Photo by Mad Marv, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)
The Hawaiian Railway Society
4.6· 809 Google reviews
About The Hawaiian Railway Society
Board open-air cars behind vintage diesel switchers and roll along the trackbed of the defunct Oahu Railway and Land Company at Hawaii's only operating railroad museum, in Ewa on Oahu. The surviving Ewa-to-Nanakuli line is listed on the State and National Registers of Historic Places, and in the yard you can inspect rare island steam locomotives, including the last remaining Hawaiian road engine.
At a Glance
Verified daily- Type
- Heritage railroad & tourist attraction
- Location
- HI
- Rating
- 4.6 ★ 809 Google reviews
- Upcoming
- Wed, Jul 15
Upcoming Events
Plan Your Visit
- Trip Length
- 2-hour round-trip
- Parking
- Free lot · paid lot
- Accessibility
- Wheelchair-accessible entrance · accessible restroom · accessible parking
- Hours
- Monday: ClosedTuesday: 9:00 AM – 3:00 PMWednesday: 9:00 AM – 3:00 PMThursday: ClosedFriday: ClosedSaturday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PMSunday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Find the Depot
The Trains
Excursions usually run with open-air cars built on former U.S. Army flatcars, joined by a parlor/observation car reserved for private charters and a Merci Train boxcar, one of 49 boxcars the French railways gave to the United States. Four vintage diesels have been restored to operation: ex-Navy Whitcomb 45-ton switchers Nos. 423 and 302, ex-Navy Whitcomb 65-ton No. 174, and ex-Army GE 25-ton No. 7750. The steam collection includes Oahu Railway and Land Company No. 85, an ALCO 4-6-0 that is the last remaining Hawaiian road engine; OR&L No. 12, an ALCO 0-6-0 slopeback tender engine; OR&L No. 6 "Kauila," the first locomotive the OR&L purchased; Waialua Agricultural Company No. 6, the only locomotive built in Hawaii; and Ewa Plantation Company No. 1, a Baldwin 0-4-2T. Two cosmetically restored 2 ft gauge mining electric locomotives round out the roster.
History
See full history
The Hawaiian Railway Society grew out of a 1970 campaign to save Waialua Agricultural Company 0-6-2T locomotive No. 6, which the plantation had slated for scrapping. Rail fan John Knaus arranged the engine's rescue and restoration at the Naval Ammunition Depot at Lualualei, and on August 22, 1970 he met with Nick Carter, Luman Wilcox, and Ken Peale to organize a Hawaii chapter of the National Railway Historical Society. The chapter received its charter of incorporation from the State of Hawaii on October 13, 1971, and after 84 Sundays of volunteer labor the restoration of No. 6 was dedicated on November 25, 1972. Members voted on December 19, 1973 to adopt the name Hawaiian Railway Society without severing ties to the NRHS. The nonprofit won placement of Oahu's remaining stretch of track, from Ewa to Nanakuli, on the State and National Registers of Historic Places, and by early 2009 had returned about 6.5 miles of the 3 ft narrow gauge line — the trackbed of the defunct Oahu Railway and Land Company — to service. It is today the only operating railroad museum in the state of Hawaii.
Around the Depot
The ʻEwa area stretches along Māmala Bay on the leeward side of Oʻahu, within the City and County of Honolulu. Hawaiians settled the ʻEwa Plain at least as early as the 12th century, expanding the main channel of Puʻuloa — Pearl Harbor — and building fishponds that scholars cite as exemplary evidence of Native Hawaiian ingenuity. From 1891 the district grew around the Ewa Sugar Plantation, which shaped Hawaii's culture, economy, and politics through the twentieth century; today ʻEwa Beach is a seaside residential community of about 16,000 people.
Getting There & Staying Nearby
Optional trip extras from our travel partners.
Rent a Car
Most heritage railroads sit well off the interstate. Picking up a rental at the nearest airport is usually the easiest way in.
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Tours & Activities Nearby
Tours
Guided tours, day trips, and things to do around the area, bookable in advance through Viator.
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