Graham Leabourn (left), a member of the model locomotive society for almost all its 60 years, helps president Ryan Lawson load the found steam locomotive to go back to the station. Photo / Paul Taylor
Graham Leabourn (left), a member of the model locomotive society for almost all its 60 years, helps president Ryan Lawson load the found steam locomotive to go back to the station. Photo / Paul Taylor
A ride-on miniature steam locomotive stolen from its shed in a Napier park this week has been found dumped in a model boat lake about a kilometre from where it was taken.
The Maid of Kent, operated by the Hawke's Bay Model Engineering Society at their track in Anderson Park, was found this afternoon by Hawke's Bay Model Boat Club member Tony Smith while sailing his pride and joy on the lake off Kennedy Rd.
He had read on Thursday about the theft of the 60-year-old locomotive and its tender.
"I was shocked, I felt really bad, because I know a lot of work will have gone into making it."
But with it found and back in the hands of the locomotive club, he said: "It's been an excellent Black Friday."
The "Maid" with (from left) model engineering society president Ryan Lawson, finder and model boat enthusiast Tony Smith and society stalwart Graham Leabourn. Photo / Paul Taylor
He said moments before making the discovery he saw a wheelbarrow in the lake. He took a few steps closer and spotted the locomotive submerged in the water, something he may have missed had the sun not been shining directly at it.
New locomotive society president Ryan Lawson said it appeared undamaged, easing members' worst fears that it might have been broken-up and sold as scrap.
Lawson said it would need to be cleaned, dried and serviced before being put back onto the track, a popular attraction for children and families on Sundays.
There seemed to be an immediate silver lining, with the society thinking of opening to operate its other trains on Sunday, which had been scheduled to be a weekend-off.
Members might never know whether the locomotive had been in the lake since the theft or dumped because of the publicity and realisation it would be difficult to onsell.
"We'll never know, unless those who took it come and apologise," he said.
It was stolen between 5pm on Sunday and 5pm on Wednesday. The track and shed have been targeted by thieves and vandals several times in the past two to three years.
It was not immediately clear whether the wheelbarrow was one that had been stolen from the train facility recently.
There was public outrage in Napier when the similarly-weighty life-sized bronze statue of Pania of the Reef was stolen from its plinth on the Marine Parade reserve in 2005. It was later found stashed in a wood shed, undamaged, and able to be restored to its site. In that case two arrests were made.
