The Glenbrook Vintage Railway (GVR), running between Glenbrook and Waiuku south of Auckland, will mark the end of an era on Sunday 29 and Monday 30 January when its most famous steam locomotive Ja 1250 ‘Diana’ pulls her last trains for four years.

Passengers will have their final chance to ride behind ‘Diana’ on the GVR before she is taken back into the workshop for her first major overhaul in almost two decades.

She will have extensive work done on her boiler, and parts individually checked and repaired before being reassembled, ensuring she will see many more years of service in the future.

“The significance of Ja 1250 is the fact that for the past 40 years she’s really been the symbol of the GVR,” said Jarod Chevin, a volunteer at the railway.

‘Diana’ is the biggest and most recognizable steam engine on the GVR, flying a flag for steam preservation in New Zealand. She is the only GVR loco adorned with a name, bestowed by her previous owner, Phil Goldman, who named the engine after his wife.

“She’s been a symbol to a lot of generations, from the children of today right up to the generations who rode steam trains regularly in the 1950s and ‘60s,” said Chevin.

“It’s those memories that make her uniquely special - because, realistically, no other engine has been as well-traveled and truly made an impact on so many people as 1250.”

Two of the GVRs other locomotives – tank engines Ww 480 and Ww 644 – will be first in the queue to enter the workshop for routine maintenance. Ja 1250 ‘Diana’ will follow them, with the GVR expecting she will be back running on the line in four years’ time.

As the GVR bids a public farewell to ‘Diana’, it will simultaneously commission its newly installed turntable by publicly using it for the first time to turn the beloved locomotive.

“It’s fitting that we’re using 1250 to open it, because it’s like we’re closing one chapter in 1250’s history, while at the same time opening a new chapter for the GVR as a whole,” said Chevin.

“This is the first time that we’ll have facilities on-site at the railway where we can turn any piece of rolling stock we have.”

Don’t miss your chance to ride behind the beautiful Ja 1250 ‘Diana’ before she heads into the workshop for overhaul. You’ll also have the opportunity to leave a farewell message, learn about the locomotive’s long history, and check out the new turntable. The Railway Enthusiasts’ Society’s prized mainline carriages and dining car will also be on display.

For more information and to book train tickets on the Glenbrook Vintage Railway, visit http://www.gvr.co.nz and click on the dates 29 and 30 January.

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