The double-ended Fairlie locomotive and her sister engine Rose arrived from England in 1872 and were the first engines to work the Dunedin to Port Chalmers line.
After the line was taken over by the government in 1876, she was classified as E175 by New Zealand Railways.
Then in 1900, she was sold to the Public Works Department and used on various railway construction sites around New Zealand, before being retired.
In 1917, she was sold for scrap, but was resurrected in 1925, after being renovated for the New Zealand and South Seas Exhibition in Dunedin.
Following the exhibition, Josephine was put on display at the Toitū Otago Settlers Museum and was only moved for short periods during building renovations.
The beloved locomotive is the first stop for many visitors, both young and old, to the museum.
During the birthday celebrations over Labour Weekend, train enthusiasts were given an opportunity to watch 50 Years of Steam — a visual showcase dedicated to Dunedin’s rail history, with imagery highlighting the opening of the Dunedin Railway Station, along with some of the mighty locomotives that ran on Otago lines.
