 |
| Just
before sunrise on the 17th of Feb 2008, DX 5333, DCs 4876
and 4473 head train 739 through Elevation. Who said the 2am ferry was a
stupid idea then... |
|
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| The
same train heading toward Kaikoura under cloudy skies |
|
 |
| And
then the sun came out... 734 catches me by surprise by crawling
into Oaro earlier than I had calculated forcing a shady-side pic
or nothing. Thanks to a series of loco failures, only the DQ was
running, but the driver stopped here and managed to get the
black DC started up for the run into Kaikoura |
|
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| North
of Kaikoura. DX 5460+4628+4450+6376 |
|
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| Approaching
Pines. This picture finessed by Master Picture Editor DLA Turner
(unbeknownst to
him I was watching and taking notes) |
|
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| 5327
and 6347on a G train wraps up a nice few hours of trainspotting |
|
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| On
the 19th of Feb, I tag along with track inspector Bruce Lord as
an official visitor on the run up to Arthur's Pass. Fabulous way
to see the country. Here at Staircase, we are overtaken by a
heavily laden TranzAlpine. That train has come a long way in the
last 20 years... |
|
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| Crossing
a coalie at Cragieburn with the old Midland Railway Co chair
rail in the foreground |
|
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| Night
time experiments at the seldom snapped Makikihi bridge. This was
a rare case of too many locos... |
|
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| Y20
port shunt runs in from Port Chalmers on 31 March 08 behind 'Otago'
liveried DSG 3251 |
|
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| And
then finally 930 shows up at Burkes. 31 March 08 |
|
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| Meanwhile
up at Cass, the Tranzalpine scoots past the scenery on Sunday 6 April |
|
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| It's
only a model. Cass a few minutes earlier |
|
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| Whiteface
5172 leads 832 ex-Rapahoe through Dobson the next day |
|
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| Surprise!
Good Lord, it has been more than 20 years since the last
official red repaint so what are the chances of seeing a
matching pair in 2008? 7April 08 |
|
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| Yummy.
A nice long train train 827 approaches Greymouth |
|
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| Shortly
afterwards, the empty containers are ferried down to
Hokitika on X6 shunt. Love those rickety old bridges
 |
|
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| Later
in the evening, the loads from Hoki plus local Greymouth
traffic head east on 828. Amazingly clear night sky here at
Stillwater - I don't think I've ever seen as many stars -
including four shooters and a slow moving satellite |
|
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| Faded
5172 on 832 again near Omoto. Note to self, I pity the fool who
attempts a vertical here... |
|
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| Next
morning 845 is at Te Kinga |
|
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| Hey,
that's not our train... Crossing 832 at Moana
|
|
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| The
passenger barely squeezes into the chosen 135mm viewport. Out to
the left, fancy new lake houses have ripped up the landscape a
little |
|
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| 845
continues northward towards Reefton. I love the spindly wooden
bridges over on the coast, although many are
being replaced - get your pics while you can! |
|
 |
| Exploring
at Waimangaroa |
|
 |
| Where
I hold a planning meeting with myself over a few ciders and the
Best Burger In the World (from the stoners at the Blue
Zephyr Takeaways in Granity) as to how to shoot 849, ending up
with the stock Waimang bridge shot. I guess this and the
reds at night on the Stillwater bridge were the two shots I
wanted to get on this trip. Mission accomplished. Must dull down
that star one day. |
|
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| 829
arrives at Reefton - 9 April 2008 |
|
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| And
then returns as 826. The funny little hoppers are loaded with
heavy gold-laced ore headed for McRaes near Palmerston. This is
an awful shot and I do apologise. When mucking around, don't
forget to put the shutter speed back up when the train is
coming. 125th of a second through the super-sharp135mm =
speedblur, even on the stiff grade leading to the Tawhai tunnel |
|
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| 844
negotiates the curves into Stillwater |
|
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| The
Tranz at the Kiwi overbridge. The return service left the DX at
Greymouth - I think it had died. Would it hurt to give the
passenger engines a lick of paint... After 20 years, the blue
engines grew on me this trip. Hardly beats a good fruit salad
though... |
|
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| That
night, I have an official cab pass to go train riding. Here,
driver Mike Kilsby gets ready with 826's paperwork in the cab of
DC 4421 at Stillwater while awaiting clearance from Train
Controller Dave Green in Wellington to get underway. Next stop:
the Phoenix Meat siding at Kokiri to swap out some wagons with
the assistance of the Greymouth-based shunter |
|
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| View
from the DC. I couldn't believe it has been 12 years since I've
ridden in a NZ loco on the main line and this time I paid a lot
more attention to what was going on, gaining a greater
appreciation for the skill of drivers who can take into account
the weather and train makeup and then use grades and curve
friction ('knowing the road') to set things up so they hit
slow curves and speed restrictions right on the nose from miles
out without having to rely on brakes |
|
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| Crossing
841 at Rotomanu with almost enough little-flashpower |
|
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| The
view from DX 5448 at the pointy end of empty coalie 841 at
Rotomanu as Mike walks back after setting the points |
|
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| After
a short hop on 841 back to Kotuku, we change over to bring
loaded coal train 846 up the grade to Otira behind two 3300hp
DXs which just romped up the grade. I'd love to say I was
hanging off the front like a madman for the whole trip to get
this pic, but this was actually taken at Otira after we had
stopped and then had to inch forward a metre or two to clear the
block. |
|
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| 841
waits for 835 at Otira |
|
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| 835
heads away from Kotuku after we had commandeered the car for the
return to Greymouth |
|
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| Next
day at Kotuku and the reds have been separated already. April 11 |
|
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| Empties
bound for Reefton at Stillwater |
|
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| And
further up the line |
|
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| 803
- three strikes and that shot is out. Maybe next time. |
|
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| The
Tranz skirts the Grey River near Brunner - 11 April |
|
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| Later
that afternoon, a tiny train with Hoki containers threads around
powerpoles near Rocky Creek, where Ontrack is replacing the
bridge |
|
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| And
near Aitkens |
|
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| 849
at Otira |
|
 |
| Bit
of a disastrous day this was... |
|
 |
| Next
day sees 803 near Kotuku |
|
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| Bottoming
out. 849 drops off the steep 1 in 33 grade and into the Otira
yard - Sat April 12 2008 |
|
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| One
of my favourite shots of this trip - 849 at Rocky Creek. April
12 2008 |
|
 |
| As
the Mini cools her heels, 804 plods up through Cass. A few
hundred metres up the track, the train goes into emergency to
avoid a ute that fails to stop on the crossing near the
fisherman's cottages. The train crew comment that there was a
guy painting one of the cottages naked on the way over, so it is
possible that a drink or two has been taken... |
|
| The...end!
|
