Waroona Lions Club train upgraded to honour past member Louie Chiera

In an ode to past club member and “lively larrikin”, Louie Chiera, the Waroona Lions Club have purchased a new tractor to pull their famous town train. Leading a line of repurposed industrial laundry bins, the Lions’ train will now immortalise one of the clubs beloved members — Louie Chiera — who died in Feburary 2021. Known around town as a “lively larrikin” who “lit up everyone’s day” Louie did not drive the tractor but often helped out collecting funds and assisted riders according to club vice-president John Clare. “He didn’t drive the train but he always used to help out, he was like the station master,” he said. “We’ll think of Louie every time we use (the train) and people in town will as well, they’re going to call it Louie, they’re not going to call it the Lions train anymore, they’re going to call it Louie.” Built almost completely free of charge the train is one of the Lions’ biggest fundraising projects, with about 30 local businesses sponsoring it. Mr Clare said all the funds go back to the community and the train will “probably outlive most of us”. “The only thing we ever had to pay for were the wheels and the axels, and this train has become like a local institution in town, everybody knows about it,” he said. “We charge about a dollar a ride and we do hire it out to other events as well, and it has become a really good fundraiser for us as well, with all the funds going back into the community.” “It will last years and years, the train will always be there.”