During 2010, increased safety requirements and the age of the existing track and trolleys motivated a review being undertaken by a special subcommittee. After a survey of, and various reports to, members of the Society, the 2011 AGM decided to substantially upgrade the miniature railway by adding a wider gauge (7.25”gauge) to the existing track and locating it on a concrete base for ease of maintenance. This decision was further confirmed at the 2012 AGM.
Besides the club injecting its own funds and volunteer labour into the project, application was made to the Mt Wellington Foundation for assistance which was generously given and made the project entirely feasible. New trolleys with failsafe brakes were built to carry the public on the wider gauge for improved stability and safety. This work was started in July 2013 and largely completed by January 2015. For an interim period during this work, trains were run on a reduced circuit; firstly on the original raised track circuit of stage 1 & 2 and secondly on the stage 3 (1986/87) extension circuit changed to the new ground level configuration.
Trains operating from the temporary station while track changes were undertaken – 2013