The trust was formerly based at Wairio on the Wairio Branch in the former Ohai Railway Board workshops, and owned a number of locomotives and items of rolling stock, including the remains of two P class 2-8-0 tender locomotives.
In 2006 the ORBHT's lease on the former ORB workshops and yard at Wairio was allowed to lapse after the trust decided no to pursue the idea of running heritage services from Bluff to Ohai.
In December 2011, members of the ORBHT were banned from entering the Wairio yard and workshop buildings after being served a trespass notice by KiwiRail.
[1] In 2002, the ORBHT purchased two diesel shunting locomotives, DS 201 from Alliance Meats at Lorneville and the former Ohai Railway Board Mitsubishi shunter NO 1 which was then stored at Wairio.
In 2016 several pieces of rolling stock were leased to other South Island heritage groups by Southland District Council.