Three towns, three different locos

The great thing about my job is that I get the chance to travel through the lower South Island every now and again and last Friday was one of those days I got to hit the road. After finishing up my work in Invercargill I headed down to the local yard. This was my first visit to the yard at Invercargill and I was surprised at how full it was. Even though there were plenty of wagons around, loco's were light on the ground. A DSG was pottering around the yard and one of my favourites DFT 7023 was parked up in loco... well I think it was loco. Anyway before I could get any shots the rain, hail and sleet came in. With the weather getting worse it was time to head north.

My first stop was Edendale, home of one of Fonterra's largest milk processing sites. This area creates some serious tonnage for Kiwirail. So much so they've based a DSG and a loco compound in the Edendale yard.  

DSG 3033 resting at Edendale. Part of the Fonterra factory is seen in the background. 3/10/14.

With the rain settling in it was once again time to move on. As I headed north the weather started in improve. By Balclutha the rain had stopped and I was able to take a short detour to check out the yard. The yard was empty apart from DSC 2325 which was holding the fort. A DSC is based in Balclutha to work the Finegand freezing works which is just south of town. While I didn't check out Finegand I'm sure there were plenty of container flats ready for load out.

DSC 2325 all alone in Balclutha. 3/10/14.

By now the weather was packing in again so I cut my exploring short and headed home.

After sorting out some loose ends at work on Sunday I decided to shot down to the Dunedin Railway Station to have a quick look around. Being a Sunday it was pretty quiet but I did get a shot of one of Taieri Gorge Railways well maintained DJ locomotives. These beasts built by Mitsubishi and introduced to the New Zealand railways in the late 1960's dieselised the South Island.

DJ 1209 resting between runs on the Taieri Gorge. 5/10/14.

Being a born and bred North Islander I always enjoy seeing and hearing the DJ's working out of Dunedin to Pukerangi and Middlemarch on the former Otago Central Branch and Palmerston on the Main South Line. 

And thats about it.

Its been a while but this is a goody

At the end of September I headed up to Wellington for a short course for work. Trips to Wellington a few and far between for me so I made time to catch up with a few people. One of those of people was Evan who just happens to work for Kiwirail. So between learning about how adult learners take in and retain information I was able to get some shots of Wellington's electric multiple units. I also had the great fortune to get a cab pass on the Capital Connection up to Palmerston North on Friday evening. That night I was offered a ticket on a steam excursion heading back to Wellington. Wab 794 from the Feilding and districts steam rail society was towing Ab 663 back to its base at the Mainline Steam depot at Plimmerton. How could I refuse. 
So over three days I rode up to Johnsonville on a Matangi unit, visited A box, visited train control, had a look around the communications hub of Kiwirail (Ev's lab), visited the home of a modelling master by the name of Cabbage, had a cab ride on a rattly old DFT up to Palmerston North, stayed at the home of another modelling master by the name of Rhys (of motorised dandruff fame) and got a ride back to Wellington on a steam excursion. What a way to spend a few days in the capital!

Of course I had my camera with me and here are some the shots I managed to grab on my travels.

Matangi EMU's wait at Wellington for their next commuter service. The Matangi units are relatively new to the Wellington commuter network and have replaced the old English Electric EMU's and many of the Ganz Mavag EMU's. 27/09/13.

 DC 4058 waits at Wellington railway stations platform 8 with a northbound Wairarapa service. 27/09/13.

 Still soldiering on. Three sets of Ganz Mavag units sit ready for rush hour. 27/09/13.

DSC 2665 pushes the Capital Connection Wellington - Palmerston North commuter passenger train into Wellington station in preparation for its 1715 departure. Working on the passenger shunt, DSC 2665 is kept busy shunting Wairarapa commuter trains, the Capital Connection and the Overlander passenger trains. 27/09/13. 

 Another set of Matangi units ready for the rush hour. 27/09/13.

Wab 794 gets some TLC from the great team of volunteer's from the Feilding and districts steam rail society at Otaki. This excursion was a delivery trip to return Ab 663 back to Mainline steams Plimmerton depot. 28/09/13.

DC 4692 and an unidentified DC lead a northbound freight through the Otaki loop as it crosses the excursion on the main. 28/09/13.

The old and the new. Wab 794 takes a break after arriving at platform 9 while a Matangi unit waits for its next trip out of Wellington. 28/09/13.

Another shot of a Matangi EMU. FP 4420 and FT 4420. I had to get plenty of shots of these good looking units because who knows when I will be back in Wellington for another visit. 28/09/13.

 Matangi EMU FP 4155 and FT 4155 depart Wellington. 28/09/13.

Wab 794 pushes its train back towards Wellington yard. Here it will get turned for its return trip to Feilding and pack up Feilding and districts steam rail societie's 'new' passenger carriage.

A big thanks to Evan for acting as tour guide. He said he might be heading down Otago way later in the year. Plenty of time to come up with a plan for some chasing South Island style. I hope he likes DXC's. 

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...

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...

Time for some DSG action

Black and white shot of DSG 3251 cruising through Port Chalmers tunnel. 20/9/12.

I got out for a few hours this afternoon and managed to snap two of Dunedin's DSG shunting locos in action. 
Kiwi Rail keeps these beasts working hard shunting the yards and hauling heavy trains around the greater Dunedin area so expect some more shots of these loco's in the future. 

Enjoy.

DSG 3251 on the siding into Port Otago. 20/9/12.

DSG 3170 pushes a short shunt from the Port Otago siding on Fryatt St into the Dunedin rail yard. 20/9/12

Ticking over

DSG 3251 leads a shunting service from Port Chalmers to Dunedin. 11/12/09.

During the summer months I would normally try to put up a post every week. But like all good things life often gets in the way. My wife and I have just had a baby girl which has been really exciting but in combination with our two and a half year old son has been rather time consuming. Then theres the assignments and presentations I have to complete for work and the jobs around the house. The list goes on.

So instead of taking a break from the blog, over the next few weeks I'll be uploading photos I've taken over the last eight years starting from when I was young, single, had disposible income and could chase whenever I felt like it till now, hitting 30, married (to a lovely wife), still have disposible income but the said wife disposes of it, have children, mortgaged and I have to ask for a leave pass if I want to chase for more than an hour.

TR 897

TR 897 in the evening sun at the Canterbury Malting Company siding, Marton. 24/06/06.

Back in 2006 I was lucky enough to score some leave from work and was able to chase trains for a week around Hawkes Bay and the Rangitikei. What an awesome trip.
Unfortunately not long after we returned to Auckland our house was burgled. They took pretty much everything including my laptop which had all my digital photos from my trip. This shot of one of my favourite locos, TR 897 was one that I had left on my cameras SD card and luckily hadn't transferred to the laptop.
Just goes to show theres downsides to digital.