WELCOME GIVEN TRAIN

Taranaki Daily News, 5 September 1933, Page 9

WELCOME GIVEN TRAIN

OHURA TURNS OUT IN FORCE LONG SOUGHT GOAL ATTAINED. GATHERING AT NEW PLYMOUTH., Though there was not a great deal of interest taken in- the Auckland-New Plymouth express on its departure from Auckland on Sunday night there was undoubtedly a keen interest displayed by Taranaki residents, welcomes being accorded the train at various points en route. The welcomes may have differed in their nature, but they reflected in common the feelings of a province on seeing a long, sought goal attained. The deepness of the feelings of settlers in the back country districts of the province, the air almost of affection with which they regard “the railway” that has been winding its 'slow way through, was typified by the greeting the train received at Ohura. There, though it was nearly 2 a.m, before the train arrived, a crowd of over 100 waiting on the platform cheered lustily as the explosions of detonators they had placed on the line rent the air. The Ohura band was on the platform in full force, playing a stirring piece, “Craigalee,” and blowing hard enough to almost lift the roof from the station buildings. Having celebrated the departure of a railway officer who had been attached to the Public Works Department, for some time the town was en fete, and it was obvious that all had been having a very good afternoon and evening. The train left the station to the accompaniment of still more detonators exploding.

At Tangarakau the station building was almost in darkness, but from out of the darkness came about a dozen people to wander the length of the platform and gaze in the windows of the train. “We all got out of bed to see the train,” said one of them sleepily but excitedly. Tangarakau’s welcome was made shortly before, 3 a.m. and Tangarakau was proud that it had taken the trouble to come out on this night of nights. A passenger who boarded the train there expressed her scorn in no uncertain terms when she found that there was no sign of life at Tahora. “Well, they might at least have turned out to see the train after all these years,” she said to her fellow passengers at large. ' WELCOME AT NEW PLYMOUTH. From there to Stratford there was not sufficient attraction in the train to drag the residents from their beds at that unseemly hour of the night. A few townspeople gathered on the Stratford platform, some ; to meet friends and some merely out of, curiosity. At New Plymouth hand clapping and cheering from a small number on the platform greeted the sleepy passengers. Speaking on behalf of the New Plymouth Borough Council the deputyMayor (Mr. F. J. Hill) apologised for the absence of the Mayor (Mr. E. R. C. Gilmour) and other councillors. He expressed pleasure at being present on such an occasion, as it was an event to which the whole district ’ had looked forward for many years. The Public Works and Railways Departments had done their part, and it was up to the people of the district to support the service which had ben inaugurated. Mr. F. Amoore, president of the New Plymouth Tourist and Expansion League, said the league was among those who had been working for the completion of the line for many years, and now that their hopes were brought to fulfilment and the service an accomplished fact he hoped the public would do its share in patronising the service. He was pleased the first train had brought a good number of passengers, and he hoped that before long a train of ten or twelve carriages would be arriving every morning. Mr. W. C. Weston, vice-president of the Taranaki Chamber of Commerce, apologised for the absence of the president (Mr. S. E. Shaw) and congratulated the department on the achievement Which the new service marked. He recalled the turning of the first sod by a relative of his 32 years ago and expressed pleasure at being associated with the reception to the first passenger train over the line. He hoped that the public would support the service, especially the residents of the Ohura. The line, both for passenger and goods traffic, would be a great benefit to Ohura, to the port of New Plymouth and the whole district of Taranaki. Mr. Weston thanked the stationmaster (Mr. W. G. Stewart) for the invitation to be present on the occasion and congratulated him on the part he had taken in bringing the service into operation since his arrival at New Plymouth. « Others present at the station included the ex-Mayor of Stratford (Mr. P. Thomson) and Cr. P. E. Stainton.