MilkTrains & A Steam Excursion On The Lower Westmere Bank

Описание: #SteamTrain #WestmereBank #WhanganuiHeritageMonth After a couple of freight services have cleared the section, it becomes the turn of a steam excursion to storm up the gradient and then return tender-first a short time later as dusk draws near.

It was a 'Labour Day' Holiday in New Zealand and JA1271 was active with the 'Whanganui Explorer'. This operation was a collaboration between the Glenbrook Vintage Railway & Steam Incorporated Paekākāriki. Three excursions were run today and this video looks at the late-afternoon Whanganui to Kai Iwi run. October is also coincidentally Whanganui Heritage Month and this year the chosen theme was vintage transport!

The first train (535) was descending the Westmere Bank with 9037 & 9642 in dynamic mode. The last eight wagons of this 20 wagon train were empty milk tankers returning to Longburn. 9383 leads the second train (544) which is a bulk milk service bound for the Fonterra dairy factory at Whareroa. These milk wagons are nearing the end of their economic lives. The frames are former 1980's log wagons and were fitted with tanks in 1997.

At 430pm, 1271 comes off the Whanganui Town Branch and onto the now vacant East Town to Kai Iwi section with its 6-car train (EO6). These carriages are a mix of 1930's and early 1940's Government Railways stock. The loco is run around its train on the Kai Iwi loop and we see it returning down the hill (as EO7).

The Westmere Bank is one of New Zealands steepest railway gradients. The gradient averages at about 1/35 (2.86%) but has a section near the top as steep as 1/32 (3.13%). It was opened on 28 June 1879 and is the ruling gradient of the Marton - New Plymouth Line.

Ja1271 was designed by New Zealand Railways and built at Hillside Workshops in 1956. Ja1271 was allocated to Invercargill depot for its entire working life and was withdrawn in 1970 after having run only some 416,000 miles. It was sold to Steam Incorporated and was restored in 1997.

The KiwiRail DL class was manufactured by CRRC Dalian 中车大连机车车辆有限公司 with engines from MTU. Introduced from 2010 onwards, they are the most powerful diesel-electric locos in service in New Zealand. The class represents the first order for a Chinese-built locomotive from a western country. The 9000 series allocation was chosen for this class of locomotive as the number 9 represents longevity and good luck in Chinese culture. There are 63 in service