Railfans

[Captain Salty]

Ka942 will be travelling south in light steam on 729 tomorrow, Picton to ChCh, possibly arriving about 17:30.

[NZ Thunderstorm Soc]

Ka942 will be travelling south in light steam on 729 tomorrow, Picton to ChCh, possibly arriving about 17:30.

Nice to see a North Island steamer come back down to the South Island. The North Island pinched a few of the South Island steamers years ago with the preservation societies.
A nice sight to see would be Ja 1275 head north from Dunedin on an excursion

[NZ Thunderstorm Soc]

The above mentioned locomotive, Ka 942, did a trip to Arthurs Pass, yesterday.
I see, that KiwiRail, have to lose jobs to make it profitable.
That's sad
Railways have never been a profitable bunisess, with the advent of roads, trucking,coastal container shipping.
Maybe novelty trains are a key issue to KiwiRail's success?

[Michael]

Maybe the trains are boring to the public now,Need new locomotives,steam ones have more asthetics and also the 1st diesels,Dls are boxes.Stop cutting costs and make it more attractive but again people have "cheap" cars and planes are accessible by most now thogh havent been on a plane since 2001.

[NZ Thunderstorm Soc]

Yeah, they are really.
Whilst in England, I was standing on an overbridge over the GWR running through Pangbourne.
Quite often you would see a photographer taking photos of the trains going past. To me, they all basically all looked the same. DMU units and the HST units that roared through at a great heap of knots. They all looked the same.
The odd container train or goods unit came through weren't partulary interesting either.
A couple of old Deltics did come through with an excursion train, with oldd pullman coaches. I never saw any photographer?

[03Stormchaser]

Steam train to make a comeback on the Underground:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-20759707

[NZ Thunderstorm Soc]

Interesting the derailment in Wellington today.
another fault with the hungarian units possibly?
The earlier units lasted for years and they are still going on the Johnsonville Line.
Have to wait for further details.

[NZ Thunderstorm Soc]

I bet that the driver of that oil train in Canada will have to write out a report of why he didn't secure his train down before leaving it

[Michael]

2013-07-08_100329.png

both remaining DQ class locos (right) at westfield,from the south island soon to be shipped to south africa.

[NZ Thunderstorm Soc]

2013-07-08_100329.png

both remaining DQ class locos (right) at westfield,from the south island soon to be shipped to south africa.

Good place for them, not as good as the Garretts

[NZ Thunderstorm Soc]

Nice picture of Ab 699 and the D leaving Keanes Rd and heading towards Pleasant Point in this mornings PRESS

[Dale]

Ka due in Greymouth an hour ago.. but Houston, we have a problem.

From the Greymouth Star website

"We are receiving reports the steam train visiting Greymouth tonight from Christchurch has been involved in some sort of accident. Fire, police an ambulance are in attendance near the road to Moana, at the start of the meatworks straight. There are reports someone was possibly hit. The train is still up there.
http://www.mainlinesteam.co.nz/excursions.html"

[Dale]

It got here, late & has since departed back over the alps.. unfortunately, the chap that got hit last night has since died.. apparently he was a railfan taking photos & got a little bit too close for comfort. Drivers were shaken up a bit so I hear.. as one would be.

[NZ Thunderstorm Soc]

There was mention of it TV3 news this evening but nothing on TV One.
Felt sorry for the driver. I remember in my train driving days, some of the "Lovers" as what we called them, could be a pain in the rear section by getting in the road and taking lots of pictures when you really didn't want them around. like invading your work ethic

[NZ Thunderstorm Soc]

I see there wus nothing, still, on TV One news regarding this incident, despite being the main headline in The PRESS this morning?
Probbly things like this doesn't concern them?

[Dale]

No obviously it wasn't TV worthy enough.. feel for his boy though. Big turnout to the funeral Yesterday, I was consideing a half day at work as I have "spotted" with the guy in the past but was needed on deck all day. Tragic loss, shouldn't have happened but at the end of the day, he broke all the rules & paid the ultimate price. That situation, was my ultimate fear..

[NZ Thunderstorm Soc]

NZR 150 years old today.
Happy birthday

[Orion]

A memorial tribute to those who died at Tangiwai, on the 60th anniversary:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bt-zZ310sKc

[Simon Culling]

Not really a railway fanatic, but caught this snap of the Eurostar 'ski train' at Bourg Saint Maurice in early March 2014. This is the terminus for skiers......its into coaches to get up the rest of the hill!

Bourg St Maurice is at about 750m elevation and we had descended from Les Arc (at 1800m) on the Arc en Ciel funicular railway. It was a rather snowy day as you can see....but it was very slushy in the town.

[Dale]

Love it Simon! Always nice to see some foreign rollingstock

[NZ Thunderstorm Soc]

Looks like an "Arthur's Pass" of the future, if they still had electrification, with the modern day "Trams" ie. the EA electric locomotives ,waiting to take the Tranz Alpine through the Otira Tunnel

[Dale]

Heh nice one John.. does look like a typical Arthurs scene. Shame I missed the electric side of things, if the powers that be have their heads screwed on, they could make some money on a touristy side thing by re-electrifying the tunnel at least.

[NZ Thunderstorm Soc]

I see that all steam train trips to Arthurs Pass for this year are all booked out?
Who would pay all that money to travel in a train hauled by those filthy locomotives and also lack of snow up there?

[tgsnoopy]

Me

[Dale]

Ka 942 was in town this morning on an excursion.. well, she (or according to the nameplate, it's a "he") came in around 2030hrs last night & to make sure i wasn't hearing things, went over to the depot & signed in to see him.. her..

So yeah, ontime departure at 0915 this morning but was back at the depot around 0830 to see her being fed & watered & gave it a hug. Living, breathing beast, pure natural motive power. As much as I love the diesels, and knowing this one is a stinky old oil burner.. what a sight & what a turnout in town this morning, gunzels from everywhere.

Best fathers day ever