Stack Talk Archive

November 20th 2009.
J1211 will be operating three trips for the Feilding & Districts Steam Rail Society while their Wab class is being repaired.
The trips are:

Saturday 21 November 2009       Mystery Wine and Dine 

Sunday 6 December 2009           Mauriceville Country Fair

Sunday 13 December 2009         Palmerston North to Feilding to attend Feilding Christmas Parade.

November 8th 2009.
Today saw the Kaipara Cannonball excursion from Auckland to Helensville and return. It was a great success with over 300 people riding the train to Helensville where the Historic Weekend was in full swing. The train was met by a brass band and hundreds of people. The trip up and back saw the roads jammed with onlookers photographing the train and waving as it went past. Well done to the people of Helensville for putting on an excellent display throughout the town. Some photos are available here.

Also over this weekend we provided our Bagnall locomotive to the Glenbrook Vintage Railway for their Thomas Weekend. As usual it was great hit with the kids. There are some photos here in our Gallery section.

October 29th 2009.
The Mainline Steam Tour is over for another year and what a great time we had. My thanks to all the Mainline Steam volunteers who worked really hard preparing and operating the two locomotives used on the tour. Let no one underestimate the logistics of putting two steam locomotives out on the mainline and running from one end of the South Island to the other without fault. As an organisation Mainline Steam is blessed with a number of enthusiastic and knowledgeable volunteers who are not easily phased by any small matters that may arise.

The weather treated us kindly and we had some excellent days with some good photo runs. The passengers have all expressed how pleased they have been with the tour with many saying it has been one of the best run tours they have been on anywhere in the world. All good stuff for Mainline Steam and New Zealand tourism.

It was also pleasing to see the huge number of people that turned out in all the towns we visited to see the train. The trip to Invercargill went well with all the local business' benefiting  by our train dropping 200 passengers into the city for two hours.

Thanks are also in order to the KiwiRail staff we came in contact with and to the volunteers of the Glenbrook Vintage Railway, Weka Pass and Plains Railway which we visited during the course of the tour. They all put on a great show for us and everyone enjoyed the visits.

October 21st 2009. Our Steam tour is currently under way and if you would like to keep up with the event there are photos being posted here.

September 29th 2009.
Work is progressing on Ja1240 with the last of the rivets being put into the repaired sections of the firebox and new tubes and flues being installed in the boiler. For some video of the riveting process you can have a look here.

September 21st 2009.
Theopen weekend went very well with lots of families coming to have a look around the Parnell Depot and ride the trains. There were lots of smiles from both adults and children alike and some parents had trouble convincing the little ones it was time to leave. Thank you to members of the Parnell Historic Society who helped man the gate and collect the admissions. For some pictures of the weekend please go here. or there are some truly different and stunning photos here.

September 16th 2009.

As many of you will know we have been having a major problem with our website. After a major meltdown at our hosting company, which lasted for two weeks, we took the decision to move hosting companies. As you can tell, by the fact that you are reading this, we are now back online. We would like to thank our new hosting company LCWSoft for all their assistance in getting us back up and running.

September 7th 2009.
TheMidland Mountaineer was an interesting trip this year. The weather was stunning for both days and we had a great mix of people onboard, including a number form Australia, who had flown in especially for this trip.Thank you to everyone who has provided positive feedback on the journey. Unfortunately on the Sunday our KiwiRail driver took ill before we left Greymouth for the return journey and KiwiRail was unable to provide a replacement so we ended up with a diesel on the front. I am pleased to report the driver is fully recovered and back at work. If you would like to see some photos from the weekend please go here.

August 16th 2009.
The Main Trunk Trekker Excursion went very well yesterday, with over 200 people enjoying the day out to the Central North Island. Passenger who went to the Chateau for a meal reported a sumptuous feast. We managed 3 photo runs through the day including one on the Raurimu Spiral. Thank you to all the volunteers and the KiwiRail staff who helped make this a great day out. 

August 13th 2009.
On Saturday 15th the Main Trunk Trekker will be operating from Auckland to National Park, and return. Departure from Auckland is 5am. The train is due in Hamilton 7:40am, Taumarunui 11:25am, National Park 1:40pm. If you are intending to get out and take some photographs please make sure you do so from public property. The last trip we operated a member of the public, not associated with our train, was seen taking photos off the end of the platform. Although it was nothing to do with us and we moved the person back on to the platform it was recorded by other authorities as an incident and we had to spend time answering emails and phone calls about it. So please, by all means come out to see the train but stay on public property and off the rail corridor. If you are asked to leave an area by our crew, or KiwiRail crews, please do so without argument. 

If you do get some good photos please send us a copy. You may see it on our website.

August 10th 2009.
The trip to Arthurs Pass yesterday went very well. A number of photostops were held in each direction and despite the departure being delayed by 15 minutes out of Christchurch the train arrived on time into Arthurs Pass. All the passengers enjoyed the excursion with the stunning weather co-operating to make a great day out. The photo (left) shows Jb1236 at Kowai Bush. Photo by Max Anderson.

August 4th 2009.
Thank you to the supporters of Mainline Steam who turned up to the interesting public meeting last night.

July 5th 2009.
Jb1236 hauled the first steam excursion of the winter season to Arthurs Pass today on a sold out trip. The locomotive performed well after its repairs and all the passengers had a great time. There was even snow on the ground at Arthurs Pass. The next trips are the 9th of August and 13th September so if you want a seat for this fantastic steam experience don't delay booking. Photos from this trip can be seen here.

June 27th 2009.
Jb1236 completed a successful break in run to Rolleston and back this afternoon.

June 20th 2009.
Jb1236 today completed a full steam test. After suffering some fairly serious damage to one of its cylinders during the New Zealand Steam Tour last year the Christchurch have put in many hours of evening and weekend work to complete the repairs. It was very satisfying to them to see 1236 move out of the shed under its own power on Saturday. They deserve a large pat on the back for their efforts. A couple of photos are posted here.

June 17th 2009.
On June 13th we operated the Fieldays train from Auckland to Hamilton. This went well with Hamilton turning on a fine day for all who went to the Fieldays. Passengers arrived back at the train with a variety of purchases from the day. It was interesting to see that the platform awning at Hamilton station has been demolished. Apparently the steelwork was rusting away and it was felt to be unsafe.There is a photo of the train at Hamilton station here.

June 8th 2009.
Yesterday Mainline Steam and KiwiRail put on an Open Day at Sturges Road station as part of the consultation process for the proposed Mainline Steam Depot in the area. Ja1275 was there and we ran short shuttle trips to the area of the proposed depot. The day was a great success with close on 2000 people turning out for a look and to talk to Mainline Steam people. By far there was an overwhelming sense of support.Thank you to everyone who came along for a look. I have posted some photos here.

June 2nd 2009.
Over Queens Birthday weekend the Federation of Rail Organisations of New Zealand held their annual Conference in Christchurch.At the awards dinner Mainline Steam was presented with two awards. The A&G Price award for Best Steam Locomotive Restoration for Ja1275 and the Taieri Gorge Railway Award for Best Carriage Restoration for Aa1013. Both awards are a credit to the many people who gave freely of their time and effort to make the restoration of Ja1275 and Aa1013 possible.

May 27th 2009.
Mike and Lindsay are busy fitting the new liners to Jb1236. Some photos are available here.

May 26th 2009.
On Sunday June 7th Mainline Steam, in conjunction with KiwiRail, will be holding an Open Day based at the Sturges Road station to inform people of our plans for the new depot at Paremuka. Ja1275 will be there and short, free, train rides will be available to a location beside the proposed site. Hopefully lots of our supporters will turn up. 

Ja1275 and carriages will be towed in reverse from Parnell to Swanson by a KiwiRail diesel and are due to arrive in Swanson at 9:20am. It will then steam back to Sturgess Road ready for the days event.

May 22nd 2009.
Mechanical Test Train 14. In the earl hours of this morning Ja1275 and Dbr1282 left the Mainline Steam Depot at Parnell and headed for Newmarket to see if a Ja1275 could negotiate the curve between the Newmarket, which runs past our depot, and the North Auckland Line. Since this curve was relayed with all the alterations taking place at this junction there has been conjecture about the ability of the Ja to get around the curve which is fitted with a tight check rail. I am pleased to report that Ja1275 is now cleared to, once again, tread the NAL. For some great pictures of the the test, courtesy of Geoff Blackmore, visit our Gallery page here.

May 13th 2009.
Paremuka Depot.
Mainline Steam is negotiating with KiwiRail regarding a move from our current Parnell Depot to a new one we would like to build on the western line between Ranui Station and Sturgess Road. Our proposal is vastly different from the ARTA proposal that local residents had stopped. Frankly I personally would have fought that proposal if I had lived in that area as it would have put a large servicing facility right on the boundary of a residential area. Our proposal is half the size and does not require 24 hour a day 7 days a week operation. It also backs onto a current industrial area with the nearest house 120 meters away. Contrary to what some people think we do not operate steam locomotives every day or in fact every month. Mainline Steam is also a community based organisation which is very approachable should any resident wish to speak to us.

Grant and I have spent some time attending community board and resident meetings to put forward the proposal. It has been interesting that at all the meetings we
have been followed out by members of the local community, who were at the meetings for other matters, saying they hope we do come to the area as they think it would be fantastic.

It is true that this has been brought about by KiwiRail wishing to maximize their return on the Parnell site, conservatively valued at about $20 million, and we do not blame them for this. They could have just terminated the lease and told us to go but deserve credit for supplying assistance in helping us find an alternative site and deal with the council boards. We firmly believe that our proposal for the area is a good one and will bring benefits to the surrounding business and community. Our current depot is also a popular place for schools to visit and we see the new one as being no different.

If you live in the Western Districts of Auckland or in the Ranui and Swanson area and would like to offer positive support for Mainline Steam setting up our new Depot at this location you can write to the local council and to the Western Leader newspaper. There is a list of contacts available here. If you email any of these people please copy us in.  

May 2nd 2009.
Today we uplifted A2004 from the main street of Te Kuiti where it has served as a burger bar since 2000. We have moved it to Auckland and into storage for later assessment. Some photos are here.

April 23rd 2009.
Napier - Gisborne Railway. The following is the reply to my letter to the Hon John Key regarding this line.

Thank you for your email of 13 April 2009 to the Minister of Tourism, Hon John Key.
The Associate Minister of Tourism, Hon Dr Jonathan Coleman is responsible for all tourism correspondence.  Your email has been placed before Hon Dr Coleman for his consideration.

Yours sincerely
Kara Bonnevie
Private Secretary Tourism

If you would like to support Mainline Steam in keeping this line open for development of rail tourism you might like to write to the Honorable Dr Jonathan Coleman at this email address.

April 19th 2009.
Today we had 20 members of the Parnell Historical Society visit our Parnell Depot for a look around. All were extremely interested in the work we are undertaking and felt we were an asset to the area.

March 30th 2009.
The Sunday Lunch trip to the Vilagrad Winery was a great success yesterday.Everybody ate their fill and sampled the wines on offer. Ja1275 performed well and the volunteers at the Parnell Depot did a great job shining it to perfection.You can see some photographs from the trip here.

March 26th 2009.
There is a follow up in the Gisborne Herald to the item below. Go here for the story.

March 25th 2009.
The following article has appeared in the Gisborne Herald.

Gisborne's railway line south could be given a new lease of life as a tourism facility, with confirmation yesterday that Gisborne-Napier is one of the routes being looked at as a cycleway.
The line is now carrying only one train a week and is not on the schedule to be upgraded for the high-format containers required for modern shipping. To meet this configuration would mean extensive modifications to somewhere between 15 and 20 tunnels along this route.

Tourism New Zealand is promoting the line as a side-route to the $50 million cycleway proposal that came out of Prime Minister John Key's job summit.A similar route along the railway corridor in Central Otago - the "Rail Trail" - attracts between 10,000 and 12,000 people a year, bringing new vitality to small communities from Clyde to Middlemarch. Opening up the Gisborne-Napier line would do similar things in this region, said BikeNZ development manager John Willmer. Tourism New Zealand was meeting Ontrack today to discuss the proposal, which is still in its very early stage.

Tourism New Zealand figures show that of the 2,469,000 visitors to New Zealand last year, 45,000 took part in cycling. Cycling tourists stayed more than twice as long as other international tourists and spent almost twice as much. BikeNZ believes the Gisborne-Napier railway corridor would be a tremendous asset for tourism here. It provides a great route away from traffic. It has a good gradient, which would be easy to ride, and it has great scenery. Using the corridor does not mean the line would have to be removed or sealed.

Cycleways could be formed from hard-packed gravel, which was already present alongside many parts of the railway corridor and in other places it might be physically possible to put it within the lines. Ontrack spokesman Kevin Ramshaw would not comment on the financial viability of the line but confirmed it now carries only one train a week - to Gisborne and back to Napier - which is well below what Ontrack wants. Mr Willmer said the local concept would depend on the community's view. At present only a small part of the line is regularly used by Gisborne's Wa 165 steam train, but there are at least one or two larger steam excursions via Napier here each year. Mr Willmer believes the safety aspect would have to be well thought out if the line is used for cycling in conjunction with a train movement.

Our opinion.
This would be a tragedy for New Zealand. This is a spectacular line which rivals the Midland line. Mainline Steam, in particular would be interested in operating more excursions over this line if better agreements could be reached regarding costs and crewing. With the rapid demise of steam operations in other countries, notably South Africa, New Zealand is poised to become the steam mecca of the world. Our varied and well maintained assortment of mainline locomotives and professional organizations that operate them, along with our fantastic scenery and friendly people is giving New Zealand a name as the place to go for steam action. Steam enthusiasts are avid travelers and often spend in higher priced accommodation and attractions which is exactly the kind of tourist New Zealand needs.

We also see the possibility of a Savannahlander type  operation like we currently operate in Queensland operating over this line. In Queensland the operation of this train has reduced unemployment and increased services in the towns that it visits.

As New Zealanders we need to speak out loud now to save these potential tourist goldmines or at the very least ensure ways where both ideas can co-exist. I urge you to write to the Minister of Tourism, John Key and lobby for the retention of this line. His email address is john.key@national.org.nz

We would also urge those of you who have visited New Zealand and ridden on an excursion over this line to lend your support and keep trains running over this line.

March 23rd 2009.
Our Bagnalreturned from Glenbrook on Friday after an extended trip to the GVR where it featured in a number of their Open Days. It was unloaded off the rail wagon on Saturday and is now safely tucked up in our depot. A photo can be seen here.

February 23rd 2009.
The trip to the Driving Creek Railway went well yesterday. Despite the early start from Parnell everyone was ready and there was time for a look around the shed before we left Parnell. The previous two day had seen heavy rain and we headed south under overcast skies. The rain held off and we had an excellent trip over the Driving Creek Railway to the Eyeful Tower and the summit of the line. When we returned to the terminus the owner of the line, Barry Brickell, was there to answer questions and chat to our group and tea, biscuits and cake had been laid on for us. We also got a chance to look around the new wildlife sanctuary at the DCR which is not yet open to the public.

All in all an excellent day out.

February 15th 2009.
Ka942 completed its leg of the 100th Anniversary Special today. Running from Feilding to Wellington. Unfortunately there was a problem with the blower pipe but out loco reps managed to use some good old Kiwi ingenuity and make a repair which saw 942 back in action and heading the train into Wellington and putting on a great show for all who watched from track side. Thank you to those of you sending in your photographs. I have posted some of them here in the gallery section.

February 14th 2009.
For a nice piece of video by Don Moffat of the Ka in action go here.

February 12th 2009.
Ka942 is heading for Feilding this morning.

TheGlenbrook Steam Festival was a great success from our point of view, and I'm sure from Glenbrook's point of view it was also a great success. The weekend gave our Steam Reps a chance to operate trains both driving and firing and keep their skills up to date. It also gave some of the Glenbrook crews a chance to fire an oil burner as all of their locomotives are coal burners. All the trains operated smoothly and efficiently with hundreds of people enjoying their trip over the GVR. Photos from the weekend are available in the Gallery section of our website.

February 10th 2009.
Just a reminder that Ka942 will be steaming from Plimmerton to Feilding on the 12th February in preparation for its run on the Special train on the 15th. As ususal if you intend to photograph the move please stay off railway property. Departure from Plimmerton is scheduled for 10am.

February 9th 2009.
You may have noticed on our front page and on our Links page that there is now a Facebook logo.We have set up a page on this Social Networking site and if you have a Facebook log on click on the logo and you will be taken to our page. You can apply to become a friend of Mainline Steam. Once accepted you can post questions about Mainline Steam. It is an adjunct to these web pages so give it a try.

February 8th 2009.
Ja1275 has been putting on a great show at the Glenbrook Vintage Railway Steam Weekend. For photos from the Saturday see here.

February 2nd 2009.
Over the weekend of January 31st and February 1st a number of the operational volunteers at our Parnell depot underwent refresher courses for their Safety Protocols. As part of the refresher each person had to don a gas mask and then change a brake hose. While changing a brake hose is not that difficult the gas mask changes your line of site and your breathing pattern. These courses are held at all our depots as part of our requirement for operating on the mainline. The accompanying photo shows Ian McKay changing the brake hose on Uc1190.

January 21st 2009.
On the 14th and 15th February Kiwirail will be operating a train from Auckland to Wellington to celebrate the 100th Anniversay of the first official passenger service over the Main Trunk. As part of those celebrations Ka942 will lead the train from Feilding to Wellington on Sunday the 15th. A timetable for the train is available here. Please remember that if you are out photographing the train do so in a safe manner. Also if you get some great photos you would like to share email some to us for possible use in our newsletter or on our website.
For further information the official Tranz Scenic page can be found here.

January 14th 2009.
Ja1275 will be travelling to the Glenbrook Vintage Railway to operate over that line on the 7th and 8th February as part of their Steam Festival. You can download a poster for the event here. Ja1275 will be steaming out on Saturday morning and returning to Parnell on Sunday evening. Departing Parnell 8am on the Saturday.