While not quite the mythical bird, the latest acquisition for the Oamaru Steam and Rail Society certainly has the pedigree of a flyer.
Yesterday morning, the 36-tonne rail passenger vehicle, officially numbered DM16 in its New Zealand Railways days, arrived in Oamaru atop a truck-trailer after a four-hour trip from Christchurch.
It once plied the rails of the capital where for about 60 years it ferried commuters up and down Wellington’s electrified rail system.
It had late career refurbishment and a renaissance in the early 2000s when it was named The Phoenix in honour of the capital’s football team.
Then it was acquired for the yet to be realised National Rail Museum in Christchurch, where it has lain deteriorating outdoors for years.
The former English Electric multiple unit, built in 1949, will now have a permanent home in North Otago where it should rise again as a self-propelling electric railcar.
Proud new owner Harry Andrew sealed the deal to bring The Phoenix south.
With an eye for a good thing, he bartered his former NZR DSA shunting locomotive, stationed until recently at Oamaru Steam and Rail.
A "very happy" Mr Andrew was yesterday standing by, as his heavy acquisition was carefully lined up on its trailer, to "roll-off" to terra firma.
Mr Andrew said he was at a stage in life where he thought he would just buy it.
If anything, the 57-seater would add a practical point of difference for Oamaru’s rail heritage offering, he said.
"I always said I’d buy a railcar. Some of those other groups make good money out of railcars and the club will do the same.
"It’s a good thing that Oamaru will have."
But converting an electrical train once powered through overhead wires might be easier said than done.
"Get it going and I’ll be pleased ... we’ve got to make it drive first," Mr Andrew said optimistically.
He was determined to find the right engineered solution though, "so that it will be self-propelling".
"I’m working through the process.
"The biggest problem will be finding the right generator ...
"I’m going to prove them wrong. I’m going to get it running here."
But it would be put under cover first.
"This thing here is going in the shed, will be cleaned down and painted," Mr Andrew said.
A&K Cranes managing director Adam Trezise said after some tight manoeuvres at Ferrymead the trip south went smoothly.
Conveniently, he would be returning with a historic guards van loaned by Ferrymead and disguised as a lettuce van for the Netflix production East of Eden last week.
