[Scenes of launch of Kingston Flyer, 21st December, 1971].
NZ Railways poster for the Kingston Flyer. People waiting in carpark at station. Kingston Flyer arrives in station watched by onlookers. ‘Kingston Flyer’ written on side of train. People on platform. Fire burning in train for fuel. People walking around train carriage. ‘Lumsden’ station. Two steam trains at station. Pipe band in street leads parade including steam engines, decorated floats, vintage cars, people on horseback. Crowd of people gathered on seats. Men speak at microphone. Crowds gathered around steam trains including people in vintage dress. Steam train leaves station, crowd of people in period dress stand on side of train. ‘Carston’ station, people waiting on side of tracks. Men sign paper. Kingston Flyer travelling through landscape. Pipe band marches along track in front of Kingston Flyer, spectators at side of track.
Man rowing raft on [Lake Wakatipu]. Small boats on water. Line-up of cars including vintage cars. Kingston Flyer. Girls carrying bunch of balloons. Kingston Flyer pulls out of station. ‘The End’.
“A few months after the last steam locomotives had been withdrawn from this country's scheduled rail operations, New Zealand Railways (NZR) launched a new tourist-oriented steam passenger venture .... Beginning on 21 December 1971, the Kingston Flyer ran twice daily on the 61-km line between Lumsden in northern Southland and Kingston on the shores of Lake Wakatipu ... As a rare example of a state-owned railway entering the heritage and preservation fields, the Kingston Flyer attracted widespread media attention” - New Zealand History; https://nzhistory.govt.nz/page/full-steam-ahead-kingston-flyer; retrieved 3/05/2017.