LinesiderMagazineNZ

31/03/2025

Two new Ferries, and they will have rail decks. Well that's unexpected! Well done to everyone who fought for this.

Winston Peters has unveiled details about the Interislander replacement plan, including a new timeline.

11/03/2025

Issue 19 of The Linesider is out! If you are a subscriber, I hope you have received yours by now. This March 2025 issue includes the Southerner detouring to Hokitika in 1991, the high-speed four-wheeled wagons from the 70s and 80s, wagon assembly at Hillside from a few months ago, the end of Wellington's A Box in December, rail heritage pictures from a few years ago until recently, and a cover picture taken the day before the magazine went to the printers.

24/02/2025

The Linesider steams on!

Many of you have asked about the future of the magazine and expressed a hope that it might continue beyond issue 20. It will! From issue 21, The Linesider will be published by the New Zealand Railway and Locomotive Society. The content and quality of The Linesider will not change at all - I will continue to create it, working with the same printers to turn out the same quality product, with the same passion. As publisher and distributor, the NZR&LS has relationships with more stockists, its large membership base, and NZ magazine distributors, which will extend the magazine's reach. NZRLS will also manage the subscription list, and no, it doesn't matter whether you are an NZR&LS member or not! Things will continue as normal, except there will be a different bank account for renewals after issue 20. Both Bill Prebble, NZR&LS Director and Chair of Publications, and I, believe this is an excellent move for the NZ rail enthusiast community: The Linesider will continue on as a key part of the NZR&LS publications portfolio, and will grow with the support of an organisation with more than 80 years of history behind it.

Here's to many more years of The Linesider! Issue 19 should be leaving the printers at the end of the week and start arriving in mailboxes and shops in the first week of March. Thanks for your support!

05/12/2024

New ferries: a literal train wreck slowly unfolding in front of our eyes.

The final chapter in the beleaguered iReX project will likely be written by Monday. Based on Mr Luxton’s answers to Mr Hosking, and the ineffective questions replied to with vague/non-committal/submissive answers in the select committee meeting yesterday, I’d wager that the new ferries:

* won’t be fitted with rails
* will be "cheap" (less likely, secondhand). Hopefully of better quality and design than that set by the DL loco's low benchmark, and hopefully fit for purpose in that a Toyota Corolla fitted with waterwings crossing Cook Strait on all but the (rare) calmest days wouldn't be, but we shall see.
* will likely cost twenty dollars less than $550m (in order to justify the cancellation of the previous contract).
* will likely involve some form of opaque financial engineering regarding procurement and ownership (or non-ownership) of the boats. This will save cash in the short term, making it seem like a genius business play, but burden KiwiRail with lease/financing costs for these pups long into the future.
* will be accompanied by minimalist portside patchups.
* whole of life project costs over 30 years will be far, far greater (including contract cancelation costs) than iRex would have been, but that long term pain will be quietly swept under the carpet for future politicians and KiwiRail managers to worry about, with the decision heralded as fiscally responsible commercial brilliance.
* project will hurt KiwiRail’s rail freight business in the medium term, and reduce profitability. (seriously? coastal shipping to transfer locos for overhaul?? Anyone think that road operators won't be gleefully eyeing up carting that nicely containerised Ashburton grain from the ferries to Marton?).

A disappointing week that reconfirms that the road bridging decision was made by short term anti-rail thinking a year ago, and that KiwiRail has since been "encouraged" to tow the line and say that road bridging is a sensible and perfectly manageable alternative to rail freight being on rail wagons... all to have any chance of a poke at the begging bowl for scraps to keep their "rail ferry" operation afloat. A year of political posturing, wasted time, effort and $ to gloss over a kneejerk cancellation decision made without any consideration of the long term implications, or even a plan B. Well, plan B is about to be revealed. It might smell like excrement in a few months time, but for the next few weeks the sunshine pump will be working overtime to sell it like its the bee's knees.

On the plus side, maritime evaluations in July revealed the much-troubled (but at least rail-enabled) Aratere can limp on until 2029. Postponing the loss of truely interisland rail freight (grain, steel), and decisions on the creation of a new South Island locomotive overhaul centre and duplication of infrastructure-related rolling stock in each island. Presumably nons of that was factored into the rail bridging ROI calculation. I hope a few more years can be wrung out of the Aratere as long as the existing rail linkspans are not blown up during the implementation of the new project. And then this decision can be revisited a few years before the boat passes its best-used-before date.

30/11/2024

Ooo, the latest issue of The Linesider has arrived, time to break out the scones!

This one has Glen Anthony way down south in the early 90s, D.L.A. Turner way out west up the Rewanui Incline in the 1960s and beyond, I'm dangling around Wellington in 1990 wondering why there are so many locos heading north, the DMs arrive, and there is a segment on the clever design features of the YJ ballast wagons. One embarrassing DM number typo escaped dozens of looks and three hard copy proofs, only to leap out at me when perusing the final printed copy. You'll have to get a pen and change that 8 to a 9 yourself.

The coasters here are, appropriately, from Coaster Rhys Goodman who has many loco designs available, laser cut, varnished and delivered to your door. I (or he, or someone) will add a link in the comments once we figure out how to.

06/11/2024

Help! Does anyone recognise these people? I'm trying to get in contact with drivers or assistants based at the Wellington depot in August 1990 who remember the turn trains run up to the Paekakariki turntable. I've heard the names John Follas and Taki Gray Snr mentioned regarding these folks, but have not succeeded in making contact with them. If you have any leads, could you please contact me on FB messenger or email at the usual linesidernz at gmail dot com. And little picture spam with Train 925 leaving the last of the sunlight before descending into the fog yesterday evening.

31/10/2024

Playing trains in Christchurch today, and good to see the Minister passing his learner's licence on the new toys, although I'm not sure how appropriate those control inputs are with the parking brakes on inside the shed. As a bonus, there were a few vintage models still out strutting their stuff on Monday when we were allowed a rare morning train - I suppose this will be the last time I see DFM 7226!

20/10/2024

A big shout out to the tireless volunteers, supporters and customers who give their time, effort and financial support. And to make not only Oamaru Steam and Rail tick, but countless heritage rail and all manner of other groups that support hobbies, animal welfare, those less able or advantaged, sports, the environment, the community, and the list goes on. You make the world a better place. Thank you.

19/10/2024

B10's 100th birthday celebrations was capped with a night running session. Just to make a change from all those DM pictures.

19/10/2024

While most of the South Island's railfans were watching the DMs arrive at Lyttelton today, down in Oamaru it was B10's 100th birthday celebration. What a fantastic job has been done by JP, Harry, and all the volunteers who have B10 running so well, and thanks to those who keep the trains running every Sunday.

14/10/2024

The DMs are here! Well almost, as they will have received their first smell of clear antipodean airs in Tauranga this morning deep in the bowels of a Netherlandian heavy lift vessel. Fingers crossed, the ship will deposit the two Stadlers onto the mainland over the weekend. It's been a long journey for these international tourists, sailing from Spain to Denmark, through the Panama to Los Angeles, and now down here. Its a bit like taking a Super Shuttle from the airport and assuming it will be a quick trip.

12/10/2024

Dunedin Railways returns to Pukerangi!

Great to see trains returning to Pukerangi after a lot of hard work on the track by DR's engineering team. Today's well-patronised 'official' train was piped into Pukerangi after a trip through the most dramatic section of the remaining line with its rock formations, tunnels, viaducts, and streams flowing into the Taieri. Those on board included Dunedin's Mayor and several Councillors, along with tourism operators, business leaders, Dunedin City Holdings management, and Taieri Gorge line supporters... everyone seemed genuinely positive and impressed. The weather didn't hurt either. A ceremonial ribbon-braking was performed at Hindon, which has been the 'end of the line' for the past few years. Next stop: Middlemarch to pick up cyclists from the rail trail?

28/09/2024

Nice to see Dunedin Railways out and about in the sun (for the most part) with a decent number on board today by the looks.

Something I wish they would do, is to come up-and-back to Oamaru on 'both the Saturday and Sunday' in one weekend, as a test. That would give Dunediners a chance to spend more than a couple of hours here and stay the night, see the penguins, visit an eatery, and there are plenty from Oamaru who would love to spend a night in Dunedin and return on the Sunday. Both days are bereft of freights, so how about giving it a try? You could partner with a hotel to offer a package, maybe do it around a rugby game or some other event. Invercargill would be another target for such a double-return-service, with plenty of museums, eateries and things to do down there, and the Invercargillites can come up to Dunedin for the train ride, shopping, museums, galleries or a show.

When I was young, I used to think the yellow and brown carriages were an odd paint choice. Now I've come around to it being a nice bright jaunty look, whereas the blue carriages seem a bit anonymous bereft of anything to say. If they'd chosen a brighter blue shade like the locos it might have popped a little more. Not that I know anything about anything, but if the CapCon refurbishment goes ahead, at least that will look like a uniform train again.

25/09/2024

Here is a petition that might be worth your consideration. See the last few pages of the latest Linesider for why this is important (if it wasn't already obvious!).

Even Mainfreight agrees: https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/politics/transport-giant-mainfreight-wants-rail-on-new-interislander-ferries/ZDJKLOWT6JCDVBQLJVAN5JUTYM/?

The ageing Interislander ferries must be replaced. We believe it’s crucial that new ferries are rail-enabled and publicly owned, letting rail freight and equipment move easily between the North and South Islands. Without rail-enabled ferries, the two islands’ rail networks will be disconnected, ...

22/09/2024

Order your Linesider calendar by mid-November to arrive with the December issue!

If you can't wait that long, by the end of Monday you will be able to peruse and purchase copies from Poppies Bookshop in Hamilton (Chartwell), Ironhorse Hobbies and Piccadilly Books (Avonhead) in Christchurch, Leslie's bookshop in Lyttelton, and the Railway Enthusiasts Society in Auckland (see Ann or Floyd H). Greymouth Paper Plus from Friday.

This year's calendar features three DL pics, three from the South Island (plus the cover), and foreign trains from Tehachapi (US), Cumbres and Toltec (US), western China, Eritrea, Chile and Switzerland, with a Lisbon tram carelessly thrown inside the back cover.

(As an aside, Train 939 passed by twenty minutes ago with five DXs... not something we see every day in these parts.)