoration commenced in earnest.

• 2021 to 2024

  $540,000 funding secured thanks to Community Trust South, ILT Foundation, Lottery Environment & Heritage Fund, ICC Community Wellbeing Fund, Southland Regional Heritage Committee, Rail Heritage Trust, Lion Foundation and Aotearoa Gaming Trust.

• January 2025

  $520,000 spend to date.

• August 2025

  Expressed interest to KiwiRail to lease 7km of the branch to operate as a heritage railway between north of Lorneville to Branxholme alongside early discussions with the owners of the former Makarewa freezing works about using part of their site as our operational base.

• 2027

  Full locomotive restoration goal