16 October 2012

Steam icons of Lake Wakatipu in historic reunion

Visitors to the township of Kingston this Thursday (October 18) are in for a real treat as the ‘Lady of the Lake’ and famous Kingston Flyer steam train have an historic reunion.

Thursday marks the 100th anniversary of the maiden voyage of the TSS Earnslaw from Kingston to Queenstown and ties in with week-long celebrations taking place in the region.

The Kingston Flyer brought the Earnslaw to Kingston by rail after it was originally built in Dunedin, disassembled, transported by rail, assembled again in Kingston and launched on October 18, 1912.

The first sailing re-enactment cruise of the TSS Earnslaw will arrive in Kingston at 11am with packages available enabling guests to travel on the Earnslaw and the Flyer.

Passengers have options to travel on the TSS Earnslaw and the Flyer in either direction, with an additional option for bus travel one way or the other.

Kingston Flyer owner David Bryce said it was “remarkable” to be part of such a historic event and invited ‘one and all’ to ride the train to mark the occasion.

“Tickets are still available for any of the three train rides that we have operating on the day – we’ve put on an additional trip to cater for the occasion,” he said. “The train will operate at 9.30am, 12pm and 2pm with package options timed to allow Earnslaw passengers to enjoy the train trip and vice versa.”

Mr Bryce said visitors were encouraged to make a day of it and many were aiming to dress in period costume.

“It’s also a fantastic opportunity to enjoy some of the delights in the revamped Flyer Café with new Chef Andy Lisseman’s home-made treats,” he said.

“Andy has been with us for almost six weeks now and is consistently producing delicious food including home-made baked goods for morning and afternoon tea as well as fantastic lunch options.

“People should head to Kingston and enjoy a once-in-a-century historic occasion for Kingston, the TSS Earnslaw and of course the Kingston Flyer.”

For those who can’t make Thursday’s special celebrations, the Kingston Flyer is open every day over the long weekend.

More information about the Kingston Flyer train journeys on Thursday October 18:

Earnslaw Centennial journey to Kingston
Thursday October 18th 2012
The first sailing re-enactment cruise of the TSS Earnslaw will be arriving in Kingston at 11am on Thursday 18th October 2012. Tickets are still available for train rides on any one of three return journeys on the Kingston Flyer Vintage Steam Train scheduled especially to tie in with the arrival and departure of the Earnslaw in Kingston.

The Kingston Flyer will depart Kingston Railway Station at 9:30am, 12pm and 2pm. Passengers are welcome to dress up in keeping with 1900's theme.

For more information and bookings go to: www.kingstonflyer.co.nz

For more information and bookings on the TSS Earnslaw go to: http://www.tssearnslaw.co.nz/tss-earnslaw/Re-enactment_Cruise/

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.

More about the TSS Earnslaw
Friday, 18 October, 1912, was a day the locals had long been waiting for - the TSS Earnslaw’s first official voyage. On the day, special trains brought people from Gore and Invercargill to Kingston to enable them to travel on the TSS Earnslaw. She left the Kingston wharf with over 200 passengers as music from the Southland Pipe Band played, lit-up with with lights from bow to stern and decorated with flags and bunting. The Hon. J. A. Millar, Minister of Marine at the time, commanded the steamer on her maiden trip.

ENDS

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