Get your ticket to ride

Tickets are selling fast for Middlemarch’s Otago Central Vulcan and Steam Celebrations on Labour Weekend with many seizing the opportunity to take a trip down memory lane in a Vulcan railcar or on a steam train.

Taieri Gorge Railway will run services between Dunedin, Middlemarch and Pukerangi using a Vulcan railcar, steam locomotive Ab778 and other heritage rolling stock over the weekend.

Until the mid-1970s, Vulcan railcars ran every day to and from Central Otago, connecting passengers with express services to Invercargill and Christchurch. The railcars held 48 passengers each and are remembered fondly by many as the most efficient public transport available in Central Otago at the time.

This year is the 130th anniversary of the turning of the first sod in the construction of the Central Otago Railway and Middlemarch is hosting a weekend of nostalgia and celebrations. There will be a range of events in Middlemarch from a café trail, a ploughing match, displays and live music. A full events calendar will be available nearer Labour Weekend.

Tickets are available for the trains and while some are available only on the day, bookings are essential for connecting services from Dunedin. Ticket prices and timetables are available on the Dunedin Train Festivals website – www.dunedintrainfestival.co.nz or from Taieri Gorge Railway.