My Work in Rail 2016.
31st December 2016
My last Trains for the year. 544 to Wanganui with Dl 9227 + 9233 + Dfb 7158 and Dc 4951. I changed over with 545 with Dfb 7186 and Dc 4467 at 1442 and headed for home.
Happy New Year Everyone
Happy New Year Everyone
30th December 2016
I was on the final Wanganui shunt for the year. My Locos were Dc 4951 (Maxx coloured) and Dfb 7158 which were pulling 1303ton, 518m (29 wagons) long behind them. I had a realy good run and was back in P Nth 45mins early.
4th December 2016
On this day I took one of my best mates for her first cab ride. This was to thank her for all her help she has given me and my partner over the years. Charley is the first one to put her hand up if I need a hand with my layouts or anything my family needs.
Cab Ride with Blair
In late November, Blair sent me a text asking if I was able to juggle work enough to come for a cab ride on the following Sunday. After thinking it over for a couple of days, I came up with a workable plan and checked with my boss that it was ok. She approved, and so the wheels were set in motion.
I had to be at Blair’s in Sanson by 11am, so went into work on Saturday night and did half, going back early the next day to finish up. After getting stuck behind a couple of tractors that refused to let following traffic by, we got there with minutes to spare.
At the Palmerston North yard, we collected DXB5051 and DL9348, along with a rake of 10 full milk tankers to haul to Whareroa as train 544, all up we were 698 ton for 176m long. After all the checks were done and permission granted from Train Control, we were on our way north. From P Nth Blair only had one loco working as the train was well inside the limits for what 1 loco can handle for the P nth to Wanganui sections.
We went through three tunnels, where my photos didn’t come out like I hoped. We also passed 545 express freight train at Greatford.
Blair had to apply for a track warrant at East Town yard in Wanganui, where we had a group of assorted family and friends waiting to see us go through. Was nice to get out and have a stretch, plus get some photos of the full set up. This is also where Blair started up the second loco as the train was now heavier than what one loco could handle over the hiller sections from Wanganui to Whareroa.
Once we got to the top of the Westmere Bank, the rain started, and it hung around the rest of the way north. The Westmere bank is the steepest bit of line in the North Island and the second steepest in the country, only just getting beaten by the Otira Tunnel.
During our trip we nearly collected a couple of pheasants and a hawk, though they all seemed to get away safely. If they didn’t, I prefer to remain ignorant. Blair also saw a stag down in a gully, and a dog decide to chase us, luckily with a fence in between.
Blair had to get another track warrant at Kai Iwi to proceed to Whareroa, Kai Iwi was also where we crossed another train, this time a Work train (track maintenance train).
We had to wait a while just outside Whareroa due to being a bit early, but once we were allowed in, we were able to shunt and uncouple from the tankers quite quickly. It was while we were stopped that we heard about another decent sized earthquake hitting near Wellington.
As we were returning by car, we left the locos there, to come back south later in the night. Blair picked the most modern of the 3 rentals, one of those keyless ones. To me, electric windows are a luxury, so this car was a bit of a surprise.
This was my first cab ride in a diesel, and my longest distance on the main line. Some of the views over the viaducts were beyond impressive, plus the added bonus of seeing things that you never would in a car.
It was a bit disorienting leaving Wanganui by car to the south, and returning from the north. It doesn’t normally work that way.
All in all, it was a fun day with a different perspective and I am very thankful to Blair for this chance. It was a great trip and worth juggling work for. I look forward to the next time, whenever that may be.
Written by Charley Masters, and photos taken by Charley, Blair and Kylie Jordan.
16 October 2016
I was the fireman on Steam Inc trip to Wanganui with Ja 1271. I did the P Nth to Wanganui back to P Nth leg of the trip (including a short run for the Wanganui locals from Wanganui to East Town and back to Wanganui).
14 August 2016
I was once again firing Wab 794 from Feilding to P Nth then Woodville return for the Cancer Kids Charter. A great day was had by all.
19th March 2016
Ja 1271 Steam Inc, Palmerston to Wellington on its return leg of a Taihape trip. I was firing the loco with driver Phil Wagener (Tea Pot). This was Phils last steam job before he retired.
12th March 2016
Wab 794 Feilding Steam Rail, Feilding to Taihape & return. I was firing the loco with driver Phil Wagener (Tea Pot). This was Phils second to last steam job before he retired and his last time on the Wab on the main line.