The Kingston Flyer on a high

3 May 2012

The Kingston Flyer on a high

Vintage steam train The Kingston Flyer has ended its season on a high with news that a trust is to be formed to preserve it in perpetuity for New Zealand.

The Flyer season closed this weekend having notched up close to 16,000 visitors for the season.

For the previous two years it had sat on its rails until new owner David Bryce ‘stepped up to the plate’ to buy it and save it from overseas ownership or an uncertain future.

Mr Bryce said community support and high visitor numbers over its first season back in operation had given him confidence in the future of the business.

“I’m approaching some high profile New Zealand business people, tourism experts and train buffs to be on the trust to ensure its future as a very important, historic asset.

“This will be a charitable trust that will be set up in such a way that individuals can subscribe* to become members, and volunteers can come and work for it.”

Mr Bryce said during the season the Flyer had hosted visitors from all around the world, corporate and business groups, children’s groups and rest home tours.

“The appeal of the magnificent Kinston Flyer is universal,” he said. “Our community celebration weekend in March was just huge, and we finished on the final day on Sunday (April 29) with over 150 Indian conference visitors hiring the train for the afternoon.”

The large Indian incentive group was greeted by people dressed in period costume to help ‘set the scene’ in Kingston alongside the Flyer, and they were also treated to an infamous Kingston Flyer ‘hold up’.

Cowboys riding horses and with guns blazing brought the train to a standstill, came on board to steal the chest of ‘gold’ and took the driver hostage.

“Our visitors were definitely taken by surprise, but it was very well done and great fun, so they soon realised the hold-up was all part of their day out,” said Mr Bryce.

Trish Abrahamson from inbound tour operator Naturally New Zealand, that helped organize the Flyer visit, said the group “absolutely loved” their time on the train.

“They were all reminiscing about train travel. They took part in numerous activities in the region but their time on the Flyer was certainly a highlight,” she said.

“The planning for this event has been in the pipeline for months but from the moment the organisers came out from India on a reconnaissance trip met David, they were taken by him and his passion for the locomotive.

“They could see what it means to the community and they wanted their company to be a part of that.”

Mr Bryce said the Kingston Flyer team had been focusing on attracting guests from the C&I market and was open for private charter at any stage, even throughout its closed winter season.

Three events are still on the calendar for the Flyer over winter. Next week it will feature on familiarization trips as part of tourism trade show TRENZ, in late May it will ‘steam up’ for a private charter, and it will also host its first ever Winter Festival event, the Kingston Flyer Steam Powered Party, on July 1.

“I’m receiving regular enquiries about private charter bookings for parties as well as C&I groups,” said Mr Bryce. “We can charge up the engine with very little notice so I look forward to hosting groups throughout winter.”

The Kingston Flyer 2012/2013 season will recommence on September 29 2012 with two trips a day.

*More about the Kingston Flyer Trust

The public can subscribe to be members of the trust for $100 annual membership. The benefits to members are that they and five others can ride the train at any time with 50% discounted fares.

The subscription fee and donations will go towards the preservation of the Kingston Flyer locomotives and carriage railway lines which the trust will own. David Bryce will be forming a board of trustees to manage the trust over the coming weeks.

About The Kingston Flyer

The Kingston Flyer is New Zealand's famous vintage steam train set in the spectacular mountain scenery of the Queenstown Lakes District. When gold was discovered in the Wakatipu district in 1862 the need to connect the district by steamships and steam trains became apparent. The railway line at last reached Kingston on July 10, 1878 and a public holiday was declared by Queenstown Borough and Lake County Councils.

The express passenger steam train known as "The Flyer" serviced Kingston-Gore on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and Kingston-Invercargill on Tuesdays and Thursdays from the 1890's. During peak holiday periods she also carried passengers from Dunedin to Kingston to meet up with Lake Wakatipu steamboats connecting with the popular holiday destination of Queenstown.

The service was replaced by buses and passenger numbers declined through the 1950's. The final Kingston Flyer operated during the Easter holiday of 1957. Trains continued to run on the Waimea Plains Railway until 31 March 1971.

The New Zealand Government came up with a plan to save the historic steam train and funded its restoration in 1971. The atmosphere of the 1920's was retained and remains today featuring polished brass and steel work, white tyres, red fluted side rods, and glossy black paintwork.

The Kingston Flyer heritage service between Kingston and Lumsden continued until 1979 Today the service covers a 14km stretch of track between Kingston and Fairlight. The rails are the originals laid in 1878 but many of the 19,360 sleepers have been replaced.

The driving force and face of The Kingston Flyer was Russell Glendinning who is credited with saving and restoring the Flyer back in the 1970's. This was acknowledged when he received an MBE in 1975 New Year Honours. Russell’s career began at age 14 in Dunedin in 1953. His apprenticeship took 7 years. In 1964 he became a First Class Driver and in 1969 a Special Class Driver. Russell's passion and energy continues to this day, he still occasionally drives the train, shines the brass and can be seen regularly out maintaining the track.

In 2009 the company that previously owned the Kingston Flyer went into receivership with the Flyer’s future uncertain until it was bought by David Bryce in 2011.

www.kingstonflyer.co.nz

ENDS

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