Hundreds of new ride-on model train fans queued at the weekend in a dramatic turnaround for the Hawke's Bay Model Engineering Society on its track in Anderson Park, Greenmeadows.
Just six weeks earlier, the society was in despair after 60-year-old scale model fully-working steam engine the Maid of Kent was stolen and dumped in a park pond several hundred metres away – the latest of a series of thefts and vandalism attacks over the last year to 18 months.
But there was a silver lining, with least 1000 children, mums, dads, uncles, aunties and grandchildren riding the trains on the first two days of the society's 60th anniversary weekend, with an unprecedented five engines on the track simultaneously to keep up with the demand.
Stationmaster Brian Larkin, new president Ryan Lawson and other stalwarts said the support for the fully-volunteer weekend attraction was bolstered by publicity following the adverse events, with measures of sympathy evident, along with a new awareness, with many people unaware until recent times of the track's existence.
Three steam engines have been among those operating during the weekend, with traction-engine trailer rides also well patronised on a road circuit also from the society's base off Park Rd.