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Your Hosts: Colin & Esma Stevenson.
Location: Highway 57, Tokomaru, Manawatu, New Zealand. (See map.)
Visit Us: Experience static displays with a guided tour. Open: Monday to Saturday, visiting hours 9.00am - 3.30pm; or Sunday, 10.30am - 3.30pm. NB: “Steam Up” days run 1.30pm - 4.00pm (see calendar below for specific dates). Closed: Christmas Day / Good Friday.
Contact: Telephone, 64 6 329-8867; or send an email. Postal address: PO Box 46, Tokomaru, Manawatu, New Zealand.
Admission: Adults $10 each, Children $5 each.
Calendar: The museum has working steam displays about 10 times a year. Please note the “steam-up” dates for 2004:—
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26 Sep
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1.30-4.00pm.
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24 Oct
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1.30-4.00pm.
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NEW ZEALAND’S ORIGINAL STEAM HERITAGE ATTRACTION
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AUGUST, 2004
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 he Tokomaru Steam Engine Museum is a private collection of machinery belonging to Colin and Esma Stevenson. The Museum opened to the public in 1970 after constant requests from steam enthusiasts. Thousands of visitors from all over the world have enjoyed reminiscing amongst the relics of New Zealand's industrial and agricultural heritage. The village of Tokomaru itself was established to support the surrounding farming district. Nowadays, the Steam Engine Museum is the most striking feature of the village. Industrial progress in the area continues with Stevenson’s Structural Steel, the district’s biggest employer. Nearby is the popular Horseshoe Bend river reserve.
 To find Tokomaru Steam, drive south on Highway 57 out of Palmerston North and past Massey University for 18 kilometres, or north past Shannon for 12 kilometres. The entrance to the museum is directly off the main highway, just south of Tokomaru School. Plenty of off-road parking is available. The Museum is fully enclosed, so don't be put off by the Horowhenua's wide range of weather conditions.
The website is conveniently divided into four sections: the steam dream looks at the origins of Tokomaru Steam and its growth from part-time hobby into fully-fledged museum; tour the museum offers a brief, selected overview of the Tokomary Steam experience; steam heritage is a summary of the history of steam power in New Zealand; and historic Tokomaru looks back in fondness at the prosperous heyday of the village and its surroundings.
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STEAM HIGHLIGHT FOR MAY/JUNE
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THE STEAM ARCHIVE
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Choose from the list below to view previously featured highlights from our Steam Archive:
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STEAMING NEWS
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When submitting your details to us, please be aware of our strict privacy policy: under no circumstances will your email address be divulged to third parties, nor used for anything but the express purpose of sending you our email newsletter.
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Pictured is one of the engines in our newly finished Museum extension. Although the engines located here are not stationary steam engines, they nonetheless form an interesting part of our history. These are power station type engines but the odd one is steam driven. Shown in the photo close-up is the Mirrlees vertical 8 cylinder diesel engine which provides 360hp at 500rpm. The engine and generator were one of a pair set up for power generation at the Himitangi Radio Station which was then part of the P&T(Post and Telegraph) which was later to become Telecom. The pair’s purpose was to provide power to the station in case of a power failure on the national grid. If needed, power could be provided within three minutes. Compressed air was used for a start-up speed of 300lbs psi. The same two engines were also once used in submarines. They were to be found in Fiji when W.W.II broke out. Later, the engines were completely overhauled. Tokomaru Steam has the No 2 engine. More work is required to it before any running can occur although the switch boards are in place awaiting cable connection. We acquired this engine from the Himitangi area approximately 10 years ago.