I lived in New Zealand from 1974 until 1990 but did have the pleasure of two rail trips from Hamilton to Mt Maunganui in the Bay of Plenty with our firm's social club and then with my daughter accompanying her on a school trip to Auckland by a steam locomotive. The countryside from a train looks so much different from a car. The scenery in this video reminds me so much of the King Country and the southern part of the Waikato.
Many thanks for posting these - they are great as you get to see parts of the country you otherwise miss out on. Id love to see one from Pahiatua to Eketahuna.I grew up living next to the railroad on this route at Hukanui - I remember as kid watching the big JA steam locos going past - awesome sight. It was interesting watching the progress of engine types - JA steam , then the DA and then the Dx's . Also( and I know this would be a lot of extra work) but is it possible to add a map with a place marker showing the progress of the train on the map? - or even just a static route map.
Nice to see this track during the day as I was in the cab of a light engine Ab from P/Nth to Waiouru mainly during the night, until handing over to another Mainline Steam crew member who took it through to Taumarunui, before an Auckland crew took it over to take it through to Auckland.
@@CreedBrattonTheOffice It took me a while to figure out where the train was I was remembering the road/rail crossing south of the camp, now an over bridge, Waiouru station just a funny looking shelter from the old station
@@merledoughty5787 , That level crossing on SH1 was replaced probably 25 years ago with the overpass. There were a couple further south on SH1 also replaced.
I wonder why rail travel never really took off in New Zealand as opposed to somewhere like, say Norway or Sweden? What is the signalling system? In cab GPS, lights or is a token and radio system used? Also, what gauge is that? Looks smaller than standard?
1) Smaller population at the relevant times. Train travel was widespread until post-WWII when roads were much improved and private cars became more readily available 2) CTC - Centralised Traffic Control. Run out of train control in Wellington 3) NZ runs on Cape Gauge - 3'6" or 1067mm. Was cheaper and easier to build
Nice journey, well filmed. They could improve on the bends in New Zealand; I never heard so much noise coming from the rails and wheels. They should check on Swiss railways; they slide through the landscape almost without a sound over there.
Awesome video Dude, But can you show other Trains that pass while your waiting for GREEN or as you pass another siding if there's Train waiting for you. otherwise 10 out 0f 10
I thought trains went in a straight line ??? clearly not here. What happened to the Electric Engines.... Is the infrastructure not being maintained or is it the engines are not up to par. Never going to be economical if its 1hr by train and 28mins by road ???? Thats a major deficit. Had hopes of the Tangiwai river being highlighted too. Other editing thoughts would be elevation changes and summary or the track conditions.
1) Infrastructure being maintained. Decision to mothball it and the electrics was reversed and two electrics under major overhaul at the Hutt shops, though several are laid up and have been for years there are still some services electric-hauled 2) This is through a very steep part of the country, and the main road traverses grades that the rail could not
Whangaehu River (site of Christmas Eve '53 disaster is north of the station. On that night, I think a few of passengers in first class carriages went back to the station to raise the alarm. From memory dad and others over heard the SM raising the alarm and said 5 carriages were in the river. The group corrected the SM and said 6, and he relayed that to who he was talking to
@@scottmaclean1248 Electrification project was to cater for prospective increased traffic which did not eventuate to expected degree. Significant track re-routing and upgrading was undertaken in conjunction with the electrification and a fibre optic cable installed to replace the 5 pair plus tablet wire (originally) communications pole line. Also higher capacity diesels became available and could handle heavier trains. Electric locos had to be swapped on and off at Palmerston North and Te Rapa (north of Hamilton) and this was operationally unpopular. As things stand there are two big electrification gaps in the Auckland to Wellington line. There is 25kV AC Auckland to Papakura (being extended to Pukekohe used for commuter EMU's only), gap to Te Rapa, 25kV AC Te Rapa to Palmerston North, gap to Waikanae, 1500v DC to Wellington. If the electrification project is ever completed, dual voltage locomotives are likely to be used as conversion of 1500v DC to 25kV AC would be extremely disruptive to the Wellington commuter services.
I lived in New Zealand from 1974 until 1990 but did have the pleasure of two rail trips from Hamilton to Mt Maunganui in the Bay of Plenty with our firm's social club and then with my daughter accompanying her on a school trip to Auckland by a steam locomotive. The countryside from a train looks so much different from a car.
The scenery in this video reminds me so much of the King Country and the southern part of the Waikato.
Many thanks for posting these - they are great as you get to see parts of the country you otherwise miss out on. Id love to see one from Pahiatua to Eketahuna.I grew up living next to the railroad on this route at Hukanui - I remember as kid watching the big JA steam locos going past - awesome sight. It was interesting watching the progress of engine types - JA steam , then the DA and then the Dx's . Also( and I know this would be a lot of extra work) but is it possible to add a map with a place marker showing the progress of the train on the map? - or even just a static route map.
Nice to see this track during the day as I was in the cab of a light engine Ab from P/Nth to Waiouru mainly during the night, until handing over to another Mainline Steam crew member who took it through to Taumarunui, before an Auckland crew took it over to take it through to Auckland.
Thank you for this beautifull ride!! I enjoyed ir very much! Greetings from Apeldoorn (The Netherlands).
Great trip. Cheers from Wagga, NSW.
The train stops just short of the site of the 1953 railway disaster which claimed over 150 lives. A very sad day.
My old neighbour, recently deceased, was riding in the last carriage on that fateful night, he was lucky to have survived.
Bit of an 'upgrade' from my days of #480, full load 2 Da's. A lot quieter in cab, too..
Hi I like your video
This Kinda Remind Me Back In 1953 (949
Amazing.
One of the more interesting parts of the main trunk I believe.
Great footage, thanks for the ride.
Great ride🙂
I was invited to Gisborne, New Zealand to be an associate pastor there, but I couldn't raise the funds. I suppose this is the closest I'll get, sadly.
Goooood
Very well filmed can you tell me at what speed this train on average travels.
Thanks Ton.
many of the curves are 50 or 45 km/hr/ . It probably averages 50 km/hr .Top speed 80 .
what is this train hauling tonnage wise and which loco and I guess you are climbing all the way to Waiouru.
It was passing Waiouru at 48:40.
@@CreedBrattonTheOffice It took me a while to figure out where the train was I was remembering the road/rail crossing south of the camp, now an over bridge, Waiouru station just a funny looking shelter from the old station
@@merledoughty5787 , That level crossing on SH1 was replaced probably 25 years ago with the overpass. There were a couple further south on SH1 also replaced.
I wonder why rail travel never really took off in New Zealand as opposed to somewhere like, say Norway or Sweden?
What is the signalling system? In cab GPS, lights or is a token and radio system used?
Also, what gauge is that? Looks smaller than standard?
1) Smaller population at the relevant times. Train travel was widespread until post-WWII when roads were much improved and private cars became more readily available
2) CTC - Centralised Traffic Control. Run out of train control in Wellington
3) NZ runs on Cape Gauge - 3'6" or 1067mm. Was cheaper and easier to build
Surprised there are so few passing loops. Have there been stations/loops made redundant, or was this how it was back in steam/tablet days?
The number of loops was rationalised during the electrification project in the 1980s. Some were added or lengthened, other shorter ones were removed
Is wheel squeal usual?
Seems worse on this clip than on others.
Good
Epic and flat!
Nice journey, well filmed. They could improve on the bends in New Zealand; I never heard so much noise coming from the rails and wheels. They should check on Swiss railways; they slide through the landscape almost without a sound over there.
The prices of a train ticket there is more then my mortgage in a week
wow
Awesome video Dude, But can you show other Trains that pass while your waiting for GREEN or as you pass another siding if there's Train waiting for you. otherwise 10 out 0f 10
🙄
Didn’t think our trains went this fast
I thought trains went in a straight line ??? clearly not here. What happened to the Electric Engines.... Is the infrastructure not being maintained or is it the engines are not up to par.
Never going to be economical if its 1hr by train and 28mins by road ???? Thats a major deficit.
Had hopes of the Tangiwai river being highlighted too.
Other editing thoughts would be elevation changes and summary or the track conditions.
1) Infrastructure being maintained. Decision to mothball it and the electrics was reversed and two electrics under major overhaul at the Hutt shops, though several are laid up and have been for years there are still some services electric-hauled
2) This is through a very steep part of the country, and the main road traverses grades that the rail could not
@@scottmaclean1248 Thanks, that's an impressive Diesel to make the grades so easily.
What happened to the servicing facility at Franklin
Whangaehu River (site of Christmas Eve '53 disaster is north of the station. On that night, I think a few of passengers in first class carriages went back to the station to raise the alarm. From memory dad and others over heard the SM raising the alarm and said 5 carriages were in the river. The group corrected the SM and said 6, and he relayed that to who he was talking to
@@scottmaclean1248 Electrification project was to cater for prospective increased traffic which did not eventuate to expected degree. Significant track re-routing and upgrading was undertaken in conjunction with the electrification and a fibre optic cable installed to replace the 5 pair plus tablet wire (originally) communications pole line. Also higher capacity diesels became available and could handle heavier trains. Electric locos had to be swapped on and off at Palmerston North and Te Rapa (north of Hamilton) and this was operationally unpopular. As things stand there are two big electrification gaps in the Auckland to Wellington line. There is 25kV AC Auckland to Papakura (being extended to Pukekohe used for commuter EMU's only), gap to Te Rapa, 25kV AC Te Rapa to Palmerston North, gap to Waikanae, 1500v DC to Wellington. If the electrification project is ever completed, dual voltage locomotives are likely to be used as conversion of 1500v DC to 25kV AC would be extremely disruptive to the Wellington commuter services.
@@netking66 I live here and am very well aware of all the background
Tangiwai was the scene of New Zealand's worse train disaster, what's wrong with you?
151 people died at Tangiwai
This is disgusting, people died in the Tangiwai disaster. Whats wrong with you?