Historic spike driving ceremony to be re-enacted

Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 1, Issue 21, 25 October 1983, Page 3

Historic spike driving ceremony to be re-enacted

Next month's ceremonial re-enactment of the driving of the last spike on the Main Trunk Line at Pokaka marks the 75th anniversary of this historic occasion in 1908 when north and south bound tracks were united. In 1908 when the then Prime Minister, Sir Joseph Ward, drove that last spike into the track he was watched by a crowd of 300400 people. For this coming occasion the crowd is expected to be twice as big with between 500-600 vintage railway enthusiasts and another 200 railwaymen and ex-rail-waymen (and women) who have 'worked the Main Trunk Line'. They will be arriving on Saturday afternoon from Auckland and Wellington in restored railway carriages. The railwaymen's group will include the chairman of the NZ Railways Corj^poration, Mr Lyndsay ^J|Papps, and other senior officials from Wellington. The District Traffic Manager and District Engineer from Wanganui will also be attending. About 50 local representatives have also been invited to accompany the official party which, on Sunday, will travel on the combined train from Ohakune to Pokaka for the spike-driving ceremony, then

on to Waikune Prison Farm for jnorning tea, and from there to National Park station (formerly known as Waimarino) and the Raurimu Spiral. There the two halves of the train will separate with one half returning to Auckland and the other to Ohakune with the official party and local rep resentatives. The weekend programme starts on Saturday afternoon 5 November when the two trains arrive at Ohakune Junction from north and south. Both will be hauling restored second-class carriages of the 1920 era. The visitors will be given a civic welcome before being transported to their various accommodation houses in town. In the evening a choice of programmes is planned. The railwaymen and women will be attending a reunion in the Ohakune Club lounge during which a buffet meal will be served followed by a social evening. For the visiting railway enthusiasts and locals a cabaret at Pipers Kings Couft and a country dance evening at the Ruapehu College Hall have been arranged, At the latter "venue the Waho Brothers Band from Taupo will be playing music for both young and old and

supper will be served. The organisers of this programme to commemorate what for Ohakune was a significant historic event, hope that as many local people as possible will participate in the weekend activities.