Kingston Flyer Service Marks 50 Years

A true southern icon marked an important anniversary mid December 2021.

It’s 50 years ago that the Kingston Flyer started service running between Kingston and Fairlight in northern Southland.

The history of the steam train goes way back further than what we know of it now. The train started its runs in the late 1800’s ran between Kingston, Gore and Invercargill as an express service when steam rail was king!

In short, services started to tail off through the 1930’s and 40’s until the train service ceased operation in the late 1950’s.

Someone somewhere had a brainwave and got NZ Rail to run the train as a heritage service. Probably no easy feat to get a monolithic government department to indulge in something so radical, but it worked.

The reborn Kingston Flyer started on December 21st 1971 originally running between Kingston and Lumsden. It was a hit, a huge tourist attraction for many years to come.

Probably key to that success was the late Russell Glendining, engineer in chief and the face of the service for many years.

It was used in TV shows and commercials, remember the Milky Bar Kid ad? “The Milky Bars are on me”. That’s dating me a tad.

It was a great backdrop when the Tour of Southland riders rode past on their way to Central Otago.

However in more recent times the service changed hands more than once, promises made to make it bigger, brighter, better largely came to naught. Then the shebang got tangled up in an ugly bankruptcy drama. Enough to make you cry. Just how could it go so pear shaped?

But things are simmering away. We understand that the current owners may fire up the boilers on the Ab class steam loco’s and do a trip or two over the summer. Be terrific if they do.

As for the 50th, we are told that a low key celebration was held over the weekend.