Coal trains, Buller region, New Zealand

Two coal trains in the rain, the first an empty, the second with a full load, each double-headed by KiwiRail 'Dx' Class locos, just north of Westport, Buller, New Zealand, on 22 March 2010.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• trains
• railways
• NZ
• Rail
• diesel
• electric
• Dx
• coal

[zelo1954]

Looking back at Railtrack for your dates I can say that the first coal empty was train 845 Lyttelton to Ngakawau coal empties hauled by DXs 5241 & 5258. You would have snapped the train at the Westport junction where the line from Ngakawau merges with the main line from Christchurch. It was either on its way into Westport from the main line OR on its way to Ngakawau from Westport to load ...

[zelo1954]

@zelo1954 ... The loaded train was 844 hauled by DXs 5379 & 5264 and, likewise you snapped it either coming from Ngakawau to Westport OR after leaving Westport for the main line. That merging line is not a triangle. The is no direct route from Ngakawau to Christchurch without reversing at Westport.

[vert999]

@zelo1954 Thanks, the loaded train was coming from Ngakawau to Westport.

[vert999]

@zelo1954 Thanks for the info.  It was the latter by the way, on its way to Ngakawau from Westport.

[zelo1954]

As an aside I must tell you I've been over there 3 times. On the first occasion it was miserable in Christchurch, SNOWING at Porter's Pass in late NOVEMBER, and of course brilliantly fine and warm on the Coast. As it was the 2nd time. But you don't get three in a row! The rain was torrential virtually all the way down to Haast EXCEPT, remarkably, at Franz-Josef & Fox!