Approaching Waikanae with a spectacular sunset in the background, DXs 5195 and 5114 headed train 222 on the 19th of Feb 1995
Who doesn't love Wellington on a nice day. DXs 5074, 5258 and 5172 head away with a monster train by the standards of today
One Saturday morning, DXs 5097 and 5143 head south through Mana
DXs 5195 and 5483 depart
DX 5229 and 4156 near Manukau
Triple headed Sunday afternoon trains were pretty common in the early 1990s.
A DX DC combo at Te Horo
In dusk light, DC 4421 DX 5039 DFT 7008 and DC 4571 cross the Otaki Bridge.
Although it's pretty fresh from the paint booth, DX 5137 had already picked up a bit of grime by November 1995. Note the silly 'American RR' typeface used on a few loco numberboards around this time before they were replaced by even sillier stickers
Flagship locos DXR 8007 and DFT 7008 on the day of the big New Zealand Rail launch at Wellington Station
With some rare snow on the ranges, DX 5080 approaches Otaki
With DX 5379 running past on a Masterton commuter train, DXs 5143+5022 and DC 4571 depart Wellington
My favourite DX, 5195 heads towards Te Horo - a single headed train being a fairly rare occurrence on a Sunday, when many locos were returned north to Palmerston North for a new week
On the 14th of October 1995, blue locos DFT 7160 and DX 5120 approach Otaki. 7160 carried a lighter/grayer shade of blue, and the DX has no long hood logo yet.
DXR 8007 on the Capital Connection during its shakedown.
Blue DX 5258 is sandwiched between red DCs 4202 and 4179 at Paremata, where a red Honda city (not mine) waits with more manly company in the parking lot.
The same train near Te Horo
On 20 Jan 1996, DC 4438 and DXs 5229+5500 notch up while rounding the beanfence at a slow speed.
Hutt Shops had a few interesting characters in residence in the early 90s, including DJ 3580
And at least 4 Q wagons!
DX 5483 and DC 4876 are captured in unsharp focus at Forest Lakes. At this time I was uaing a secondhand Nikon 35-105 quite a lot. Great range for train snapping, but unbeknownst to me at the time, infested with fungus. Damn those mouldy old Wellington flats.
DXs 5068+5454+5120 are held at Paekakariki one night in 1990 while a Ganz unit, which broke down near Mana, is propelled by a following goods train toward it from the south
DF 6219 and DC 4041 depart Wellington on one of those days where it is one of the best cities in the world. You know, the ones that come along about twice a year.
This was always a favourite slide from way back when, despite the odd lighting. DC 4438 and DX 5500 power away from Otaki with 714 after a crossing. 31 March 1991
DX 5114 and DC4058 depart Wellington with three big Fisher and Paykel (remember when they were a NZ company??) containers on depressed floor wagons up front. Probably December 89 or thereabouts
DXs 5166 and 5045 cross the Ngauranga Gorge in 1989-90
A pair of DXs depart Wellington with a lengthy Sunday afternoon train in the early 1990s
Not the sort of thing one should admit on the indelible internet, but I well remember pulling a sickie in my first 'real' summer job to go exploring on the units and catch DCs 4542, 4260 and 4254 in the early afternoon at Paremata... Dec 88
An awful speed-blurred shot taken after sundown, but a rare capture for me of freshly painted DX 5137 shooting flame as it gets away from Otaki. 29 Nov 95. I have a feeling something odd had happened earlier, resulting in the Bay Express and Overlander being combined into this one train.
On another magical day, DX 5143 + 5022 and DC 4571 head away from Wellington. Probably 1992-3
Auckland visitors DFs 6104 6185 head north at Black Bridge in maybe 92-93. DFs!! Chase them at all costs! Yes, even if the weather is crap!
The same train approaching Paekok. It was rumoured that the grass between the rails had come from a leaking container as it lined the north track for months.
DX 5448 and one of the passenger trains above South Junction in 1990
DC 4110, DX 5074 and DX 5039 at Forest Lakes in 1990. I had my mighty vomit-coloured 84 Civic broken into and a cellphone shaped like a brick stolen from it while taking this shot.
DC 4225 and DX 5080 round Goat Point in 1990
DC 4035 and DX 5333 at tunnel 7 in 1990 with another healthy sized train
4 locos coming off a southbound one Saturday morning in the early 90s.
A pair of DXs depart Wellington yard in 1990. Not a great picture technically, but an interesting view into the railways of last century nonetheless... There is no stadium, the Davis St footbridge is in use, the black BNZ tower is still owned by BNZ, a sea of red engines await their next duties in the paddock at right, red units are visible at right and also rounding the curve to the station in the distance, the yard is crammed, there are strings of UCA petrol tankers and PFC flour wagons, and a bunch of four wheelers, including a derailed KS in the foreground.
Way back in December 1987, single-windowed DXs 5039 and 5166 get ready to head north with a set of yellow Northerer cars complete with a steam heat van behind the locos. Passengers, or perhaps people dropping off passengers they are pleased to have just gotten rid of, chat to the driver on platform 9. DX 5039 soldiers on as a DXC in KiwiRail phase 1 paint twenty three years later.
DX 5448 dressed in blue, hauls the Bay Express across the Ohau river bridge on 31 December 1995
Ka 945 at Paekok in 1990 or 91
A pair of DXs depart the yard on a perfect Wellington Day
Ah yes, the Easter Quad. 1 April 91
Dx 5114 at Paremata. I think this was taken a few minutes before the Easter Quad arrived. A few minutes that meant a lot to amassing cloud forces, preparing for an imminent strike. 1 April 91
The first New Zealand Rail blue painted loco, DC 4162 and DX 5172 take the Capital Connection out of Wellington
DC 4202 and DX 5431 wheel around the beanpole with a northbound
Flying Tomato DF 6029 and DX 5114 near Mana.
DFs were not that common in Wellington in the early 1990s, being based up in Auckland. Here DF 6093, DF 6317, and DX 5097 near Paremata with an interesting freight, the first half of which is made up of the big UC tankers that have unfortunately been out of service at Gracefield for more than a decade. Their bogies live on under CW wagons on the Midland line. It seems that crappy weather was a feature of Wellington area weekend trainspotting in the 90s.
Red pair DX 5080 and DC 4179 have just passed Southwards car museum are are approaching Waikanae with a long train on 26 December 1995. This line is in the process of being double tracked and electrified as I write this.
Nice day, dull train. DX 5448 and DC 4110 along the Paekok coast at Tunnel 7.
North of Otaki on a nice day.
Note the different shades of blue on DX 5143 and DC 4162 between Tunnel 1 and 2.
Another neat train on a dull day. Probably 1990
DX 5333 at Forest Lakes with the southbound Overlander
Another long train at the beanpole
DXs 5500+5097+5304 run wrong line at Paremata with a Sunday afternoon goods
Near Takapu Road, 5333 5097 and 5304
A Sunday Night Northerner from memory with DX 5097 returning DF 6185 north in 1990
With the trees in summer bloom, DC 4029 and DX5097 approach Paekakariki
A pair of DFs justify a high sun shot. Not that we cared back then... 6104+6185
I was fortunate enough to stumble upon the locos and rolling stock getting ready for the launch of the New Zealand Rail corporate brand one morning while driving by. One wonders if I was late for work or on my way somewhere, as I didn't actually see the launch.
DFT 7158 and DC 4162 north of Otaki.
Mmmm, the DXR... I really liked 8007 in her original form. Shortly after being released into service she spent a few weeks running around on local jobs just in case. Here leaving Otaki with the Capital Connection.
Near Te Horo
DXR 8007 teams up with tatty looking DX 5097 as the day ends at the Otaki Bridge
DC 4162, DC 4202 and DX 5097 at Takapu Rd
A Sunday freight at Black Bridge