Graffiti put the Dunedin Silver Fern railcar out of action but, apart from that hiccup, the Taieri Gorge Railway's inaugural trip to Moeraki was a success.
Taieri Gorge Railway business development manager Toby Mann said the trip to Moeraki would hopefully be the first of many.
The only thing that put a dampener on the trip was finding the Dunedin Silver Fern railcar covered in graffiti on Saturday morning, putting it out of action. A Taieri Gorge diesel locomotive was used instead.
''Last [Friday] night at the depot it was tagged over about a quarter of one side. It was over the windows as well.''
Police would be informed about the graffiti and ''unfortunately'' as a result the railcar would now likely have to be moved and housed under the cover of Taieri Gorge Railway's shed the night before it was used.
Graffiti had been a problem before, but the fact it was on Taieri Gorge Railway's only railcar and the night before a trip meant it had a greater impact this time.
Apart from that nasty surprise, the trip was a ''success'' with 94 tickets selling out in a couple of days. This meant excursions on the northern line could become a monthly occasion.
The idea of a trip to Moeraki had also attracted interest from one of the cruise ship providers, with Saturday's trip serving as a trial.
