Celebration for rail turntable

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 10, Issue 477, 16 March 1993, Page 11

Celebration for rail turntable

A "Country and Western' evening is being planned to coincide with the installation and commissioning of the Ohakune Junction locomotive turntable. New Zealand Locomotive Engineers Steam Excursions president, Dave Mills of Hamilton, was in Ohakune last week to confirm arrangcments with Main Trunk Rail Ohakune (MTRO) and Hot Lava proprietor Paul Beckett. "We are looking at bringing about 450 people from Auckland, Hamilton and the Waikato to Ohakune for a traditional old-time country and western dance

evening as soon as the turntable is completed and operating," said Dave Mills. "We will be bringing our own band on the train and, by providing a Country and Western theme at the Hot Lava, we feel the music will appeal to a lot of people of all ages, both visitors and locals." "We will be advertising the special train excursion in all the main Auckland, Waikato and Bay of Plenty newspapers as well as on Radio Pacific as soon as we hcar that the turntable is ready." The 450 visitors will arrive in Ohakune on a Saturday aftemoon and

will be accommodated in local motels and hotels before the train (Ka 942 with up to eight carriages each seating between 40

and 55 passengers) retums north on Sunday. 'The local motels and restaurants should bencfit