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New Zealand North Auckland Line 2005-6


John M
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Some photos from 2005-6 when I had time to spare and spent some time recording train movements on the North Auckland Line a secondary main line linking Northland with the New Zealand railway system. Traffic was fairly light with two freights operating in each direction daily between Westfield Yard Auckland and Whangarei in Northland. The daytime train handled primarily logs and forestry products, the overnight train dairy products from the Kauri plant near Whangarei to the Port of Auckland.

 

The daytime trains crossed at Helensville a small town and one time port approx 40Km North of Auckland, the route of the railway is indirect and steeply graded skirting a series of ridges north of Auckland which contributes to low train speed and relative ease in following Northbound trains.

 

The photos are scanned from prints which were originally recorded on an Olympus digital camera but I mislaid to original digital files.

 

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Crew change at Helensville with Toll Rail liveried DFT 7307 working the Northbound and a Tranz Rail Cato Blue  liveried General Electric on the Southbound. The gentleman on the bike appeared to cycle out every morning to meet the train crew. The station was unmanned with train movements controlled by Track Warrant Control.

 

Australian owned Toll Holdings had acquired control of the railways following the takeover of Tranz Rail in 2004 7307 was one of the first locos to appear in the new operators colour scheme.

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Looking North the platform appears to have been revived for a short lived experimental commuter service, the Southbound has picked up a cut of laden log wagons from the yard. 

 

1831649486_7307passingKaipara22012020.jpg.6a3159e46d3cad667e921f7a39ba5bbc.jpg

 

7307 approaching Kaipara Flats north of Helensville with the same train.

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Tranz Rail "Bumble bee" liveried DFT 7282 crossing a typical timber piled bridge north of Maungaturoto in Northland , The builders of the line experienced considerable difficulty in constructing the line due to unstable ground conditions and was one of the first cases where geotechnical methods were employed to locate a railway right of way.

 

There was considerable livery variation among locomotives during Toll Rail ownership, with matched consists of diesel locomotives extremely unusual. Some locos continue to operate in the New Zealand Railways red and Grey "Fruit Salad" scheme dating from the late 1980s

 

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