We've been on a quest lately looking for new things to do, and being a little more daring shall I say, to just go and check something out even if there is the risk of it wasting an entire day. With our impending departure of New Zealand, there's a little YOLO thrown in there too to get out and do stuff that we might not usually.
Of course immediately after Christmas the weather around Auckland turned to custard and stayed that way for the week following. Naturally it had been spectacular weather for weeks on end whilst we were all still working, so our plans for spending as much time as possible at the beach was derailed.
Glenbrook Vintage Railway
Then I came across Glenbrook Vintage Railway. It's always been there (since 1922 in fact) and I knew it was there, and despite being a train enthusiast I've never been. I suppose with New Zealand not really having trains suppressed my interest and it only gets rekindled every time we go back to Japan.
I have fond memories as a kid every Christmas being taken to Nene Valley railway in the UK. Our little girl has never been on a train and a rickety old and noisy steam train is some good sensory stimulation to get her excited rather than some boring smooth electric inner city train. I'm hoping she will want to join me for many train rides in Japan!
The Station
The station is situated near the small rural town of Waiuku, around an hour's drive south from Auckland. This large area of the country is mostly green rolling fields in all directions as far as the eye can see, making for a pleasant drive. There is ample parking at the station when you arrive, right next to the track and station
Glenbrook station actually sits on an active freight line, with trains from the nearby Steel Mill passing through and heading East to join the rest of the freight network, so it's not just a novelty railway!
And what an adorable station it is, all of the buildings are painted in beige with a burgundy trim and in a good state of repair. There are toilets, a ticketing office, and a counter where you can order coffee and a snack. Back across the tracks toward the carpark there is a run down playground and picnic benches.
It was the day after boxing day and we expected it to be busy (it was) so we booked online. Adults were $27 each with under 2's free. Please note even if you bought online you will still need to go to the Ticketing office to get a physical ticket, lest you get a telling off from the man on the train.
There is a First Class option available at $67 per adult which includes riding in the plush First Class Car and a complimentary High Tea.
The trains depart at 10am, 11:30am, 1pm and 2:30pm. I would recommend the first or last train. We did the 10am and when it came back, the platform was twice as crowded, from the people getting off and those waiting for the next train and you couldn't really see much of anything. For the 10am train we had ample space to look around, take photos and even poke our head into the train cabin.
The Train Ride
The train had 3 different carriages (in addition to First Class) - a standard covered seated carriage, a completely open topped carriage, and in my opinion the best one which we rode on, a covered carriage with open sides.
The open carriages give you the full experience - the sound of the whistle, the smell of the smoke, the noise of the carriage bouncing around, it was great. Our girl loved it and spend most of the time standing up on our laps for the best view.
The train leaves the station through the countryside, passing through fields and through an old rail-yard. The line terminates at Waiuku before heading back, whereby the train uncouples and moves to the other end of the train. In total the trip was around 70 minutes.
Drive-by
On the way back, we stopped seemingly randomly and were invited to get off if we wished, as the train was going to reverse back down the line and do a drive-by at full speed. Seeing the train build up speed with black smoke billowing out as it charged up to and past us was nothing short of spectacular! It had to then come back so we could get back on board.
Back at the station it was very busy as we departed the train. We stuck around to see the next train depart and the station went almost silent, which was welcome after the barrage of noise for the last hour!
In Closing
We thoroughly enjoyed our morning spent at Glenbrook Vintage railway. Such a place is quite rare in New Zealand, which is a shame of course - as I would very much like to visit more stations and ride more trains like this.
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