Fascination with steam locomotives subject of doco playing in Cans Film Festival

Ian Welch, Mainline Steam, Wellington, on his Beyer Garrett Steamer in 2014. Photo / NZME

Ian Welch was fascinated with steam locomotives from a very young age.

That led to the world's largest private collection of steam trains and his story is the subject of a documentary which will be screening on Saturday at Regent Cinema.

Welch was born in 1939, just before World War II.

At that time, the largest machines around were steam locomotives.

"To a small boy, that was quite fascinating," he said.

His grandfather was an engineer in Gisborne and his mother used to take him by train to see his grandfather on a fairly regular basis.

One of his earliest memories was when he was 3 and travelling by train.

Welch recalled travelling from Wellington to Paekakariki, where the engines would be coupled on before going on to Napier and from there with a smaller engine to Gisborne.

"I remember being enthralled, terrified, etc, and absolutely fascinated by these big machines."

A lifelong fascination with steam locomotives is what started Ian Welch's collection. Photo / NZME

That was where the fascination started, he said.

His parents bought him a train set and as an adult he got into modelling, building his own model layout.

Then in the late 1960s, he built a swimming pool and his wife mentioned this to a friend, who then asked if her father would be able to talk to Welch about building pools.

"So this chap arrived. I knew he worked for the Railways but I didn't know what he did there."

The conversation turned to the man's work in the Railways and Welch asked him what he did.

"He said, 'Oh, I'm busy at the moment cutting up steam engines'."

Welch was offered the opportunity to buy one.

"I went to bed that night, very excited. A bit like winning Lotto. You get very excited, but then you realise, what am I going to do with all this money? In my case, I can get a steam engine, what am I going to do with it?"

He was able to partner up with a couple of friends, one who suggested storing the steam engine at Linton Military Camp.

The cost at the time was $1500.

The men decided to form a group called Steam Incorporated, based at Paekakariki.

However, despite them having paid for the engine, a B locomotive, the Railways decided they needed it for the Queen's royal visit, since she'd expressed an interest in it.

They asked about another engine and Railways suggested a J locomotive, but Welch said he was told it wouldn't be worth having.

The group took on J-1234, which is still owned by Steam Incorporated.

Welch went on to start Mainline Steam and now has about 13 locomotives in New Zealand and more in South Africa.

"It's been an interesting journey," he said.

When asked why people are so fascinated with steam locomotives, he said he thought people just got hooked into them.

"They're a very exciting machine. They've got moving parts, they make a noise.

"They have something that other machines don't have."

At 83, Welch considered himself lucky to still be very active, with a lot of friends and an interest that is still a passion after so many years.

Welch will be speaking at the first night of the Cans Film Festival at the Regent Dannevirke on Saturday.

The first film, Mr Mainline Steam, directed by Graeme Moffatt will start at 7.15pm.

The price of admission is one can of food per moviegoer with the cans being donated to local food banks.

Disney's 101 Dalmatians will be one of the movies screening as part of the Cans Film Festival at the Regent in Dannevirke. Photo / Supplied

The Cans Film Festival is on Saturday and Sunday, then from Thursday until August 14 with movies including Breakfast at Tiffany's, Ocean's Eleven (1960), Jailhouse Rock and more.

Details can be found at https://moviefest.nz/cans-film-festival/.