The Hilton Steam Heritage Association is a community-driven project aimed at preserving the heritage of Hilton Railway Station, its museum exhibits, the surrounding area, and steam rail tourism in general.
The station is situated north of Pietermaritzburg on the original NGR mainline. It was built in 1888 and consists of a main station building and goods sheds which house several model layouts. The museum is situated in the main building.
Hilton has a slightly curved platform and is the only station of its type left on the original main line. The station yard consists of the mainline and two loops, plus a couple of dead end lines. There is still 2 kilometres of mainline remaining towards Sweetwater and in the opposite direction towards Cedara, a distance of five and a half kilometres where the line joins the current main Durban to Johannesburg line. There is a section of line of about 300 meters where the sleepers and track have been stolen.
The film Cry the Beloved Country was shot there, as have televised Body Beat shows, and documentaries.
