Oamaru Steam and Rail general manager Harry Andrew has been busy in the society’s workshop along with his hardworking team making final preparations for the launch of The Phoenix railcar tomorrow.
No trucks will be needed tomorrow when The Phoenix rises again at an 11am unveiling at Quarry Siding, making its first run to Harbourside Station, with free rides available throughout the day.
The impressive 36-tonne vehicle plied Wellington’s tracks for about 60 years before being written off — that is until it was brought to Oamaru atop a truck trailer in January last year, when Mr Andrew’s largely self-funded project to restore the railcar to its former glory began.
PHOTO: STEPHEN JAQUIERY
Tomorrow also marks the launch of Oamaru Steam and Rail and the Rail History of North Otago, written by Oamaru-based journalist and author Jacquie Webby.
