St John staff formed a guard of honour for Kingston Flyer driver Russell Glendinning following his memorial service in the Lumsden Memorial Hall.
The man who turned the Flyer into an attraction known around the world died on Tuesday and hundreds of people turned out to pay their respects yesterday.
Celebrant Peter Gibson said people from all over the world had sent messages of condolence.
Many of Mr Glendinning’s friends and family shared tales of his early years, his dedication and involvement in the community and his time spent on the railways.
More than a dozen St John staff attended the service, in uniform.
St John representative Kelvin Perriman said Mr Glendinning volunteered for St John for more than 40 years and took on many roles in that time.
He estimated Mr Glendinning spent more than 150,000 hours volunteering for St John.
"He would always be available."
After the service, friend Shirley-Anne Monaghan said the number of people who made the trip to Lumsden for the service was a testament to Mr Glendinning. The humble and modest man touched many people’s lives, she said.
His 49-year-long career in the railway industry started when he was 14, scrubbing toilets and tackling other tasks. Mr Glendinning earned his engine driver’s ticket at the age of 22, launching him into a career that would take him around Otago and Southland.
He started his journey with the Kingston Flyer in 1971 when it became a tourist attraction, and in 1975 he was made a Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE) for services to tourism and railways.
It was announced yesterday the steam train had been bought by a consortium of local investors, much to the delight of the people gathered at yesterday’s service.
Many friends said he had always had an interest in trains, often commenting he had done what he wanted to do since he was 5 — drive trains.
Mr Glendinning retired from the Flyer on April 29, 2002, an event celebrated with a special run of the train.
- Jessica Wilson
