The donation of a can of food will allow visitors to enjoy a free trip on the train, from 11am-4pm, with proceeds to be donated to the Presbyterian Support Otago Family Works foodbank.
There will also be an appearance from Santa.
OBR team members David Thomson and Lyall Kelpe said, in a statement, the team had recently completed the restoration of a passenger carriage, which would hopefully be on the tracks as part of the Christmas Train — depending on certification.
Mr Kelpe said the carriage, known as a second-class "scarrett" seated carriage A1254, was built in 1913 at the Addington Railway Workshops in Christchurch.
Operated by New Zealand Railways as a main line carriage until 1969 it was then sold to OBR, later being leased to the Taieri Gorge Railway.
The carriage was returned to OBR in 2017, painted chocolate brown, but had now been repainted railway carriage red and its near-original interior has been upgraded, he said.
Established in 1961 and running its first train in 1963, the OBR is New Zealand’s first heritage railway.
The OBR mirrors a typical country branch line of the late 1800s and early 1900s and provides short passenger train rides for young train enthusiasts, Dunedin residents and tourists.
Mr Thomson said the OBR team were fundraising to replace the workshop roof, including running a Christmas Raffle, limited to 500 tickets at a cost of $2.
An additional fundraising effort will be a sausage sizzle at Bunnings on December 27.
In a new innovation this year, OBR had introduced a family season pass for $60, he said.
Mr Thomson said Ocean Beach Railway would like to acknowledge and thank the many businesses that had supported the organisation this year, including Bunnings Dunedin, Dunedin Railways Ltd, Hotel Taieri (Nellies Restaurant), Fresh choice Roslyn, Frost-tees Mini Golf , Ritchie’s Transport Dunedin, and The Star.
"We would also like to acknowledge and thank the volunteers who help run and restore the trains and carriages for the community of all ages to enjoy.
"And finally thank you to the community who continue to support us, without you we would not be able to continue providing a inexpensive attraction," he said. — Allied Media
