Oldies 13 minutes late entering history

By STUART DYE, transport reporter

Away from the pomp and ceremony heralding the arrival of the first train to Britomart, a smaller band of travellers were preparing to make their journey.

It was a more low-key occasion, but no less significant.

As the first in-bound train arrived at platform 5, filled with around 140 civic dignitaries, the first train out, from platform 1, took barely a dozen passengers.

Nine of those people, aged between 73 and 98, were on the last train to leave central Auckland - 73 years ago.

For once, the commuters kept the train waiting. As the group shuffled to their seats, the 5.55am to Papakura ended up leaving at 6.08am.

On November 16, 1930, brothers Des and Fred Tucker were on a day out with the other six members of their family.

While Fred was just two, Des, who was six, remembers the excitement well.

"We were on our way to Hamilton to visit family and it was my first time on a train.

"Dad had a car, but was a rail enthusiast, so to go on the train was very, very exciting.

"He took us to look at the engine and I remember the smell and lots and lots of steam.

"After that, my strongest memory is that the train did not come back to the same station so we had a long walk to the car, which made Dad very angry."

The day excursion train left Auckland at 8.53am. When it came back, the station had closed, to be replaced by the new Beach Rd terminal.

Yesterday, Des and Fred relived that historic journey. They and seven others travelled to Papakura for breakfast before returning shortly after 9.30am.

The poignant journey was organised by Auckland City councillor Bill Christian, who appealed through the Herald for people who had been on the 1930 train to come forward.

Des and Fred were youngsters yesterday next to 98-year-old Kay Pritchard - the oldest person to respond to the appeal.

In 1930, Kay was a young schoolteacher who was visiting her parents for the weekend.

Yesterday she said she was amazed by the Britomart centre and the quality of the trains.

"I was looking for the steam when I first got here," she joked.

"Those old trains were dirty and dingy and smelly, but these are lovely to travel on.

"I hope they make a success of Britomart because there are so many cars on the road these days rushing round. It used to be quite rare to see a car but now they are everywhere.

"I won't be using the trains because I don't travel round so much any more. But it was nice to be here today and bring back so many memories."