Steam train extravaganza

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 11, Issue 511, 9 November 1993, Page 5

Steam train extravaganza

Rail Ltd, to get some of their latest locomotive power on display at the MTRO yard at the Ohakune Junction. The official opening ceremony will take place at 6pm at the turntable site. An invitation has been sent to Mr Ed Burkhardt, president of Wisconsin Central Rail way Ltd (the new owners of NZ Rail Ltd), to recommission the turntable. He will be supported by Dr Francis Small, the general manager of NZ Rail, Peter Ellery, Garrick Workman, Cliff Houston, Colin Webb, and Evan McQueen, chairperson of the NZ Rail Heritage Trust. A barbeque meal in a marquee sited next to the station will follow the opening ceremony. A social evening with a guest jazz band providing the music will round off the evening. Mr Norling said the evening is open to all supporters, visitors and invited guests. Tickets are available from Ohakune TV and Electrical and the Ruapehu Information

Centre in Clyde Street. Included in the cost of the ticket is the barbeque meal with complimentary wine or ale, the evening entertainment and a ride to the Hapuawhenua Viaduct. At around 10pm on Saturday, KA942 will take Auckland excursionists through to National Park and Taumarunui for their overnight stay. Early on Sunday morning KA945 will travel to Taumarunui and join KA942 for a doubleheader trip up the Spiral and back to Ohakune. Mr Norling said this will be the first time KA locomotives have doubleheaded up the Spiral since the 1960's. "MTRO is very proud to have made this possible." When the train reaches Ohakune it will be re-formed into two separate trains and they will travel back to Auckland and Wellington, bringing to a close an action-packed weekend. Keep reading the Bulletin for more information on this MTRO extravaganza as it comes to hand.