Stagecoach rekindles Otago’s past

Created from scratch by tradesman Bill Lang is a replica Cobb & Co stagecoach, which he has named...
Created from scratch by tradesman Bill Lang is a replica Cobb & Co stagecoach, which he has named Gerty, ready for visitors. PHOTO: PETER MCINTOSH
Almost three years in the making, a replica Cobb & Co stagecoach was unveiled at the Dunedin Railway Station on Saturday

It was built by tradesman and museum conservation engineer Bill Lang, who was commissioned by Cobb & Co Dunedin.

Efforts to raise the remainder of the money in 2018, when the project was about 80% complete, were unsuccessful.

Dunedin company Playground Pals, which runs the Dunedin Cobb & Co, funded the entire stagecoach creation.

Playground Pals co-director Ange Copson said the cost was more than $55,000, but was worth it.

"This has been a labour of love. Bill has crafted it from nothing.

"Cobb and Co were here before the railway station. It’s a special part of history to hold on to.

"It’s something that will be here as a part of Otago’s history."

Stagecoaches were the primary means of passenger transport in the Otago region until 1923, when the last service ceased.

None of the Otago stagecoaches survived.

Mr Lang said the project started in 2017, with him taking initial measurements from a stagecoach at Toitu Otago Settlers Museum to create a through brace mud coach.

He said a sense of accomplishment came with completing the project.

"I wasn’t retired when I started this and now I am, so it’s certainly taken some time.

"The people who rode these stagecoaches back in the day lived their lives in colour, not in black and white, and I think that is something to be recognised."

Mr Lang said he had nicknamed the stagecoach "Gerty".

"It is an exact replica of Cobb & Co stagecoach, but what’s unique about it is that it is all steel — the steel wheels are one of a kind."

Mr Lang estimated the coach weighed between 1.4 tonnes and 1.6 tonnes.

"It’s all set for people to come and see it."

emma.perry@odt.co.nz

 

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