The Northern Explorer, a new tourist train from Auckland to Wellington, climbs the Raurimu Spiral to reach the Volcanic Plateau dominated by Mt Ruapehu. The open window car is actually converted FM van (caboose.)
Trains on 3' 6" (1.067m) track from Whangarei to Bluff with virtually heritage rebuilt EMD and GE locomotives still the mainstay power. The network was privatized in 1990's and operated by Toll until 2008 when state owned KiwiRail was established.
