The Railway Observer

ISSN 0028-8624 Volume 76 Issues 354 to 359

New Zealand Railway and Locomotive Society Incorporated 1A North Street, , , 5012, New Zealand

Principal Contents

The Elusive X (Derek Cross) ...... 5 The -Ross Railway and Cycle Trail (Alan Stokes and Peter Ross) ...... 13 New Rail Capable Interisland Ferries (Bruce Taylor) ...... 18 How Missed the Tram (James Watson) ...... 25 Footplate Years from 1937 to 1944 (Bren Campbell) ...... 49 Hamilton – Commuter Trains (Graeme Carter) ...... 56 North Otago Excursion Trains in 1895 (Bill Cowan) ...... 62 Photographs of Midland Line Coal Traffic (Andrew Hewitt) ...... 63 The Phantom Karekare Locomotive (Philip Wrigley) ...... 68 Memories of Aramoho Junction ((Lindsay Benbrook) ...... 78 Napier – Wairoa Railway – The Rebuild (Cran Julian and Rob. Merrifield) ...... 93 Esmae and Lennie (Anne Leitch) ...... 98 High Horsepower (Paul Mahoney) ...... 102 How I Lost a Police Car (Frank Lewis) ...... 104 Ab 699 Returns to Service (D L A Turner) ...... 105 Tunnel: The clean-Up Job of a Century (Rob. Merrifield) ...... 112 The Rebuilding of Aramoho Railway Bridge (Caes Slabber) ...... 120 Railway Yards in the Early 1970s – A Different World (Ritchie Wilson) ...... 137 Was Sandfly Re-gauged? (Kevin Crosado, Richard Stratford and Graeme Carter) ...... 143 Green Light for Rail: an Engineer’s Tale (Alexandra Johnson) ...... 149 Recollections of the X Class Locomotive (David Berry) ...... 156 The Mysterious ‘Royal Train’ (Robert Finlay) ...... 164 Dromore – A Settlement Centred on a Railway (Michael Hanrahan) ...... 181 Otago-Southland Rail Tour, 1959-60 (Hugh Isdale) ...... 187 Where to Next? KiwiRail Motive Power Options for the Next 30 Years (Rob Merrifield) ...... 200 Riding with Ces Gledhill – Fighting the Grade to Spooners Tunnel (Bill Prebble) ...... 202 My Experiences on the Footplate (John Prince)...... 206 The Homer Tunnel Railway (Paul Mahoney) ...... 225 New Freight Centre for Palmerston North (Graeme Carter) ...... 230 Order Out of Chaos (Rob Merrifield) ...... 234 The Last of the Baldwins (Keith Cullen) ...... 239 Morrie Bryson – Part One (Bill Cowan) ...... 244 Rail Upgrades (Bruce Taylor) ...... 251 Have You Got the vinegar Syndrome? (Robert Finley) ...... 253

Research Notes (All by Graeme McClare)

No 204, A One Season Wonder? ...... 11 No 205, The Bigger Picture ...... 60 No 206, Awarua ...... 100 No 207, A Southern Engine ...... 146 No 208, The last through (with Alan Smith) ...... 185 No 209, One of those “Wow” Moments! ...... 236

Regular Features Book and DVD Reviews ...... 42, 86, 173, 218, 262 Down at the Station ...... 37, 81, 127, 168, 213, 257 From the Top of the Raurimu Spiral ...... 4, 48, 92, 136, 180, 224 From the Collection Of … ...... 22, 32, 74, 116, 151, 161, 195 Letters ...... 40, 84, 129, 171, 216, 260 Obituaries ...... 36, 115, 166

INDEX Bridges and Viaducts:

Authors: Ashburton River 44 Little Grey River 236 Benbrook, Lindsay 78 New Road Bridge Will Help Rail 38 Berry, David 156 Pigeon Bush 198 Campbell, Bren 49 The Rebuilding of the Aramoho Railway Bridge Carter, Graeme 56, 143, 230 (Caes Slabber) 120-126 Cowan, Bill 62, 244 Crosado, Kevin 143 Carriage Stock Cross, Derek 5 Cullen, Keith 239 AKS Luggage Vans 257 Finlay, Robert 164, 253 Hamilton – Auckland Commuter trains Hanrahan, Michael 181 (Graeme Carter) 56-59 Hewitt, Andrew 63 Guard’s Van 77 Isdale, Hugh 187 SA/SD Carriages 128 Johnson, Alexandra 149 Julian, Cran 93 Electric Railways: Leitch, Anne 98 Lucas, Frank 104 Green Light for Rail: an Engineer’s Tale Mahoney, Paul 102, 225 (Alexandra Johnson) 149-150 McClare, Graeme 11, 60, 100, 146 Merrifield, Rob 93, 102, 200, 234 Ferries: Prebble, Bill 202 Prince, John 206 New Rail Capable Interisland Ferries (Bruce Ross, Peter 13 Taylor) 18-21 Slabber, Caes 120 New Rail Capable Ferries 4, 37, 81 Smith, Alan 185 Wellington ferry Terminal 169 Stokes, Alan 13 Stratford, Richard 143 Financial: Taylor, Bruce 18, 251 Turner, D L A 105 A Good Six Months 37 Watson, James 25 Dannevirke Log Hub 128 Wilson, Ritchie 137 Hillside to Reopen 214 Wrigley, Philip 68 KiwiRail Benefits from the Budget 92, 127 KiwiRail Had a Good Year 168 Book & DVD Reviews: More Money for Rail 257 Main North Line Costs 82 Books North Auckland Upgrade 127 Plans for Tourist Traffic 213 Drewry and Baguley Locomotives and Upper Supply Chain Strategy 224 in New Zealand (Sean Millar) 42 Wellington Rail Wants Government Help 258 Ghost Railways New Zealand (Barbara Mulligan Where to Next? KiwiRail Motive Power Options & David Cuthbert) 86 for the Next 30 Years (Rob Merrifield) 200-201 Going by Train – The Complete New Zealand Railways Story (Graham Hutchins) 218 Freight Services: MoTaT Locomotives (Richard Croker and Seam Millar) 262 Christchurch Improvements 128 Napier’s Royal Blue Trams 1915-1931 Christchurch Railway Yards in the Early 1970s – (Graeme Stewart) 173 A Different World (Ritchie Wilson) 137-142 Riding with Ces Gledhill (ed. Bill Prebble) 173 Fighting the Grade to Spooners Tunnel Tragedy and Heroism at Kopuawhara (ed Bill Prebble) 202-205 (Gillian Ward) 174 How I lost a Police Car (Frank Lucas) 104 Main Line Log Loading 81 DVDs Napier – Wairoa Line 169 NZ Rail Scene No. 98 (Majik Video) 86 Photographs of Midland Line Coal Traffic NZ Rail Scene No. 99 (Majik Video) 174 (Andrew Hewitt) 63-67 NZ Rail Scene No. 100 (Majik Video) 218 Taranaki Log Trains 214 NZ Rail Scene No. 101 (Majik Video) 262 Log Trains Get Longer 81 Wairoa Log Traffic 213 West Coast Logs 128

Heritage & Rail Trails: Tablet Machines 40 The Fitters 260 Ab 699 Returns to Service (DLA Turner) 105-111 The Mysterious Royal Train 217 Bruce Bay Davenport 39 Track Maintenance Equipment 130 39 Was Sandfly Re-gauged? 216 Dbr Locomotives 83 Weed Spray, Carpenters and Work Trains 217 Dc Locomotives 39 X Class Locomotives 217 Donald 83 Railways 175 Locomotive Notes and Illustrations: Railway 220 FRONZ Awards 128 (Each entry refers to a page where a photograph Glenbrook Vintage Railway 215 includes the locomotive listed or a comment.) Grahamstown & Tararu Tramway 69 259 Old Bush & Industrial Locomotives Lumsden 39 Maclennan Station 128 Barclay 531 155 Mackwell Locomotive Company 259 Climax 1317 154 Main line Steam art Mercer 82 Heisler 1082 199 Marlborough Flyer 83 Nasmyth Wilson, Castlecliff Railway 155 Middlemarch to Lose Rail 259 Price C 154 Oamaru Steam & Rail Society 176 The Phantom Karekare Locomotive Otago-Southland Rail Tour, 1959-60 (Philip Wrigley) 68-73 (Hugh Isdale) 187-194 Donald 83 Palmerston North Rail Yards Remembered 170 Esmae and Lennie (Anne Leitch) 98-99 Pleasant Point Railway 105-111 Was Sandfly Re-gauged? (Kevin Crosado, Siberia Curve Swing bridge 259 Richard Stratford & Graeme Carter)143-145, 216 Steam Driver Training School 259 215 Old Steam Surplus TR Locomotives 169 D 107, 109-111, 191 The Hokitika-Ross Railway and Cycle Trail F 13, 87, 146-148, 263 (Alan Stokes & Peter Ross) 13-17 H 198 The Phantom Karekare Locomotive K 132 (Philip Wrigley) 68-73 V Cl;ass Locomotives 39, 235 Auckland Provincial Council 68 Theft Stops 83 Waitahuna Station and Goods Shed 39 Steam Water tank wagon, Plains Railway 184 A 162, 163, 188-193, 209, 212 Industrial Railways: Ab 10, 101, 105-111, 152, 161, 191-192, 219, 247-248, 250, 253 Was Sandfly Re-gauged? (Kevin Crosado, B, Ba 212,244246 Richard Stratford & Graeme Carter)143-145 Bb 151, 152 C 161, 187 J 163, 196, 198, 209-212 Lake Wakatipu Shipping: Ja84, 162, 164-165, 176, 187-192, 217, 235, 249, 253, 264 .s.s Earnslaw 188 Jb 118, 195 K 49-54, 60-61, 117, 122, 195 Letters: Ka 52-54, 117-119, 133, 151, 153, 177, 193, 197 Kb 247-248 1950 Electrification Project 40 Q 241-243, 247 ACFI Feed Water Systems 216 U, Ua. Ub, Uc, Ud 189, 199, 209, 239-241 Aramoho Junction 171 W, Wa, Wb 206-207 Auckland Trams 41 We 209 Awarua 171 Wf 189, 202-205 Christchurch Yard 260 Ww 207-210 Driverless Trains 129, 130, 171, 260 X 5-10, 156-159, 188, 217, 246 High Horsepower 172 Y 263 King Brothers Photographs 84 The Elusive X (Derek Cross) 5-10 NIMT Electrification 85 Footplate Years from 1937 to 1944 Observer 355 129 (Bren Campbell) 49-55 Ross Station 129 Recollections of the X Class Locomotives (David Signalling 216 Berry) 156-159

Scrap line at Wiri 155 The Last of the Baldwins (Keith Cullen) 239-243 Obituaries:

Diesel (including DMUs) Colin Dash 36 Graham and Win Weir 166 ADB 90 J A T Terry 115 Ds, Dsa, Dsb 187 John Shanks 36

Diesel-Electric Operational:

Da 76, 197, 199 KiwiRail Appoints New Chief Executive 81 DBR 83, 79, 215, 219 DC 44, 222 Passenger Services: DFB 1, 46, 89, 94, 96, 97, 178, 252 DFT 2, 93, 94, 95, 131, 200, 222 A One Season Wonder? (Graeme McClare)11-12 Dh (EE) 209 Challenges 214 Di 196, 211 82 Dj 175 Hamilton - Auckland Commuter Trains DL 2, 43, 88, 178, 201, 221 (Graeme Carter) 56-59 DSC 140, 141 Hamilton – Auckland Train Funding 169 DSG 94, 134, 214 Hamilton-- Auckland Train 213 DSJ 94 Marlborough Flyer 83 DX 22—24, 75-76, 80, 200, 222 New Commuter Trains for Wellington 169 DXB 2, 44, 45, 46, 63-67, 131 North Otago Excursion Trains in 1895 DXC 44, 64 (Bill Cowan) 62 Dc Locomotives 39 258 Surplus TR Locomotives 169 Plans for Tourist Traffic 213 The Mysterious ‘Royal Train’ Electric (including EMUs) (Robert Finlay) 164-165 TranzAlpine Improvements 170 AMA, AMP, AMT (Auckland) 90, 168, 213 Tron Express 127 Blue Streak Railcars 24 Wairarapa Commuter Train 82 FM, FT (Matangi) 251 Ec 187 Photography Ed 193 EF 149-150 Have You Got the Vinegar Syndrome? (Robert Ew 193 Finley) 253-256 Bi-modal trains 252 Electro-diesel multiple units 252 Private Railways: Green Light for Rail: an Engineer’s Tale (Alexandra Johnson) 149-150 Kaitangata Railway 191 Reprieve for EF class 150 New Zealand Midland Railway Company236-237 Railway Board 188 Industrial The Homer Tunnel Railway (Paul Mahoney) 225-229 Bruce Bay Davenport 39 Drewry 2258, 2489 98-99 Railcars: Hudswell Clarke 225-229 Blue Streak Railcars (88-seat) 24 Management, KiwiRail Drewry (88-seat) 33-34, 188 Ford 110-111 New KiwiRail Directors 168 Sentinel-Cammell steam Draft New Zealand Rail Plan 257 Silver Fern 82 Standard 87, 185-186 Miscellaneous Locomotive Items The Last Railcar through Kaitoke (Alan Smith and Graeme McClare) 185-186 Mackwell Locomotive Company 259 Vulcan 220 Morrie Bryson –Part One (Bill Cowan) 244-250 Wairarapa 185-186 My Experiences on the Footplate (John Prince) 206-212 Railway Catering: Order out of Chaos (Rob Merrifield) 234-235 Where to Next? KiwiRail Motive Power Options A One Season Wonder? (Graeme McClare)11-12 for the Next 30 Years (Rob Merrifield) 200-201

Railwaymen at War: Otago Central Line 244-245 Otago-Southland Rail Tour, 1959-60 North Africa 52-53 (Hugh Isdale) 187-194 Palmerston North Rail hub 257 Royal Trains Palmerston North (The Square) 177 176 1953 249-250 Photographs of Midland Line Coal Traffic (Andrew Hewitt) 63-67.0 Signals and Signal Boxes: Sawyers Bay 134 Stratford – Okahukura Line 169 Driverless Trains 171 The Hokitika-Ross Railway and Cycle Trail Paekakariki South 33 (Alan Stokes & Peter Ross) 13-17 Yard indicator signals, Christchurch 140, 141 Upgrade of 168 82 Station Photographs: Wairoa Log Traffic 213 Waitahuna 39 Ohura 195 Westmere Bank, Taranaki Line 178 Ongarue 199 Work Starts on North Auckland Line 213 Otaki 83 Raurimu 197 Storms and Disruptions: Ruatapu 199 197 Omoto Slip 214 SIMT closed 258 Stations, Yards and Lines: Suburban Commuter Lines:

Awarua 100-101 Auckland: Castlecliff Branch 178 Bluff 134 Auckland’s EMUs Arriving Soon 168 Christchurch 32 News 37, 81, 127, 169 Christchurch Railway Yards in the Early 1970s – City Rail Update 213 A Different World (Ritchie Wilson) 137-142 Look Both Ways – Train! 169 Double Tracks at 170 Otahuhu Developments 127 Dromore – A Settlement Centred on the Railway Puhunui Station 169 (Michael Hanrahan) 181-184 Revamp of Auckland’s Strand Station 37 Station Extension 258 The Tron Express 257 Hamilton - Auckland Commuter Trains (Graeme Carter) 56-59 Wellington: Hamilton – Auckland Train Funding 169 Hastings Railway Station 214 Double Tracks at Upper Hutt 170 147 Traction Upgrade 38 Lyttelton 146 New Commuter Trains for Wellington 169 Maclennan Station 128, 190 Wellington Rail Upgrades (Bruce Taylor) 251-252 Main North Line Costs 82 87 Tramways & Light Rail: Marsden Point Rail Link 37 Marton 74-77 Auckland trams 41, 83 33 Christchurch Tramway Extension News 215 Memories of Aramoho Junction Donald 83 (Lindsay Benbrook) 78-80 Dunedin Light Rail Trust 170 Methven Branch 105 Ellis & Burnand, Ongarue 199 Napier – Wairoa Line 169 Foxton-Palmerston North 70-71 Napier-Wairoa Line Reopens 128 High Horsepower (Paul Mahoney) 102-103 Napier-Wairoa Line Update 38, 82 How Palmerston North Missed the Tram (James Napier-Wairoa Railway – The Rebuild Watson) 25-30 (Cran Julian & Rob. Merrifield) 93-97 Karekare 68-73 New Freight Centre for Palmerston North Possible Extension of Christchurch (Graeme Carter) 230-233 City Tramway 129 New Road Bridge Will Help Rail 38 Stuart & Chapman, Ross 13 North Auckland Upgrade 127 Tram 17 215 149-150 Tramway Historical Society 170 Otahuhu Station 257 Wellington Tramway Museum 39, 129, 259 Otaki Realignment 38, 82, 83 Wellington, Hataitai tunnel 187

Wellington tram tour, 1959 187 Wynyard Quarter Trams 259

Tunnels:

Otira Tunnel – The Clean-Up of a Century (Rob. Merrifield) 112-114 Tar Barrel Tunnel 258

Wagons:

Hillside Wagon Repairs 82 New Wagons 37 Water tank wagon, Plains Railway 184

Workshops

Hillside to Reopen 180, 214 Hillside Wagon Repairs 82

Note:

Bold text indicates photograph only at that page.