Work has started in the yard at Palmerston North to alter the south end of the yard and provide some better locomotive berthing arangements which will ultimatly see the "flyover" made redundant and eventually removed.
So, I took a few snaps the other day when I had the chance .
(and for the natzi fun police who may be lurking - every photo was taken while the movement was statonary!!)
 
We lived in the South Island for a grand total of around 34 months, and loved every minute of it. But circumstances change, and long story short we had to move where the work was. 
So below is a random selection of photos from my time in the South Island.
All the photos are circa 2004 - 2006.
 
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Had 30 OM's in tow on 535 today and had to pull over at Rangitawa to let a trunk train rattle past...

Then stopped for a nosey along the Castlecliff Branch to see how they are getting on..
I'm looking forward to seeing the shunt out here soon! :-)
 
 
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Sitting on the left is 546 from last night finished and sat out of the way while 540 is being unloaded, on right.

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In some weird and sappy way I am rather smitten with the humble DXB and would be somewhat lost without them around..

 
Well I was in a very touchy feely sentimental frame of mind today. 
I had the pleasure of running 547 all the way to Palmy (again) today, and I guess it must have been the mix of a super sunny late summers day, "lazy sunday 3" playing on the cd player, blatting along the NIMT with the sun behind me, the blue skys, both windows open letting the warm wind blow through, the rythmic sway of the dft, the heat shimmer off the land... (something in the water??) but man was I supremely gratefull to be doing what I was doing at the moment in time.

*sigh*

Anyways... some images from today...
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DCP 4605 in the afternoon sun at Palmy.

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And the curious ENO inspection car.
I have always been fascinated with this oddball and the ENO classification makes me think it should be some sort of round white pill to cure an upset stomach.

I also went for a wee tiki tour along the castlcliffe line, following a story in the local glossy that stated trains will run on the branch again in 8 weeks, 8 years since the line was closed. Shunts will apparently run 3 times a night (yes, night! ) out to the Ali Arc dry store where Open Country stores their milk powder, for loading into containers..
Should be interesting...
 
Well I seem to spending more time at the other end of the line (Palmy end) than anywhere else recently and running trains all the way back home, so I thought I would share some highlights from a recent trip along the line.

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Its Sunday and there are more locos in palmy than you can poke a stick at!!
I counted at least 5 DFT's and half a dozen DC's plus a couple of DXB's, DSG's, DSC's, and the odd EF.....  
I was down to bring 538 home, and it was ready so no old chook roster shots today....

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 Well... maybe one.

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So I blast out of Palmy and have green lights all the way to Maewa, where I am put in the hole for a short while untill 251 blasts past.

There was lots of radio chatter as the DC on the point was rather crook dropping multiple ground relays, so arrangements were made for a loco swap at Palmy to take the train to Wellington.

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More green lights but only a short hop to the loop at Rangitawa where I cross 547 heading for home...

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Coming up to Marton I grab a quick snap of the Malt works in the distance. They have a Tr up there to shunt their siding.
The round concrete bases in the foreground once had a plethora of corrougated grain silos standing on them, recently removed.

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Stopped at the Marton platform I get my warrant and then head up onto the mighty MNPL.

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This mighty contraption once unloaded fertilser wagons but now it services trucks!

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Down the hill and through tunnel number 1 I pop out into a super sunny late evening at Ruatanagata (Whangehu)

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And a stop at Easttown for a warrant and a loo stop (there is a loo for us to use in the old east town depot...)

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And off home into the setting sun....