The "real" Midland Line

[Midland]

No not your woossey hills and dales of the Brit Isles but the backbone of the South Island of New Zealand. This is the line I worked on for many years and where I get my forum name from. Check it out. These vids appear to have been shot by a German tourist who very kindly put them on YouTube. There are 5 parts altogether and although nicely done he doesn't pan the camera at all so you don't get a clear idea of how high the viaducts are. They are very high indeed!

Oh yes and it's all done on the proper gauge of 3' 6"! :hehe:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GISWKeFlzm8&feature=related


Enjoy.



Cheers

Nix

 

[JCitron]

Thanks for the link, Nix. Nice ride and route. The landscape looks a lot like the Pacific Northwest in the USA where the old Great Northern used to run. The line is now the BNSF.

John

 

[trw1089]

Hi Nix

I was there just last Friday chasing trains after being in Christchurch for a conference. After being there in 04 on the Tranz Alpine, it was nice to see it from the ground as well.

Some shots - first, two coalies crossing at Cass (now there's a railroad name if ever I heard one)

Then a shot of a passenger charter (it seemed to be additional to the Tranz Alpine service) at Arthur's Pass. If you look carefully at the far right hand side of the pic, at the end of the bridge is the portal for the 14km long Otira Tunnel.

And finally, the train in the landscape, showing how big them thar hills are...

Cheers
Tony

 

[Midland]

Hey very nice Tony. You should look me up the next time you're on this side of the ditch!

Arthur's Pass looks very odd without the spider web of overhead wires. It's all diesel through the tunnel now. Didja check out the doors at the bottom of the tunnel with the giant fans? Interestingly enough the crew in the loco cab get to carry breathing apparatus but there's none for the passengers! :hehe:

Cass is lovely at this time of the year with all the lupins growing wild. There's a very famous painting of that station shelter by Rita Angus.

That white diamond board with the "T" on it in the first picture tells me that there is a speed restriction the coal train is about to encounter. Right at the foot of the Cass bank too. We really hated it when the IPWay used to put restrictions at the foot of steep grades. When the Df locos were new on the Midland line there was a 10 km/h restriction through the number 1 tunnel. We always used to ignore it on the way home because the tunnel was the foot of the Otarama bank which was actually steeper than the Cass bank but much shorter. If we didn't speed we'd invariably stall.

Nice to see the old stamping ground again. Thanks.




Cheers

Nix