Fire safety officer Ray Coleman makes a preliminary check of the burned-out carriage early this morning. Photo / Richard Robinson
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Arson is suspected in a fire that destroyed a vintage railway carriage at the Motat museum's aviation park in Western Springs late last night.
Firefighters from as far away as Papakura were called to the blaze, which also threatened to destroy a shed housing a second carriage.
Fears
were also held for priceless vintage aircraft - including the world's only Solent Mark IV flying boat - kept on the site.
The shed, nearby scrub and a pile of timber caught alight.
Access to fight the fire was initially a problem and a water tanker had to be used to douse the flames.
There were fears the fire would spread to a nearby residential area.
Fire Service communications shift manager Jaron Phillips said the alarm was raised by neighbouring residents, who made many 111 calls.
Fire safety officer Ray Coleman said early today that preliminary reports suggested the fire was deliberately lit. Beer bottles were found at the scene.
Police were called to the park to track those believed responsible for the attack.
Motat's duty manager, Richard Gillet, said the destroyed carriage was awaiting restoration.
He was sickened by the possibility it had been deliberately torched, describing the collections held at the park as very important to the country.
"I'm disgusted," he said. "They are not available any longer. They are required for posterity. To see them treated like this is terrible."
The alarm was raised at 10.20pm, and the fire was brought under control at 11.30.
Rail and military collections share the Motat 2 site, between Motions Rd and Meola Rd and behind the zoo. The main Museum of Transport and Technology site is on Great North Rd.
The museum, which covers 17ha, attracts tens of thousands of visitors every year, including school groups, and relies heavily on volunteers.
In March 2000, Parliament passed a law forcing six Auckland local bodies to contribute towards its running costs, ensuring it had enough money to properly preserve the nation's transport heritage.
The park has a working railway with 1km of track, stations and a selection of former New Zealand Railways locomotives, wagons and carriages.
The nearby Sir Keith Park Memorial Aviation Collection is one of Australasia's most impressive aircraft exhibits.
Two of its most notable aircraft are the Solent flying boat and one of only a handful of World War II Avro Lancaster Bombers still in existence.
A new aviation display hall is to be built, with a planned completion date of 2010.
