In 2003 Te Awamutu Lions Club began a restoration project of the Climax 1317 train - which had spent 48 years as part of the Te Awamutu Memorial Park. The project, which has involved over 12,000 hours of work, $300,000 of grant money & donations; countless discounts and free use of tools & equipment provided by local businesses, is now complete - and on 18th September 2022 the restored locomotive was formally handed back to the Waipa District Council.
The event was covered pretty well in the press. I've collected a few of the articles in this thread.
The project has definitely had some highs and lows, see the linked articles for more details.
The end results look amazing, but it's unclear to me what the current status of the locomotive is.
The event was covered pretty well in the press. I've collected a few of the articles in this thread.
The project has definitely had some highs and lows, see the linked articles for more details.
The end results look amazing, but it's unclear to me what the current status of the locomotive is.
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