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Bill Fraser is interviewed by Jim Breeze about his life on the West Coast.
At age 94 years, he is claimed to be the oldest retired locomotive driver in New Zealand. He is also renowned as a photographer and recalls his career in the railways from when he began on the Coast in 1910.
Jim recalls several stories about Otira and the people who lived there.When he became the senior driver to operate the electric trains through the Otira tunnel,l which also gave him the chance to photograph and study the alpine regions.
Jim also recalls his musical and mountaineering interests and talks about the opening of the Otira tunnel and how 'there was not a sober person in Otira that day'!
Driving King George VI (the Duke of York) through the tunnel and teaching the King to drive the train himself. Also talks about Prince Edward in the 1920's driving the train up the Buller Gorge. Jim mentions how he sang at the Prince's reception held in Reefton and remembers his association with Newman's coach line.
Jim has many more stories about the railways and his life and times.