Napier boy Alex van der Zwet was full of excitement as he boarded the old steam train to Wairoa this morning. The 3-year-old joined 400 other people dressed in boas, boaters and furs for the sold-out three-and-a-half-hour ride. It was the first time Alex and his sister Danielle, 5, had been onthe JA 1271 coalburner, with the pair dressing up for the occasion. ``They're very excited,'' said mother Tracy van der Zwet. ``Alex has been making train noises all week.'' The family will be spending the weekend at their Mahia bach. Driver Kevin Tasker said about 10 tonnes of coal and 5000 gallons of water would be used to power the 145-tonne locomotive. ``It's going to be a good leisurely trip,'' he said. Tomorrow the train will travel to Hastings and Otane before steaming out to Waikoau Sunday. The locomotive will return to its Wellington base on Monday.
