Re: A Narrow Gauge Brute.

Greg,

I'm sorry you feel that way, railroading didn't stop because the fires went out.

I posted it because that's all History now, the same time period you're reminiscing about on the early C&TS threads. A photo showing a clean original D^X working on the pre-electrified Main Trunk and there is disagreement on the actual location of the picture mentioned in the comments, something I can't help ID since I only ran that line under Wire.

All those four-wheel wagons trailing, the orange Tarpaulins are history, those Mty Container flats as well, being too short for todays container fleet, the train number has changed and nowadays un-shunted trainsets of flattops just shuttle back n' forth. At that time there were two men in the lococab, a Guard at the rear in a Van, and depending on the load that day, probably would have been banked out of Taumarunui for the run up the Raurimu Spiral with a manned D^A banker. Those D^A's only run in excursion service here by the preservationist societies. Yes, all the steam groups here have vintage Diesels to run on out on the mainlines.

Of course you don't need any stinking diesels on your US NG, they pulled them all up before real Diesels came along. Not counting the White Pass eh If that line was all Steam, just how profitable would it be? And I guess with the forestfire issue you have, steam might not be running either.

Only Greg on here would recognise the D^X's sister Class 34 in the thread title picture and since I'm not a Seth Arfreekin, it is irrelevant that those killed steam there in a thread about here.. Steam was totaly gone burger here in the North Is. when the first group arrived, and NZGR only operated the Kingston Flyer steamhauled on a dead-end branchline when the second group arrived.


Here's a scene we can never get back ...D^A banker and D^A road power, both manned, jumper cable in for the ride up to National Park.
Chris Bradley [flic.kr]