the Kingston Flier

Today we travelled south of Arrowtown with plans to drive through the Nevis. We did and it fantastic. On the way we came through Kingston so had to stop and see the Flier in all its smokey glory!!!!
During the 19th century the steam locomotive was the first great technical creation of man and the foundation of a new era.
As soon as gold was discovered in the Wakatipu district in 1862 the need to connect the district by steamships and steam trains became apparent. The railway line at last reached Kingston on July 10, 1878 .
The express passenger steam train known as "The Flyer" serviced Kingston-Gore on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and Kingston-Invercargill on Tuesdays and Thursdays from the 1890's. During peak holiday periods she also carried passengers from Dunedin to Kingston to meet up with Lake Wakatipu steamboats connecting with the popular holiday destination of Queenstown.
The service was replaced by buses and passenger numbers declined through the 1950's. The final Kingston Flyer operated during the Easter holiday of 1957. Trains continued to run on the Waimea Plains Railway until 31 March 1971.
Look at all that pollution!!! The engine driver told us the train uses a quarter ton of coal to do the half hour trip from Kingston and Fairlight. Grand experience Enjoy....