Remarkable Train Rides for Kids in Pretoria

Mini trains at Cedar Junction Theme Park.

Want to take your children for an outing? The school holidays or weekends can be the ideal time to take them for a train ride to keep them busy. Pretoria has some remarkable train rides to offer.  Having a young kid myself, I know how exciting it is for them to ride on the trains and to hear their sound.  But you can also take them for a ride in a real train. Here is my list of favourite train rides in Pretoria.

Centurion Society of Model Engineers

Each Sunday the Centurion Society of Model Engineers meets and offers rides on their mini locomotives with little carts for a small fee. These ride are really value for money with some interesting scenery. They can be found each Sunday at Kwikkie Crescent Street, Zwartkops, very close to the Centurion Gautrain station.

Barry rides most Sundays in Centurion, except for the third
Sunday of each month. Below to the right is one of the many steam trains.

Children love to ride on mini trains at Cedar Junction Theme Park.

On the third Sunday of each month, various steam trains are available for as many rides as the young ones want.  The trains ride on tiny tracks over the Centurion lake, through tunnels and pass a golf course and even hoot to the delight of the young ones. 

You can also have a picnic on the lovely green lawns or buy some snacks in the tuck shop.  This is also the ideal place to have a children's birthday party.


Cedar Junction Theme Park

Cedar Junction Theme Park is located east of Pretoria on Lynnwood Road and is about 8km from the Hans Strydom intersection in the Zwavelpoort direction.  It boasts a 1,2 km train track and affordable train rides. The trains depart from the Cedar Junction "train station".  The park is open daily and an entrance fee per person is payable.  Apart from the train rides, the park also offers numerous other recreational activities for children, including a swimming pool and bicycle track.

Friends of the Rail

The steam train arrives at the station in Cullinan.

Friends of the Rail offer day long heritage steam train trips from their private Hermanstad train station in Michaelson Street, Hermanstad, Pretoria to Cullinan, a heritage town known for its diamant mine,  which is about  36,7 kilometers from Pretoria.  They also offer fun theme related trips, for example for Valentine's Day or the Easter Bunny weekend.  Check their website for schedules. Children love these trips which are also a learning experience for them.

The Gautrain. 

Gautrain

Another excursion which the kids may enjoy is a ride with the Gautrain to an attraction in close proximity of one of the Johannesburg stations.  This modern high speed train offers an attractive way of taking the kids to a day long outing not too far from Pretoria and they would also enjoy the excitement of waiting for the arrival of the train.



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