H&MGR, a family railway in NZ

[JRinTawa]

SWMBO's train of Binnie skips was the appropriate train to have out on ballast duties

It's one of our favourite trains, just wish I was allowed to weather it...

...One day I'll be allowed to give it a more work a day look, still like it though even if it is shiny

 

[JRinTawa]

So that brings us to Christmas Day, my favourite day of the year.
And this Christmas was to notch, both festive wise and the weather. Warmest day for many years, clear calm blue skies and time to run several trains.
First up Manawanui, here raising steam at Kakariki.

steaming uphill from under the Trestle Bridge....

...working on uphill over the cattle stops...

...through the dappled warm light. So warm the steam was barely visible, but it was there honest

 

[JRinTawa]

Coming out of Top Tunnel into Church Cutting...

Must do something about the out of scale garden light above the tunnel, darn now I drawn your attention to it

Running downhill soon to plunge into, umm what did I call it last time, Sawmill Tunnel?

 

[whatlep]

Just how Christmas Day should be spent JR. Definitely a good move to arrange it for summer!
Merry Christmas evening to you.

 

[JRinTawa]

Over the cattle stops again...

Crossing over Trestle Bridge which marks the start of the long downhill run to Kakariki.

Meanwhile coming uphill after passing underneath Trestle Bridge is the Bush Jigger for it's time in the sun.

And so that almost ended the train running for Christmas Day.

I sneeked in a few circuits with the Dubs A when I "popped home for a few minutes" between mains and desert being shared with the nieghtbours. SWMBO was suspicious, so no photos of that just in case
Merry Christmas everyone. :wave:

 

[JRinTawa]

Just how Christmas Day should be spent JR. Definitely a good move to arrange it for summer!
Merry Christmas evening to you.

And I trust it has been a joyous day on the Ruritanian Railways and it's been a Red Box day and not one for the Ruritanian Navy again

 

[jameshilton]

Lovely photos and nice to see sunshine Happy Christmas!

 

[Martino]

Great John.

Happy Christmas!

 

[Shawn]

Great photos John. Summer is in full swing now by you. Love it.

 

[JRinTawa]

Unfortunately summer has slow down a bit since Boxing Day, seems we may have used up to much sun on Christmas day But working at a snails pace behind the scenes work has continued on the Directors new IP Engineering railcars.

H's Daisy got it's first test run, obviously still needs a roof, seats, detailing and then painting to do. But it does run and H is very happy with it

And M's Mandie railcar got a test run after I completed fitting the chain to the 4 wheel drive sprockets that I'd fitted during assembly. (Daisy is 4 wheel drive too.)

Be warned, when painted the Directors choice of colours may not be normal railway colours But the railcars are theirs and if they are happy then I'm happy

 

[JRinTawa]

Cracker day on the H&MGR today, and with visitors around to see the railway trains were run for several hours.

A good excuse to put out lots of trains

Though mostly Manawaui ran to demonstrate live steam.

 

[JRinTawa]

It was a good change to get some shots of trains over the second level crossing and associated cattle stops being installed over the last few days.

And viewed from under the truss bridge

The Dubs A of course is needed on any day of extended running, and in testing a new feature

Jonny got in the act too A little bit more detailing around the level crossing but it's mostly a done job

 

[craigrailinc]

Hi Great photos and i really like how the railway blends in with the garden, very much a part of it.

 

[Andy Worsfold]

Beautiful

 

[Martino]

Love the ground level shots John. You must spend your time lying flat on the ground!

Always an inspiration.

 

[mike]

poetry in moition :love:

 

[JRinTawa]

Love the ground level shots John. You must spend your time lying flat on the ground!

Always an inspiration.

No I'm just short, always very close to the ground , tall for a hobbit though But seriously my camera has a multi angle tilting and rotating screen so it makes getting getting down to 1:24 scale person level more practical.

As always very please you all enjoy my pictures.

 

[Martino]

Aha! So that's the way it's done. I'm either shooting with the DSLR or the iPhone, so it's a case of flat out like a lizard drinking!

I guess I could dig my Father's old twin lens reflex out, but that would entail using 120 film again.

Great photos as usual John.

 

[JRinTawa]

What with a patch of English drought there hasn't been as much train running as I'd like, but I have got the second level crossing and cattle stops detailed enough and adjacent area sorted to call that wee project completish.
The embankment to the right of the road has been replanted,

The last bay of the rail iron and wire rope fence alongside the road has been tied off, not that you can really see it in the picture but it is there!

The road needs some finer wearing course gravel (I'll used some sieved crushed lime) but the alignment has been defined.

 

[JRinTawa]

Last night saw a bit of dusk into dark running

The Dubs A has a bright headlight, a lot brighter than would be prototypical but perfect for nighttime on the H&MGR

And since I often run at night bright headlights add to the fun