The sleepy slumber of the winter roster and pint sized trains has given way as the new milk season swings into action once again. 
Our little yard has gone from woah to go in a week, with three milk trains running already!
I have added some random bits and pieces from this weeks adventures.
First up is a piccy of the freshly painted Patea river bridge (bridge 41) which was blasted and repainted over the winter....
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Mmmm shiny!
Next we have progress (!?) at Manutahi. After all the effort expended installing the loop at manutahi, writing out new rules proceedures, site visits and staff training, the points have now been ripped out and work has begun on the extension, which will include installation of ctc here to turn the loop into a remote crossing loop operated by train control. There is also a large amount of earthworks going on to the west of the mainline too, which has me wondering if its all related or if thats where the overburden is being dumped from the formation works.... 
What I have found really sad is although KiwiRail's cost cutting job reductions for gangers have been touted as not being filled by contractors, there is not one Kiwi Rail ganger or vehicle to be found at Manutahi for this project..... they are all contractors.... hmmmm

In other news, milk has started flowing in great volumes, and two full milk trains are already running!
A massive dairy plant with a massive consumption can be likened to the human digestive system.... what goes in must come out at the other end, and true to form, an instant increase in container loads has occurred.
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540 unloading this morning.
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544 rolling into Patea for changeover.
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TEU's as far as the eye can see...
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Hire containers used to transporting "domestic" products to other warehouses.
Remember the new coolstore being built?
Now it looks like this.....
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Almost done!
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The scene at Whareroa this morning.
Of course no post could be complete without some cheesy roster shots! Featuring this week are a couple of grotty two stroke war horses that are surely in need of some love (and a little dulux!?).
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( thats 7173 in case you cant see the numbers! )
And to round out this installment is a couple more of my 537 sitting in the loop at Patea yesterday waiting for 544 to arrive.
Untill next time..

Oh, and some goss I got told today - the big cheese is currently offshore buying more Chinese locos and wagons...... yay.

AH
scooter
9/1/2012 03:11:14 pm

More great pics AH. How long will the Manutahi loop be when its completed (this time)?

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scott
9/2/2012 09:38:38 am

Will the big cheese be taking his CV with him.....?

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Ev
9/2/2012 10:25:35 am

That new cool store has sure changed the look of that end of the yard. Also good to still see some non-KR locomotives, especially the toll patch jobs.

Time to start planning another trip north, methinks!

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