*** 5th, 6th and 7th batches - Otago, South Island and North Island respectively... added Nov 10 '08. That's all folks! ***

From the garage of Ken Devlin...

A selection of images mainly from Otago taken in the late 70s to mid 80s with a heavy English Electric slant...

I was rummaging around folders of negatives looking for recabbed DG piccies in prolific photographer Ken Devlin's garage during a visit to Dunedin recently and struck gold. 

When I was at university in Dunedin, my regular transport was a three speed Raleigh 20 so I would occasionally tag along with Ken and sometimes a whole troupe of us would head out to photograph stuff, dotted over hillsides and all hiding behind trees so we wouldn't get in each other's shots. I was always in awe of his treasure trove of amazing images of amazing trains in amazing places, so he was probably the first person who inadvertently taught me how to take train piccies. 

Looking at these pics today hammers home to me how much has changed in 25 years. I became seriously interested in trains in 1981 and as such have never reaaally understood the nostalgia harboured by others for the 'good old steam days' of the NZR. But seeing these pictures really takes me back. Now, I think I almost get it. 

All images on this section taken by and copyright Ken Devlin. Please respect this - I did not take these pictures. 

These negs are 25-30 years old now and in varying condition. Most of them scanned reasonably  well and I haven't touched up anything except major cracking, scratching and mould in a handful of older negs but generally I've left things be, other than trying to correct the worst of the colour casts (but after doing this all evening some are still out of whack). Some of the older pics are a bit blotchy where the overenthusiastic scratch removal doohicky is working overtime like an autoimmune disease. "I'm all jacked up on Mountain Duue" 

DB makes a mental note to store his own negs and slides in moisture proof ziplock bags at a moderate temperature...

Click on a thumbnail pic at left to view the image here.