H&MGR, a family railway in NZ

[JRinTawa]

Fittingly the first train over the reopened Nina's Trestle was hauled by the Dubs A.

And what's that it's hauling?

Yes it's the GSC Round Robin Boxcar

 

[JRinTawa]

It truly is an honour to be the first Southern Hemisphere railway to host the boxcar...

I hope to get a few good running sessions with it before it continues it's journey around NZ.

So lets have a few more piccies of it (and in the case the reopened Nina's Trestle).

Church Cutting

 

[ge_rik]

I think civil engineering is one of the joys of this hobby. Some really great shots. I love the way your railway blends into its setting.

Rik

 

[JRinTawa]

Coming out of the lower tunnel, soon to be renamed Sawmill Tunnel as plans are afoot to get started building the long mooted sawmill nearby.

on Lemon Bush Curve which has also been visited by the track gang and sorted a slight dip out.

The Bush Jigger, which is senstive to grades also was used to prove the reinstated trestle.

 

[JRinTawa]

Thanks Guys
Best show the reinstatement, landscaping skills as well as the day job in piling came in handy

Realignment / regrading hasn't been 100% perfect but no doubt Mr Silver Birch will be having his say again in a few years time anyway

In the meantime I'l run trains and let nature take it's course.

If it wasn't for the dapple light in this area, and on the patio below, that the Silver Birch gives in summer, it would have meet Mr Chainsaw

 

[JRinTawa]

I guess you could say you're all having a virtual garden railway holiday on the H&MGR

The other big acitvity is customising my Accucraft leader into Kaitaki. A whole new body plus sundry cosmetic work on the underframe to get, I hope, a colonial feel.

I'm really pleased how it turned out, it sort of took on a life of it's own and turned out way better than I'd expected.

 

[JRinTawa]

Live steamers :love: being somewhat more sensitive to grade changes than electric mice :love: Kaitaki was a good gauge as to whether I'd got the regrading right. I have

Here climbing over what was the worst affected section. The embankment also needed so regrading to return it also to the orginal 1:50 grade. The Silver Birch had pushed Nina's Trestle up some 35mm at this point over 7 years!

Driving is now a much easier task.

 

[JRinTawa]

Coming out of the top tunnel into Punga Cliff station

Punga Cliffs is the summit of the railway.

And so ends this update, I hope you liked it. It's getting harder to find new angles to keep photos interesting, but I'll keep trying

 

[beavercreek]

Oh yes John, your line is looking amazeballs!

Nice to see the GSC boxcar trundling around a real nice setting too.
Your 'colonialising' of the Leader is just right...good job there.

 

[jameshilton]

John I must have missed the thread on the new live steamer - it looks absolutely superb, spot on, totally believable and a lovely model. It has a hint of the colonial 0-4-2t Peckett tanks that went to SAR ('Katie' on the Welsh Highland Railway - and now modelled by Roundhouse) but with a Beyer Peacock W&L style cab! As I say, a loco like that is almost enough to tempt me to try live steam but alas I have enough bloomin projects already!

 

[Gavin Sowry]

thats proper engineering john..almost like you did it for a living

8| I'm lead to believe that he does do the real thing for a living..... well, that's what his truck signage would have us believe.

 

[Shawn]

John looks great. The steamer looks real nice. It will fit well with your RR.

 

[owlpool]

The steamer and the line look so convincing

 

[Gizzy]

Smashing stuff JR.

Guess I'll be looking here a lot more often during our Autumn and Winter months....

 

[JRinTawa]

Sneaked in another couple of hours running last Sunday. Manawanui gettting an extended steaming testing out the newish log bogies.

And testing out the renovated/regraded Nina's Trestle.

Testing is important

 

[JRinTawa]

Jonny got a run to while Manawanui was raising pressure to steam again.

Almost at 40PSI

As Jonny slips through the loop.

 

[JRinTawa]

Then it was time to have your mates around. Well in a virtual way in the guise of the Round Robin Boxcar

Round and round in the spring sun....

...with Manawanui joining the fun.

It was a fun few hours, hope you enjoy the piccies from your virtual visit

 

[Martino]

Excellent John. Thank you. Looks superb.

 

[trammayo]

Delightful scenes - and Manawanui looks really wonderful - great work John

 

[Shawn]

That steamer looks great pulling those logs. Make sure you keep the pictures coming especially for those of us in the cold snowy climates