Mainline Steam Heritage Trust's South African steam engines are to be relocated from the tracks near Tamaki Dr to Mercer in 2018.

A collection of scuttled locomotives on the tracks near Auckland's waterfront have been a familiar site for Auckland commuters for years.

The three engines were plonked on the tracks near The Strand in the middle of 2015, with little to no explanation about who they belong to, where they are from, and what is planned for them.

The engines do not belong to Auckland Transport or Kiwirail and have to this point never run along any New Zealand railway tracks.

Turns out the engines are the property of Mainline Steam Heritage Trust, an organisation devoted to the restoration and operation of historic mainline steam locomotives.

READ MORE:

* A passion for trains inspires a life time of service for Mike Austin

* Steaming through three generations of steam train drivers

Mainline Steam Heritage Trust spokesperson Mike Tolich said the locomotives sitting on the tracks by Tamaki Dr were moved there after the Parnell Depot lease ended in 2015.

"They belong to the founder of Mainline Steam and they are South African engines," Tolich said.

"Because of the turmoil in South Africa these engines were going to be cut up for scrap, so the founder decided to save them and bring them to New Zealand and have them restored," he said

Two of the engines are South African Class 25NC's and the other is a South African Garratt locomotive.

Tolich said that the engines are being stored on the railway tracks down by Tamaki Dr, while Mainline Steam Heritage Trust builds their new depot at Mercer.

"Once the building programme for the depot is complete the South African engines will be moved out there and restored," he said.

That was expected to happen in 2018.

Ian Welch, a Wellington-based businessman, is the man behind the Mainline Steam Heritage Trust and is the owner of the world's largest private collection of steam locomotives.

As well as having a number of fully restored and mainline certified locomotives, Mainline Steam Heritage Trust also has a large number of locomotives currently under restoration in Wellington and Christchurch.

As well as restoring locomotives, the group runs regular day excursions and multi-day tours over rail lines throughout New Zealand to provide travellers with the chance to relive the days when steam was king.