Why Glenbrook Vintage Railway in Auckland is a great day out for families

The whimsical experience starts as soon as you enter vintage Glenbrook Station. Photo / Getty Images

Until Jurassic Park becomes a reality, you’ll have to stick with your child’s other obsession - trains. And there’s no better place for a fun family day out than Glenbrook Vintage Railway in Auckland, writes Anna Sarjeant

“It’s okay,” soothed the mother “I promise we’ll come back when they reopen.”

The kid’s dismay, as he stole one last look at the shiny locomotive, eased somewhat.

What she neglected to add is that Glenbrook Vintage Railway is taking its annual hiatus for maintenance and won’t reopen for regular weekend rides until October Labour Weekend. For children – as you may recall – time is the nemesis that makes four months akin to 25 years. Hence why mum kept schtum.

I smiled; we’d just disembarked a traditional steam train following an hour-long chug across Waiuku countryside in South Auckland. And when I say “we” I predominately mean train fanatics – of the Thomas the Tank toy-carrying kind. It’s no lie that children made up the majority of this morning’s clientele. No doubt riding the rails for the fourth time this month.

Children make up the majority of passenger numbers on Glenbrook Vintage Railway. Photo / Supplied

I may not be two foot tall and dressed head-to-toe in Spiderman, but I, too, can appreciate the magnificence of a traditional train journey, especially when steam and a storybook “choo-choo” pumps across the countryside. Whether you’re little or large, vintage trains possess a magic that transcends time. Case in point: Thomas and Co. line the shelves of the Glenbrook Railway gift shop, and they’ve been a popular toy shop staple since the first products sold in 1957.

I don’t consider myself a train buff but I thought a whimsical train ride would be a good option for a family day out, along with friends who have a daughter the same age as our son, as well as a refreshing alternative to Sundays spent at an indoor playground; other people’s sprogs lobbing plastic balls at my head.

I was right. We’d picked a classic winter Auckland day, complete with ominous grey clouds and bouts of dazzling sunshine. Befitting, I thought, of the British scenery from 1970s classic, The Railway Children, which I watched at least 20 times between the age of 5 and 8. Nostalgia crept over me like a comfort blanket.

An Auckland day out at Glenbrook Vintage Railway. Photo / Chris O'Donoghue

In our haste to fold down prams and alight, we’d forgotten to exchange our online booking for authentic cardboard tickets. These are stubbed by a dapperly dressed train conductor to whom we apologised profusely, fearful that our reliance on QR codes might put the man out of a job, and he reluctantly agreed he wouldn’t throw us off the train, although I’m still unsure if he was deadpan with humour or animosity.

There are both indoor and open-air carriages with wooden seats and old-fashioned lighting that fascinated my son way more than the bucolic good looks unfolding outside. Either way, the heating is much like yesteryear’s offerings (non-existent) and you’ll want a warm coat wherever you ride. There is a handful of places to get off and poke about the vintage platforms and train stations, including Waiuku township, where you can have a potter and grab a bite to eat before catching a later train back. With two under-2s and nap time imminent, we stayed on until Pukeoware, where the train workshops are open for public inspection.

A team of volunteers and staff maintain and restore carriages that date from the 1870s to the 1980s. Photo / Supplied

A team of both volunteers and staff maintain the track and trains, restoring carriages that date from the 1870s to the 1980s. Some of their tools date to June 2023, or so says The Warehouse-branded pack of Stanley knives, freshly opened and strewn across the floor. In a “no one gives two hoots about health and safety” slant that only NZ could get away with, scores of train passengers tiptoe through the workshop, hop-scotching across discarded wrenches and spanners, oily rags and a termite-sized mound of iron fillings. I’m glad I’m not carrying the baby. He’s disappeared somewhere with his dad, who’s now in some sort of toolshed-meets-man cave haven. Long may the clipboard-brigade stay away.

A team of volunteers and staff maintain and restore carriages that date from the 1870s to the 1980s. Photo / Supplied

Gracing the rails once again, we return to Glenbrook Station with a noticeably fuller enclosed carriage. An icy wind nips at exposed noses and I expect the open-air car will remain empty for the rest of the day. We’ve brought snacks for the toddlers but I vowed I’d be back for the afternoon tea. As with most First-Class experiences, the proverbial carrot dangled in front of our faces while shunting to cattle class. Peeking through the window, I spied three-tiered cake stands and fine china in a sumptuous, retro train parlour.

Enjoy High Tea in First-Class with three-tiered cake stands and a more sumptuous train car. Photo / Pamela O'Connor

Back at base, we tumble out on to the platform, a swarm of elated children, high on adventure and the heady mix of fresh air and fun are all starting to show the tell-tale signs of fatigue. No one dares tell them they won’t be back until spring, but as parents collectively lay sleepy tots into car seats - the promise of a quiet car journey tantalisingly close - we all vow we’ll be back the moment Glenbrook Vintage Railway reopens.

For train days and other special events between now and October, see gvr.org.nz