The Ashburton Railway & Preservation Society Inc. (AR&PS) was founded in 1971 with the goal of purchasing a section of the former Mt Somers Branch railway on which to run restored locomotives alongside preserving heritage farm machinery fast disappearing from the surrounding district.

To meet the goal the AR&PS founded The Plains Vintage Railway & Historical Museum and began to acquire exhibits – of both railway, agricultural and other locally historical items – and to erect buildings for storage and display purposes.

After being in storage for many years at The Plains Railway with a condemned boiler, K88 was leased to the Trust Board for restoration to working order.

In December 1998 K 95's tender frame and bogies were recovered from the Branxholme locomotive dump in the Ōreti River.

K 94 today sits behind the carriage shed at The Plains Vintage Railway & Historical Museum and is can be used for comparison purposes when compared with K 88 as it was recovered on 19 January 1974.

The fire destroyed most things contained within the shed (mainly tools, parts, nuts and bolts, boxes, potato equipment, etc.)

The locomotive shed alongside the workshop was damaged, but has been made safe with minor repairs to secure the building.

[7] The Plains Railway came to world attention when a member of the Rogers K class, K 88, was recovered on 19 January 1974 from the Branxholme Locomotive Dump in the Ōreti River in Southland.

Transported by truck to The Plains Railway in July 1974 and restored to a fully operational condition on 27 November 1982.

This has set a pattern other railway enthusiasts recovering a number of locomotives of various classes from where they were dumped including two other K's.

In the past some AR&PS members have loaned their engines to the museum for extended periods, but these have since gone elsewhere.

The Society has a Portable Engine of Marshall, Sons & Co. in their collection, which is currently privately owned.