By Sorrel Hoskin

Chug, chug, chug. Puff, puff, puff. Ding-dong, ding-dong. The little train rumbled over the tracks..."

The Little Engine that Could, by Watty Piper

The Little Preservation Society That Could

Just like a children's story book, Waitara has its own version of The Little Engine That Could - or maybe it's Thomas the Tank Engine?

That would make chairman of the Waitara Railway Preservation Society, Graeme Goldsworthy, Sir Topham Hatt, the director of the railway who makes sure the engines are "right on time and really useful".

Sir Topham Hatt wears a top hat and suit - Graeme prefers a blue cap and overalls.

He is the driving force behind the preservation society and its The little Engine That Could  "I think I can" attitude that saw it successfully purchase the heritage rail line between Waitara and Lepperton in May 2001.

In five years since its inception the group of dedicated volunteers has seen a dream grow into a reality.

Rail enthusiasts: The Waitara Railway Preservation Society volunteers.

The little railway line runs 15km from the centre of Waitara to the outskirts of Lepperton. Here the diesel engine that shunts the little guard's van turns tail and pulls them home to Waitara.

The train runs the hour-long excursions the first and third Sunday of every month.

Passenger numbers have astounded the society. "The response and support has been great," says Graeme. "We had to turn people away last week, ask them to wait for a later trip."  Passengers range from children who have never been on a train before, to adults taking "a trip down memory lane." Old or young thousands have turned up at the West Quay in Waitara to ride the rails.

Eventually the preservation society hopes to pull into a Lepperton siding complete with its own shed for repair and restoration work. The engine won't have to shunt and pull, there will be a loop.

I think I can - steam returns to Taranaki

This is a little group that thinks big.

They're steaming on to larger things with the same "I think I can" attitude.

The Waitara Railway Preservation Society is on a mission to bring steam power back to Taranaki. 

In February the doors will open in a shed at Robert Stone Engineering in New Plymouth. Work will begin on an FA class engine the society has leased from Waikato. The engine is something special- the only one of its class left in New Zealand. "At the moment it's a bit raw, says Graeme. But it's basically all there."

Restoration will be a big job. A fire hasn't been lit in the firebox for 40 years. The condition of the engine won't be known until it's completely stripped down and tested. That alone will cost $25,000. All going well repair and reassembly will take around four years and cost approximately $200,000. If the engine needs a new boiler add another $150,000 to that price.

Running a railway line isn't easy or cheap. Like Sir Topham Hatt from Thomas the Tank Engine, Graeme Goldsworthy has the task of making sure the railway runs smoothly, helping raise money, meeting safety requirements, wading through piles of red tape and generally keeping his finger on the pulse.

Raising money is one of the bigger headaches. Buying the Lepperton track cost $360,000, restoration of the FA class steam engine could ultimately cost close to $400,000. The community has got behind the project: Taranaki Electricity Trust, Taranaki Savings Bank and many local companies including Hookers, Roebucks, Robert Stone have come to the party, society members have even reached into their own pockets. Joe public is also keen to contribute - but there's still a large shortfall.

Bridge to success: the train crosses the Waingaro River.

It's a serious hobby that takes up several hours of Graeme's day.

But when talking about steam locomotives his face lights up and his eyes sparkle.

"They're alive - they're almost human - a wonderful piece of machinery. There's nothing like a steam engine - the smell, the heat - all those moving components. It's a man-made machine that's basically alive. To see something like that chuffing up the hill with Mount Egmont in the back ground …"

It's a love affair he's had since a small child. Graeme joined the Society of Model and Experimental Engineers (that run model steam trains near Pukekura Park) when he was at intermediate. His brother Rodney fired the last steam locomotive out of New Plymouth in 1965 and still drives trains in Australia.

It was frustration at having to go out of Taranaki to enjoy his hobby that saw Graeme hook up with a group keen to preserve the historic Lepperton to Waitara railway line.

The society are a bunch of dedicated enthusiasts, from retired railway workers to engineers, an ex-banker and a bunch of "youngsters" who turn up every weekend to work restoring a collection of railcars stored on a siding at Duncan and Davies.

Like the Little Engine the Waitara Preservation Society's "I think I can" attitude has seen them climb to the top of the hill.