International Railroad Discussion > kiwirail on "Mighty Trains"

Was just watching the Mighty Trains episodes on Kiwirail.     Pretty cool looking modern day narrow gauge operation.  Lots of GE U-boat looking engines, narrow gauge proportions.    The intercity  passenger trains (from what I can figure) run 3 days a week on the north island, and 3 days a week or daily on the south island.   Only 1 intercity  train a day on per line, for the most part  (3 lines total)

Apparently lots of commuter trains to the big cities too, and some freight.....

I like the south american narrow gauge too, but seems many of the cool older engines are being replaced with current day standard gauge size engines on narrow gauge trucks.   (boring!)   Also not sure if there is much in scheduled LD (intercity) pax trains in south america. 
 

pdt Wrote:
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> Was just watching the Mighty Trains episodes on
> Kiwirail.     Pretty cool looking modern day
> narrow gauge operation.  Lots of GE U-boat
> looking engines, narrow gauge proportions.   

Not aware of many/any u-boats down under... definitely an interesting rail scene there though.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/15/24 13:28 by exhaustED.

Kiwirail has 44 rebuilt GE U26C locomotives in classes DX, DXB, and DXC,
plus two heavily rebuilt DXR locomotives rated at 3200 hp. Kiwirail also has
29 GMD built GT22C (class DFT and DFB), and 69 CRRC CKD-9B 
locomotives.

I've ridden the entire system, the first time with some of the old traditional passenger cars in 2012 and the next time they had all been replaced with the made-in-NZ passenger cars, which are very modern, spacious, smooth and nice.   I was given a sort of historical atlas of the Kiwi rail system by a friend in NZ to take with me on the train, it showed all of the historical industries, branch lines, station stops, towns etc. which existed along the line.   It was quite fascinating to track where I was and what was there.   Lots of logging, farming etc.   There is still some freight on the Kiwi Rail system, a very miniaturized version of the container freight we have here in the US. 

These are all from 2012.

Photo 1: Somewhere near Hamilton / Rotorua I believe.  Old carriages in the background.
Photo 3: The new locally built carriages. 
Photo 4: Switch engine in Picton.

Mike Massee
Tehachapi, CA
Photography, Railroading and more..

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