Steam visit prompts clean-up

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 8, Issue 377, 12 March 1991, Page 5

Steam visit prompts clean-up

B Y DENNIS BEYTAGH A working bee was held last Saturday to tidy up the Ohakune Railway Station in preparation for the arrival of a steam train and more than 160 railway enthusiasts on Good Friday (29 March). Organised by the Preservation of the Ohakune Railway Station (PORS) committee, a small group of willing helpers spent Saturday afternoon tidying up the approaches to the stations, re-aligning and levelling the planned native shrub reserve to allow for more parking and weeding the platform! The PORS group - an unfunded group of local volunteers who see no profit for themselves in preserving the Railway Station - consider their work as vitally important for the image of the town and the continued viability of Ohakune as an all-year round resort centre. When the historic steam locomotive KA459 draws into Ohakune in less than three week's time with its vintage carriages and 160-200 passengers, Ohakune will play host

to the visitors overnight. They will stay in local motels, dine at local restaurants sample local night life and meet local people all of which will impress. But their first and last impressions of Ohakune-they leave at 8.30 the following morning - will be of the railway station. Not only is the purpose of their stopover in Ohakune to provide accommodation and entertainment but also to provide a photo opportunity for these railway enthusiasts to record what remains of this historic Main Trunk line and its stations, viaducts, tunnels, and of course the Raurimu Spiral. But here in Ohakune, were it not for the efforts of the PORS group, their lasting impressions could have been less than favourable, had the station been allowed to deteriorate as it had done in recent years. As it is, because of lack of funds and reliance on volunteer labour, only a modest 'face lift' can be achieved in the next two

weeks before the arrival of this first group of overnight train travellers. But PORS expects many more such visits in the future because Ohakune is the half-way point in any train excursion as it is the only place in the entire trip - whether it be from Auckland to Wellington or in a return loop from either of these main centres - which can provided enough accommodation and restaurants for such large numbers of overnight visitors... it has more than a dozen multi-bed accommodation facilities and about the same number of restaurants. It is important therefore that the appearance of the station should create a good impression and be welcoming rather than forbidding and derelict as it did a few months ago. Now at least it can be seen that remedial work has already been started and something is being done. Long term plans include a small all-year round cafe-tearooms and shop, an information Turnpage 7