Past employees of Mid Canterbury Transport are gathering this Saturday over a reunion lunch.
They are meeting at the Hotel Ashburton on April 5.
Convenors Allie Glossop and Lorraine Kershaw have about 35 people registered so far including Barry Sumner of Temuka who will have a restored Mid Canterbury Transport truck at the event.
It will be one of two restored trucks expected. The other is from Christchurch.
Sumner said they were the only two he knew of which had been restored.
The fire engine red vehicles had a distinguished emblem on the door – a truck wheel with wings.
The transport company was set up as an amalgamation of many smaller companies across the district before World War II, he said.
‘‘There were a lot of transport company around the district before the war … they all amalgamated to form Mid Canterbury Transport,’’ he said.
‘‘I think it had something to do with saving fuel.’’
He said at the time the government had a law to protect rail services and there was a 40 mile or (64km) distance limit on carting goods.
‘‘It had to go on rail. So we had railway from Methven to Rakaia , and another from Tinwald to Mount Somers with various stations along the line.’’
He said the company had depots at Coalgate, Methven, Mount Somers, Mayfield, Hinds, Ashburton and Christchurch.
‘‘Mid Canterbury (Transport) did the bulk of all the freight.’’
It operated many divisions through until the mid 1970s. Among them livestock, general cartage, passenger services, furniture removal, an engineering divisions, and a concrete plant.
Sumner started with the firm in 1956 and said at one point the company had more than 100 trucks in its fleet.
Organisers of the reunion are keen to hear from any drivers, staff and their partners who have not yet registered for the luncheon.
Allie’s late husband Bruce, was a past freight driver for the company which had many divisions.
‘‘It was quite big in the day,’’ she said.
Anyone wanting to attend can contact Allie on 027-4798143 or Lorraine Kershaw on 027-2491788.
