New Zealand's first railway, Christchurch, 1863

This painting shows the Canterbury provincial railway’s locomotive Pilgrim during its historic first journey at Ferrymead in December 1863. Painted by the renowned rail artist W.W. Stewart, it captures something of the excitement and novelty of early rail experiments.

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How to cite this page

'New Zealand's first railway, Christchurch, 1863', URL: http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/media/photo/painting-pilgrim-train-1863, (Ministry for Culture and Heritage), updated 20-Dec-2012