Two for the price of one.

Thursday 25th August 2013.

After finishing the night shift I had some time to kill before the family got to town so I thought I'd head out and see what I could find. Thursday morning was beautiful and I was lucky to catch one of Holcim's cement ships making its way up Otago harbour. Its not a train but I couldn't resist.

The Milburn Carrier II passes close to shore as it makes its way up the Otago harbour channel after departing the Dunedin wharves. 

From my posse I could see a headlight in the distance and after a fairly long wait the DSG with its port train finally passed by. Not being able to cross the track I had to do the best I could with what I had and grabbed a shot from the wrong side. Luckily the clouds had rolled which helped with the sun.

DSG 3170 with a Port Chalmers shunt crosses a causeway just south of Sawyers Bay as it returns to Dunedin. 

With the clock ticking I had to put the camera away and head back to town.

Friday 26th August 2013.

With a day off and some time to kill I decided to head out and chase the usual suspects, 922 and 923. I managed to catch up with 923 Middleton - Dunedin freight just outside Waikouaiti. 922 wasn't messing around. The double DXC's made light work of its train of containers.

DXC's 5039 and 5293 approach Waikouaiti with 923 Middleton - Dunedin freight. 

With a few sunday drivers and 50 km speed limit through Waikouaiti to contend with, 923 was approaching Merton by the time we caught up with it. Slowing to a stop on the main for a crew change I was able to grab a shot of 5039 and 5293 before heading to my next spot. Most of the locomotives in Kiwirail livery have a vertical separation between the red and grey. The early repaints had a horizontal separation. To get two loco's in this early version of the Kiwirail livery was a good catch. I still think Kiwirail should have kept going with this version.

DXC's 5039 and 5293 hold the main at Merton.

Before long DFT's 7049 and 7023 could be seen heading down the grade into Merton. Using a safe spot that normally nets good results I was able to grab a shot of 922 Dunedin - Middleton freight. I was pretty happy to catch the DFT's in action. The word going around railfan circles is that a number of DFT loco's will be written off as more and more of the Chinese built DL locomotives come on line in the North Island and DXB locomotives transfer south.

DFT's 7049 and DFT 7023 round the curve into Merton with 922 Dunedin - Middleton freight.

Once the LE's had changed over, 922 continued its trip north. I quick shot at the northern end of the Merton loop and it was time to head north.

922 makes its way slowly up the loop at Merton.

The work carried out around the area by the track gangs must be paying off because I had trouble keeping up with 922 as it made its way north through East Otago. I wanted a shot of 922 cresting the Tumai grade but the two DFT's were making light work of their train and I had to settle for a shot from the wrong side. Shot taken it was time to head north again.

922 crests the Tumai bank.

Playing it safe was the order of the day and I choose a tried and true spot for my next shot.

With horn blasting and ditch lights flashing 922 approaches Palmerston.

With 922 picking up empty 'goldies' at Palmerston I had chance to fuel up the car. Chasing trains isn't a cheap hobby anymore! With time to spare I headed to my final spot of the day just north of the Shag river bridge. With the sun stuck behind cloud I was able to get a nice shot of the DFT's with Mt Pukutapu in the background.

Now with empty 'goldies' 922 continues its trip north in the shadows.

On Monday I begin my new role at work. I'm looking forward to working Monday to Friday with no more night shifts. While it will be nice to spend my nights at home, the opportunities to get out and chase trains will be fairly limited. Hopefully I will still be able to bring you the sights of Kiwirail in action as they continue to haul freight through Otago.

Just when I thought I'd seen it all.

With some spare time and nice weather I decided to get out and try and catch my normal targets 922 and / or 923. The fuel gauge wasn't looking to good so I headed down to the local garage to fill up. Getting out of the car I could hear a loud idling noise and it definitely coming from the garage. WIth gas in the tank I headed over to the Palmerston yard and found DFT 7199 and 7049 idling on the middle siding. The middle siding doesn't get much use apart from Taieri Gorge Railway DJ's running around the 'seasider' passenger trains and as a staging point for the tamper gang when they are working in the area. Seeing two mainline loco's on the middle siding is pretty rare.

With the loco's looking pretty in the sun I snapped a few shots.

Roster shot of DFT 7199 at Palmerston. 10/07/2013.

After the DFT's had coupled up to the empty 'goldies' I headed north to try and catch 923 as it made its way south to Dunedin. I set myself up at one of my favourite spots just to the north of Bushey TWC loop and grabbed a nice shot of DXC 5500 with a good sized 923.

DXC 5500 leads 923 Middleton - Dunedin freight into Bushey. With a decent load on the drawgear DXC 5500 has a good workout ahead of it as it grinds its way over the grades into Dunedin.

I was expecting 922 and 923 to cross at Bushey but the DXC just kept on going. Heading back into town I quickly caught up with a slowing 923. Parking up I was able to catch the Dunedin and Timaru LE's swap services so they could head back home. On this part of the Main South Line, the locomotive crews normally change over at Merton or sometimes a Bushey. In over five years of following the action on this part of the MSL I have never seen a crew change in Palmerston. Luckily I was able to grab a few shots of this very rare event.

The locomotive engineers from 922 and 923 change over at Palmerston. This is the first time in over five years of living here that I've seen this happen.

I headed north again to a spot just north of the Stour St crossing to grab a shot of 922 departing Palmerston.

DFT 7199 and 7049 with a train of empty 'goldies' cross the recently upgraded Stour St railway crossing.

Up close and personal shot of DFT 7199.

I expected a fairly normal chase today but it was anything but normal. Not sure why the DFT's were in town so early or why the crew change was carried out in Palmerston. My best guess was that with a lot of work being carried out on the MSL between Waitati and Sawyers Bay, the morning service 937 dropped off its 'goldies' at Palmerston and then the loco's parked up at Palmerston for a few hours before coupling up to the now empty 'goldies' and then heading north as 922. With 937 being cancelled south of Palmerston and 922 starting at Palmerston, the gangers had a good chunk of daylight to work on the slips and areas of subsidence that are still causing trouble on the MSL.

Until next time stay safe and keep chasing.

Weathering the storm

Over the last few weeks New Zealand has been hammered by winter storms that have caused flooding and significant snow falls across the country. The East Otago area didn't miss out on its share of the bad weather. Significant damage to the Opihi bridge south of Temuka and several slips between Dunedin and Waitati caused the closure of the main south line between Dunedin and Christchurch. Kiwi Rail had to rely on road bridging to get priority traffic through.
I didn't get the chance to get out and foam too much due to the weather. Wouldn't have mattered anyway, nothing was running around here. 
I did grab a few shots of a Taieri Gorge Railway passenger service at Waitati. I have no idea what it was doing here but it was there for a few days. If you know why it was stuck at Waitati please let me know.

DJ 1240 holding the loop at Waitati with a TGR train. On the siding is ETM 513 with its support wagon. 26/06/13.

Another shot of DJ 1240 with its train.

On the tailend was DJ 3107. This DJ has retained the orginal front and side windows.

On Thursday as I headed down to the local school to pick up my son I saw a massive 922 Dunedin - Middleton freight picking some empty 'golidies' that had been stuck in Palmerston for the last week. To my amazement it was still holding on the main when were heading home. I had the camera in the car so it would have been rude not to grab a shot or two. A quick trip to Bushey and a short wait was all it took before 922 showed up. 

DFT 7295 leads a huge 922 Dunedin - Middleton freight through Bushey.

A going away shot of the five loco's on the point of 922. Normal practice in other parts of the country but anymore than two loco's on the front of a train is pretty exciting down here. A sad looking DFT 7023 is the last of the loco's.

Travelling through East Otago, 922 is normally made up of two loco's and maybe a few wagons plus the 'goldies' it picks up in Palmerston. To see a long 922 with five loco's on point was pretty exciting. A personal favourite DFT 7023 was included up front. From what I hear it was damaged earlier in the week after hitting a slip. With the recent news that the DC and DFT locomotive fleet is likely to be reduced due to the introduction of the DL's I'm hoping the damage to 7023 isn't too bad and they repair it.

I have some leave from work coming up so I'm hoping to get out a bit more - weather dependant - and bring you some more posts.

And thats about it.

Flood of 2013

Hello from a very wet East Otago.
After 48 hours of continuous rain many of the streams and rivers around East and North Otago couldn't handle any more water which caused flooding across the region. About 3pm we decided to head out and have a look around the area. The following are some rail related photos from our trip.

The Shag river in flood. 17/06/13.

Fleming Rd railway crossing looking back towards Palmerston. The Shag river has spilled over its banks and has flooded the surrounding farmland. 17/06/13. 

Fleming Rd railway crossing again looking down what was Fleming Rd. Water from the Shag river is making its way into Muddy creek.

The normally sedate Muddy creek fill to the brim. There is (was) a farm track on the far side of the creek that had 3.5 metre clearance. The creek bed was about two metres below the track. Just shows how much water was coming down the creek.

Water backed up against the railway embankment at Shrewsbury St in Hampden.

And what we built to kill the time stuck inside. One old board and a few bits and pieces from the bottom drawer.  Took an hour or two to put together but kept the kids occupied for hours.

Today the sun is shining but a cold southerly is due through over the next few days bringing snow to low levels. Should be interesting.

Till next time.

A day out in Oamaru

Tr 35 stands ready at Harbourside station for the first run of the day. 09/06/13.

Today the kids and I were able to visit Oamaru Steam and Rail, a small preservation railway that runs between the historic precinct and the harbour. What an awesome little railway!
Arriving with 15 minutes before the first departure, we purchased our tickets ($11 for me, a five year old and a toddler return), took some photo's and climbed aboard ready for our trip. 

Harbourside station.

Ready for departure.

Not long after taking our seats the LE invited us into the cab for the outward trip to the harbour. When a LE asks if you want a cab ride you can't say no. With my son in control of the horn we departed Harbourside and headed towards Quarry Siding. The train made its way around the historic precinct made up of former wool and grain stores before passing the former goods shed. We then made our way along the harbour to the terminus at Quarry Siding. The trip out only took around 10 minutes but was great fun (I need to get out more).

Quarry Siding.

The train sitting at Quarry Siding.

We had a 15 minute wait at Quarry Siding before returning to Harbourside station. After checking out some of the local wildlife - yellow eyed penguins nesting in a shed - we grabbed some shots of the train. 

Tr 35

Tr 35 is a 0-4-0 shunting tractor built in 1939 by the Drewry Car Company. These locomotives were designed to be used to shunt wagons at small to medium sized stations. Withdrawals from service began in the 1970's but this model of Tr has proven popular with preservation groups with over half of the original 23 locos still in existence.

NB 1716

NB 1716 is a 4 wheel open observation carriage that has been converted from a flat top freight wagon. Passenger seating is provided by bench seats long ways in the middle of the carriage.

While working out how to get a clear shot of the passenger carriage and the guards van with all the four wheel drives and boat trailers around it was time to head back to Harbourside station. With no run round loop at Quarry Siding the train returned in 'push me' style with the guards van leading. On the return trip we rode on NB 1716 and took in the sights of Oamaru harbour. All to soon we were back at Harbourside station and I was able to grab some shots of A 1514 and F 668.

A 1514

A 1514 is a 47' 6" wooden clad bogie passenger carriage built at Dunedin's Hillside workshops in 1923.

 F 668

F 668 is a steel clad 30' bogie guards van built at the NZR's Addington workshops (Christchurch) in 1941.

By now the kids were getting hungry so we decided to try one of the small cafes in the historic precinct. The cafe we chose was the Star and Garter which was just across the road from Harbourside station. What can I say. Great food and service and the best cheese and pineapple toasted sandwich I have ever had. If you're in Oamaru and want to score some browny points to off set the ones you lose by stopping to look at trains bring the other half here.

Restored footbridge.

With lunch complete we headed down to the harbour to check out the restored footbridge and have a play in the playground. The footbridge built in 1906 has recently undergone a $42,000 restoration and the community groups and local businesses involved have done a great job. It was interesting to watch most of the people walking down the harbour use the footbridge instead of the railway crossing and I can see why. The view of the harbour from the footbridge was pretty good.

Oamaru Harbour.

As the kids worked off their lunch I managed to grab a few more shots of the Oamaru Steam and Rail train out and about on its home tracks.

Tr 35 with its passenger train passes beneath the restored footbridge.

The passenger train across the harbour at Quarry Siding.

With a cold breeze starting to pick up it was time to start thinking about heading home as we made our way to the car we heard Tr 35's horn. Making a mad dash up the footbridge I managed to grab a few shots of the train as it passed by on its return trip to Harbourside station.

The guard controlling the reversing move.

And the going away shot.

As we left the harbour and historic precinct for home I couldn't resist stopping to grab a shot of SPHQ 001 outside Steam Punk HQ, the Steam Punk capital of New Zealand. 

Steam Punk is described by wikipedia as a 'sub-genre of science fiction that typically features steam powered machinery  especially in a setting inspired by industrialised western civilization during the 19th century.Therefore, steam punk works are often set in an alternative history of the 19th century's British Victorian era in a post apocalyptic future during which steam power has regained mainstream use, or in a fantasy world that similarly employs steam power.' All I can say is that it takes some creativity to convert a retired Ds shunting locomotive into this fire breathing beast. 

Steam Punk at its finest.

A big thanks to the staff of Oamaru Steam and Rail and the Star and Garter for a great day out. Oamaru has to be congratulated for its efforts in preserving not only the original railway line in Oamaru but also the historically significant limestone buildings that make up the historic precinct.

The Oamaru Steam and Rail website can be found at http://www.oamaru-steam.org.nz/

And that's about it...

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.

Winter has arrived in Otago! 
I was on the road heading into work in Dunedin just after 6 am this morning listening to local radio stations talking about the heavy snow falling in Dunedin. State highway one between Palmerston and Karitane  was clear and it wasn't until I hit the Kilmog that I came across snow. It was settling but it wasn't too bad. Snow was falling to sea level at Waitati and the line of trucks lined up at the bottom of the northern motorway (sounds a lot more grander than it is) told me that maybe the toyota wasn't the best choice of vehicle for the conditions. A number of cars that had passed me and headed up the hill returned covered in snow with the drivers looking a little sorry for themselves. It was about then I decided that it was time to head home. Good choice because I only just made it back over the Kilmog. 
Sitting in front of the fire with a hot milo was great but its not often we get snow like this so I thought I'd get out and catch 937 Middleton - Dunedin freight as it come into town. The snow was coming down heavy but wasn't really settling except on the hills. I missed 937 but I did get this shot of the Bushey TWC sign as a snow flurry came through. 
As the day went on the novelty wore off and the opportunity to go chasing in the afternoon just couldn't match the nice warm wood fire at home.

And that's about it. 

A few shots from the archives

The weather here in Otago has been awful the last few days. Constant rain and cool temperatures has been the norm. Not good conditions for train chasing. So instead of some new photos I've delved into my rather limited archives to bring you some random shots of the past.

DJ 3096 and DFT 7239 on shed at Whangarei. The DJ was transferred to Northland to work the Dargaville branch. The DJ returned to South Island and currently powers passenger services for the Taieri Gorge Railway. 16/09/06. 

Another photo taken on one of my trips to Northland. Hitachi rail tractor TR 822 sits in the empty Maungaturoto yard. On my first visit to Maungaturoto the yard was full of container wagons loaded with dairy products from the nearby Fonterra factory. Later visits found the yard empty. I guess Fonterra got a better deal from a trucking firm. Not long after taking this photo TR 822 was transferred to Westfield. 14/11/05.

Hillside built rail tractor TR 897 rests in the late evening sun at the Canterbury Malting Company at Marton. 24/06/06. The TR shunts CG grain and container wagons within the plant complex. 24/06/06. 

DFT 7117 and an unknown DC bring a train of milk powder through Burnside as it approaches its destination of Dunedin. 11/12/09. 

And that's about it...

A few shots for your Wednesday

Just a quick post today before I head out the door again. I managed to head north and catch 923 Middleton - Dunedin freight as it made its way through East Otago. Nice to see some sun and blue skies again. Enjoy.

DXB 5143 drifts through Katiki with 923 Middleton - Dunedin freight. 08/05/13. 

DXB 5143 cruises into Bushy. 08/05/13.

It was a short, sharp chase but I was pleased to catch one of my favourite loco's on the business end of 923.

And that's about it.

The legend of the lost train

With a day off from work and the kids in tow, I managed to get out the door for some train chasing. I quickly made up my mind to head into North Otago to catch and follow 923 on its journey south into Otago. Heading north to catch 923 is risky. There are plenty of places along state highway one where you lose sight of the main south line in North Otago and potentially the trains that travel along it.

With no sight of 923 I decided to check the signals at Herbert to see if it had already passed through. Imagine my surprise when I found 923 holding the main. After a short wait the green flickered up on the south main departure signal and 923 got under way. The sound of a DX throttling up from a standing start has to be one of my favourite sounds and I was happy to click away as 923 passed by.

DXC 5229 and DC 4726 accelerate away from Herbert with 923 Middleton - Dunedin freight. 24/4/13.

Similar shot to the last one but this one has the kilometre marker in the foreground. Just 276 km's north to Lyttleton and the start of the Main South Line.

Going away shot as 923 leaves the southern end of Herbert.

And this is when the legend of the lost train came about. We quickly departed Herbert and headed south to my next spot. Thinking I had got ahead of 923 I headed for a new photo spot to try my luck. We got there, set up for the shot and waited and waited. After a good 10 minutes waiting, I made the decision to head south again hoping that maybe 923 had already gone through. Of 923 there was no sign. For a good length train that weighed several hundred tonnes I still haven't figured out where we missed it.

Because the chase on the 24th was a fizzer, I'd better pad out this post with a shot or two from a short chase on the 22nd.

Bumblebee DFT 7049 and DFT 7077 finish their climb up the Tumai bank and begin their descent into Goodwood with a pretty lean 922 Dunedin - Middleton freight. 22/4/13. 

923 cruises through Bushy after picking up five empty 'goldies' at Palmerston. 22/4/13.

A fairly big work project comes to an end on Monday so hopefully I might be able to get out for some more chasing in the near future.

And that's about it.

Where has the last month gone?!

Wow. Where has the last month gone. From time to time life just doesn't give you the time to chase trains. Family and a very busy work life has put chasing on the back burner. Don't worry though I plan to get out and do some chasing soon and hopefully start posting some shots again. 

Until then take care.