Glenbrook Vintage Railway - March 2009

The mission of the Railway Enthusiasts Society Inc. is, as they express on their website, to "foster an intelligent interest in railways and in their operation and development generally." Thus we jumped on our friends' idea a couple weeks ago and gave E an opportunity to expand his interest in trains "intelligently."

After a fifty-minute drive south of Auckland, we caught a ride on a vintage train pulled by a steam engine. Construction of the Glenbrook Vintage Railway began in 1970and in 1977 the Railway opened (25-minute ride each way). Interestingly, "the Railway is not a museum as such, but rather a fully self-supporting, operating steam railway, built almost entirely by volunteer labour."

























Before we hopped on the train, we had a picnic and the kids played a bit.









As the train slowly rolled onto the station, we made our way to the platform.



Inside the train car, the kids had a blast trying out different seats, looking through (hanging out) the windows, and running up and down the isles.

























After the train brought us back to the station, we decided to end the afternoon in Mission Bay. Originally known for its Mission House built in 1859, these days, this eastern precinct of Auckland is known for its golden beach and thriving café scene.

Some of us enjoyed our coffee and others played some more.