Esplanade Scenic Railway on track to nationals

The volunteers behind the Esplanade Scenic Railway scooped the Supreme Award at the 2015 Trustpower Palmerston North Community Awards last night.

The Awards were announced and presented at the Palmerston North Convention Centre in front of almost 150 spectators, the majority of whom are also volunteers.

Representatives of the Esplanade Scenic Railway received, on behalf of their group, a framed certificate, a trophy and $1,500 in prize money. These folks also will have the opportunity to represent their region at the 2015 Trustpower National Community Awards, being held in Dunedin next March.

In total, Trustpower gave away over $5,000 to various community groups through the awards last night.

Trustpower Community Relations Representative Jess Somerville says that Esplanade Scenic Railway is very much part of the fabric of the Palmerston North community..

“Behind the scenes of this operation is a story about a bunch of rail enthusiasts who joined forces to get the railway off the ground. Run on the smell of an oily rag, they originally operated a 600 meter track but this was later expanded to 2.2km. Today they operate three locomotives with one of the old girls dating back to 1969.

“There are 47 passionate volunteers who together invest a good 800 hours a month into running this facility; and community has always been at the forefront of what they do. Whether its raising funds for a good cause, putting on family friendly days for the youngsters or just sharing their passion for rail with others.

“Volunteers write a monthly newsletter, fundraise, spent countless hours tampering with the machines to ensure they are running just right, maintaining the tracks, keeping the grounds looking sharp and of course operating the railway. However the big project this group have been focusing on recently has been the building of a new storage shed. This has taken years of dedicated volunteers to build up cash reserves and the skills of a new recruit, 84 year old Doug Turner with years of construction experience”, says Somerville.

Palmerston North Mayor Grant Smith says he’s proud to see the Esplanade Scenic Railway take out the top prize.

“After nearly 50 years operating in the Esplanade, the railway is not just an iconic family attraction, but also an organisation that gives back to the community. They offer free events and keep ticket prices low so families can have an affordable outing.

“On top of this though they provide an opportunity for volunteer members to develop basic engineering skills and a worthwhile hobby that keeps them engaged in our community. This is a well-deserved win by a group that really has become part of the fabric of our community” says Mayor Smith.

The competition for this year’s Awards was strong with a national record of 288 entries received.

Category Winners:

Heritage & Environment

Winner -Human Aid Focus New Zealand

Runner Up - Pit Park People Society

Commendation - Green Bike Trust

Health & Well-Being

Winner - MenzShed Manawatu

Runner Up - Arohanui Hospice

Commendation - Just Zilch

Commendation - Palmerston North Operational Support New Zealand Fire Service

Arts and Culture

Winner - Manawatu Woodworkers Guild Inc

Runner-up - Manawatu Scottish No. 4A Pipe Band

Sport & Leisure

Winner - Coastguard Manawatu

Runner Up - Manawatu Striders

Commendation - Palmerston North Surf Life Saving Club

Education & Child Youth Development

Winner - Plant to Plate Aotearoa

Runner Up - Financial Freedom Trust

Commendation - Social Socks Charitable Trust

Overall Winner

Esplanade Scenic Railway

Youth Spirit Award

Winner - Amelia Horne

Finalist - Sarah Wood

Finalist - Colson Verdonk

ENDS

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