Good morning to you all Dear Reader's - the dreaded Komata's Blog' has arrived again, for another excursion into who knows where . . .
If you are interested. come along and see what eventuates - it might even be fun.
At the risk of inflicting more pain than you might want to experience, the 'Blog today is another true reminisence - you have been warned . . (LOL):
In 1973 I was stationed at NZ Railways Papakura - a major station located some 20 miles south of Auckland - New Zealand's largest city, located in our country's North Island.
At that stage of NZ Railway history, the NZR was running two overnight Express-Passenger services to connect Auckland with Wellington - NZ's capital city.
The first of these was scheduled to arrive at Papakura at 1700 (5pm) Monday to Friday, and was to be loaded with Mails and Passengers for 'All points South'.
It was also the place where the Guard could invariably have a few minutes to walk through the train and check the tickets of those passengers who had boarded in Auckland, and, if necessary, have them taken off the train if they did not have the appropriate paper work - or were riding free.
As they were relatively close to Auckland, this was a sensible move as it meant that these non-payer's could return to whatever Auckland suburb they lived in without too much hardship - after paying a reasonable fine for having dared to try and travel free!
The Express always towed a Guards Van, where the Guard had his office (logical . .) which was used for the Mails and small consignments of goods to go elsewhere, and on arrival at Papakura it was common practice for the Guard to leave the 'Van and walk forwards through the carriages towards he locomotive, checking tickets as he went.
The train was scheduled to stop at Papakura for 10 minutes to load people, mail and parcels so this gave him a reasonable time to carry out these duties.
Now at this point, because it relates directly to what subsequently happened, a description of the make-up of this train is in order.
The consist was invariably as follows: 2 Da-class locomotives at the head (these were EMD G-12's), a Steam Heat Van (of which more anon) 3-4 First-Class cars, 4-6 Second-Class cars, a Guards Van, and 2-5 bogie Box wagons (designated 'Road-sider's by NZR Management) and used for carrying small amounts of perishables and urgent parcels.
It is also important to be aware of the following:
Standard platform heights in NZ are 3ft above the sleepers (ties) and standard wagon under-frames are 18 in above the sleepers.
The clearances between the side of the rolling stock and the edge of the platform is approimately 12in.
The Steam Heat Van: These vehicles were mobile steam generating boilers (oil fired) which generated steam to provide heating for passenger-cars traversing the middle of New Zealand's North Island. the demise of steam locomotives on Express Services meant that steam generation for car-heating purposes wasn't available as the diesel Electrics which replaced them didn't have steam generation facilities. The Steam Heat Van's were a relatively low-cost interim solution to the problem.
So, on the evening in question we had the following: An Express service at the station platform, Passengers milling around everywhere, and the Road-side wagons being loaded at the back of the train.
The Steam Heat Van was fully operatinal and leaking steam through the varous joints in its pipes - as most steam generating plants tend to do.
I would normally have been involved with the loading the 'Roadsiders, but had not been required that evening so was up at the front of the train talking to the Driver while we waited for the loading to finish.
The Guard had of course started his ticket-checking walk from the back of the train, coming towards us.
There are those of our membership who can remember wearing Affro's, high wedge heals and Crimpelene Sits - with VERY wide bell-bottoms to our trousers (I know - we all did . . . remember). For those who may be too young to have experienced such pleasures think of Jimmi Hendrix dressed a bit like John Travolta in the dance sequence in Saturday Night Fever (yes, my age shows doesn't it?)
All of which is very important to what happens next.
As I had said, I was talking to the Train's Driver, when all of sudden a commotion started at the nearest door of the nearest passenger car to where I was standing.
Out of the near-side door (and also that one on the other (non-platform side) came a veritable cascade of rainbow colours - Metallic Blue, Metallic Purple, Shiny Red, a Brilliant Yellow and an Incredible Bright Green - all at high speed and on the run.
I should explain:
The Guard (we subsequently learned) had come across a group of Hendrix Look-alikes (all Affro's, Crimp Suits and high heels) while doing his ticket-checking. They had no tickets and were getting a free ride as a result.
They had seen him coming and were able to keep on moving forwards as he made his way through the cars checking for tickets as he went.
However, they inevitably came to the end - all packed into the vestibule at one end of a passenger carriage without anywhere to go except - Out . . .
And the Guard just kept on coming!
So. 'twas out that these gaudily-clothed freeloaders went - both onto the platform and over onto the 'off-platform side (and a 5ft drop to the ballast) - all at the run.
The Green-suited apparition (a young guy of 18-19 years of age) came running out of the vestibule entrance at high speed, while his purple-coloured mate followed. The purple one ran straight ahead, across the platform and away. to . . .
The Green-suited individual broke left - and ran straight towards where I was standing talking to the driver.
He spotted us both, braked, then ran towards the Steam Heat Van!!!
He somehow managed to go down between the edge of the platform and the side of the 'van then UNDER the van (which was of course still running and with steam everywhere!), before escaping to freedom and the side street running parallel to the Papakura yard - still running.
Remembering the dimensions I mentioned before that was some feat!
He did however leave one of his wedge-heeled, 3" high shoes behind - discarded as he dived under the Steam Heat Van.
(Running with only one shoe over very sharp ballast must have been interesting . . .)
Of course all of this took place in a matter of seconds - in far less time than I've taken to write this, and we could only look on in amazement - it was too quick to do anything else.
And after that?
A n inspection of the place where the Green-one had slipped under the 'Van, and expressions of amazement at his 'achievement' - ad bravery (stupidity?); a discussion with the Guard, the Driver, the Station Master and those staff involved, including yours truly, then back to reality and the Express dispatched on its way.
Discrete enquiries subsequently revealed that there had been a dance on in Papakura that night and that certain well-attired affro-haired young men had attended . . .
Nothing further was done.
We did however keep a certain mans shoe with 3"high -wedge-type heels in Papakura Railway Station's Lost Property section for about six months.
For some reason, it was never claimed . . .
So there you have it Dear Reader's - another edition of the 'Blog. I hope you have found it of interest. Until next time.
Happy modelling
Komata
"TVR - serving the Northern Taranaki . . ."
