Heritage railways in Kauai

The heritage railways in Kauai consist of narrow-gauge tracks that wind through former sugarcane plantations, historically linking farms to mills and shipping docks. The system includes preserved steam locomotives and vintage railroad cars from the late 1800s onward.

Steam railways arrived in Kauai during the late 1800s, replacing cart-drawn transport and becoming central to sugar production and shipping operations. The system expanded throughout the early 1900s before declining as the sugar industry faced changes.

The railway lines shaped how people and goods moved across the island, forming a vital connection to the sugar economy that defined local life for generations. Walking along these routes reveals how industrial progress reshaped communities and landscapes.

You can view operational steam locomotives at the Grove Farm Sugar Plantation Museum during scheduled monthly displays or join guided tours on the Kauai Plantation Railway for a three-mile journey. Both locations operate during daytime hours and provide different ways to experience the preserved equipment.

The Wainiha locomotive, built in 1915, was the last steam engine to operate in Hawaii's sugar industry and remains a rare survivor of its kind in the islands. Its preservation documents a transportation technology that no longer exists in the Hawaiian economy.

Location: Kauai County

GPS coordinates: 21.96833,-159.39722

Latest update: December 11, 2025 11:05