On Track Delivery
Once upon a time there were five little cousins, three from Christchurch and two from Rangiora, who spent their holidays at the bach at Goose Bay.
They slept in bunks in a little house, paddled in the sea, searched for shells and unusual stones on the beach, trekked through the bush, listened to the birds, dolphin-watched, fished from the dinghy, ate dinner outside round the fire and waved their yellow flags at trains.
The trains raced along the railway line which ran between their paddock, the road and the sea.
They were big, noisy, fast, dangerous and exciting. The first cousin to hear the distant rumble would shout “Train! Train!”, “There’s a train coming!”.
They would rush to unhook a yellow flag from the nail behind the heavy wooden door, run past the kowhai swing tree into the middle of the paddock, and wave the flags high above their heads.
If the driver saw them he would usually wave back and sometimes give a loud toot, which made them jump. If it was the rail car some of the passengers might wave too.
They felt very small as the train approached. Their paddock was low-lying, and the railway embankment seemed very high. If they got a wave and a toot they immediately felt much bigger and more important. How special was that? To get a great big train to toot at you! Every year they decided they wanted to be train drivers when they grew up. And they would toot for every little child they saw.
Each of them secretly hoped the train driver thought they were important too. Did he wonder who they were? Did he ever want to stop and say hello?
The years went by, as years do and the cousins grew up. The little house was made bigger. They sat on the new deck, which was slightly higher than the railway line and had a better view of the sea. They still waved to the trains, but didn’t usually get up out of their seats.
The oldest cousin was Emma. She had lived overseas. She found the trains in Holland were sleek, the trains in London went underground, the trains in Spain had beds in them, the trains in Thailand were dirty, hot and crowded and the trains in Japan sped along at 200 mph. But none of them was as memorable as the trains that went past Goose Bay.
When she and Graeme decided to get married, they chose Goose Bay as their favourite place.
The marquee was put up, and 70 of their friends and relatives gathered the following day for the wedding. They wished it wouldn’t drizzle, but everyone sheltered under umbrellas and raincoats and the bridal party stood under a huge green sun umbrella.
Just after the ceremony they heard a train approaching. What good timing, as if it had arrived any earlier they wouldn’t have been able to hear their vows above the clackety clack of the train wheels on the rails.
It came round the corner from the north really slowly, as if it wasn’t sure it should be there. It then gave the longest, happiest toot they had ever heard. The grown-up Goose Bay cousins and the guests waved and smiled. The driver must have seen the marquee and known it was a special day. The train crept along very slowly…… was there something wrong with it?
It stopped. Why had Ali and Pippa raced across the paddock? Why were they climbing over the fence? Why was the driver getting down out of the train? What was happening?
Emma thought it couldn’t be... ? Is it... ? They cant... How could they... ? She and everyone else watched with astonishment and growing delight as a large white box was passed down from the train. Ali and Pippa and Mark the train driver wearing his bright green vest strode across the paddock to where she and Graeme stood on the steps.
Everyone grinned. The box was handed over and opened. There was an enormous bottle of champagne with a very special label which read “On Track Delivery, Limited Edition Bubbles. Produced to celebrate the marriage of Emma & Graeme at the bach 10th February 2007”, and some boxes with a chocolate dolphin for each guest.
Mark, the train driver, shook hands with Graeme and a still stunned and delighted Emma. He kissed the bride then walked across the paddock, climbed over the fence, and back up into his train.
Everyone laughed and cheered and waved as the train pulled away.
The moral? Never forget your dreams. They may come true, even after you have grown up and know better.
Written by
The Bride
The Story from the Train Driver
I had been rostered to run a train from Christchurch to Kaikoura where I would change over with a freight train bound for Christchurch.
I had an unusual visitor at my house a couple of days earlier. It was the father of a Bride to be, who was to be married at goose bay at their crib. He asked me if I would be able to deliver a present to the happy couple. Certainly, I told him.
As I approached goose bay with my train of 1800 tones I slowed right down and gave a long blast on the horn. The guests had gathered for the start of the ceremony.
Apparently, the ceremony stopped abruptly!
The damn train had stopped right at their fence! The driver was alighting from his cab, climbing through the fence and was carrying a box.
Yes, I kissed the bride (she was looking so radiant) shook hands with the groom (wished him good luck mate!) Had a brief chat, then with a final toot I was off.
Unbeknown to me, the carton contained a bottle of champagne in the cab with me. “On track delivery” I think it said on the carton.
I do hope they survived together, and I feel quite good about playing a small part. I had retired from Kiwi Rail after 50 years of service and
this was certainly one of many
highlights I enjoyed.
Written by
Mark Scotson
