All aboard the big fun express

Thousands chugged into Featherston to enjoy Cross Creek Railway's annual Mini Train Festival on Saturday.

Children and parents paid $2 to ride on the miniature steam trains, including Wee Jock, replicas of a Welsh Slate Mine Engine, Dolgoch and Brynglas from Wellington, the Fairley Steam Locomotive and Mini Fell.

The Fairley Steam Locomotive from Wellington is a replica of an engine made in Bristol in the 1880s. It was assigned to the Wellington-Summit and in later years was used in Wairarapa.

Mini Fell is a replica of the famous H199 Fell Engine used on the Rimutaka Incline.

Event organiser Roz Harding said parents seemed to enjoy riding on the miniature trains as much as their children. "The look on the children's faces and the adults as well sitting on there with their children, it was good," Ms Harding said.

Model trains were on display in the Featherston RSA and a variety of stalls and entertainment took place in the town oval.

The Featherston fire engine, Pony rides, a merry go round, an inflatable slide, festival food, bands and medieval fighters, with wooden swords and shields, entertained visitors.

"We had a great crowd," Ms Harding said, "and because the whole market was spread out the crowd was able to mingle at the shopping boulevard.

"It was just a fantastic day," she said.

The festival raises money for the Cross Creek Railway Society to help with the maintenance of tracks and trains.

Ms Harding was not sure how much money had been raised but said it would be enough to continue their work.

"Thank you to Wairarapa and outside Wairarapa that we've acquired sufficient funds to keep maintaining tracks and trains and keep everything going."

She said next year the society would use the Anzac Hall to display the model trains and would be doing something new.