5258 and 5327 work eastwards past the Mt White Bridge across the Waimakariri River

A pair of cleanish KiwiRail DCs roll the TranzAlpine passenger train across the Broken River Viaduct, the third of four viaducts it will cross on its westward journey. While it's hardly the Orient... (more)

Loco Engineer Neil D. connects the MU cable and brake hoses between three banker locos and the road power of an eastbound coal train for a run up through the 3% Otira tunnel. 5304 is the lead lead... (more)

Clean KiwiRail DC 4761 and ratty old blue 4628 head a westbound TranzAlpine passenger train in the sun between Cora Lynn and Arthur's Pass

DXs 5431 and 5039 work east across the Slovens Creek Viaduct and through tunnel 16 with export coal bound for the Port of Lyttleton, near Christchurch.

A mixed up mess of colour leads a loaded coal train through the scrub covered Waimakariri River floodplain towards Cora Lynn. 5258 is a KiwiRail patched Toll green snotbonnet while 5327 wears the ... (more)

It's not quite as fancy as Switzerland's Landwasserviadukt, but New Zealand makes do with the locality of Staircase (population:0). After leaving an unmanned passing loop of the same name, wes... (more)

After traversing the Waimakariri gorge, Staircase and Broken River, the TranzAlpine passenger train reaches relatively flat land for a brief period as it heads toward the Southern Alps on a lovely... (more)

Empty coal train 849 heads west through the native forest alongside the picturesque Arnold River. DXs 5172+5304

DXs 5039 and 5402 cross Big Kowhai Viaduct to reach relatively high speed Canterbury Plains trackage after a long slog through the Southern Alps. The willows in the creek are brandishing their spr... (more)

After being holed up for a week at my mother's house due to a "50 year snowstorm" which dumped snow right down to sea level, I took a chance on the first fine day to go train chasing. Here DXs... (more)

The returning southbound TranzCoastal train heads south from Kaikoura in the late afternoon. While in Kaikoura you can whale watch, swim with dolphins, watch the fur seals, eat at Hine's fish-and-... (more)

DFT 7295 and DQ 6347 leave the coast behind as they head inland near Wharanui. The South Island's 'main north line' line between Christchurch and the rail ferries at Picton features more than an h... (more)

The TranzAlpine teeters across the Slovens Creek Viaduct on its journey back east under a speed restriction imposed due to aftershocks from the 7.1m Christchurch earthquake 11 days prior. Within t... (more)

On a perfect mid-winter midmorning, DFT 7199 and DC 4761 swing the Tranz Alpine passenger train away from Lake Brunner and alongside the picturesque Arnold river as they head towards their destina... (more)