AS much needed rain fell steadily at Oberon Railway Station last Saturday, a small but very enthusiastic crowd gathered in the new rolling stock shed for the official opening.
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Sharing the new spacious shed were the Oberon Tarana Heritage Railway (OTHR) carriages that featured in the film The Great Gatsby.
Proceedings got underway with president of OTHR Tim Arnison addressing the assembled crowd.
Mr Arnison spoke of the history of the shed acquisition and erection and of the many hours of labour put in by OTHR volunteers.
Special mention was made of the NSW Government grant which enabled the shed to be built, and the ongoing support of Oberon Council and the wider community.
The support and assistance of John Holland Rail was also acknowledged.
Member for Bathurst Paul Toole addressed the gathering in his capacity as patron of OTHR.
He congratulated OTHR members on their achievements and said how glad he was that a government grant had been provided to bring this project to fruition.
He officially declared the rolling stock shed open and the party moved on to the ribbon cutting ceremony.
Flanked by Oberon mayor John McMahon and John Holland Rail representative Ken Lingabala, Mr Toole wielded the official scissors and cut the ribbon to great cheers from the assembled gathering.
Cr McMahon then gave a short address emphasising the council’s support for OTHR and the tourist potential of the heritage railway.
Cr McMahon officiated the cake cutting with Mr Lingabala and Mr Toole.
Guests then enjoyed a chat with tea, coffee and cake in a relaxed atmosphere.
The rain continued to fall steadily – much to delight of the local farmers – but this did not dampen the celebratory mood of the crowd.