NZ Jan & Apr 2004

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Sunday Jan 4 2004 with Evan Batchelor on video and lead vocals. DB on still pics and air guitar.
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A long wait for train 725 yields... light locos! Grumble. At least the first DX is one of the last remaining fruit salad ones.
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The northbound Coastal Pacific on Dashwood Pass headed by DCP 4945
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A rather dull shot of the Coastal rolling off Dashwood
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Ev shoots from the car as 4945 races along near Koromiko
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After a quick turnaround, the southbound Coastal climbs out of Picton and approaches Elevation. 
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And he zooms out at the top for a lazy second shot. Makes mental note to get more height next time
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Crossing the Wairau river north of Spring Creek. Watch for hoons on the dusty road here...
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Heading for Dashwood. This wedgie is shot with 16mm focal length
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On the far side of the horseshoe, the Coastal lifts out of the vineyards and heads up the sunburnt Dashwood Pass
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Back at the Wairau river, a following freight, 735 storms south, with us in hot pursuit...
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Climbing up through Dashwood's reverse curves
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Passing the saltpans at Lake Grassmere
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I really don't remember where this was, but I do recall Evan filming a David Bellamy style 'Railfans in their Natural Habitat' documentary 
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On the coast... somewhere
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Still on the coast, but somewhere else. I think
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Irongate stream north of Kaikoura
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Same shot zoomed in a bit. Less scenery, less traffic!
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The next morning...a short, amply powered Saltworks shunt crests Dashwood Pass behind a pair of DFTs just before the sun does.

Wellington region, Saturday 17 January.
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237 runs across the Paremata bridge.
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Crossing the Ngauranga Gorge between tunnels 1 and 2, near the end of its journey. Apologies for you having to tilt your head. I'll fix that crazy downhill slope one day,,, 
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Train 242 smokes it up North of Ohau with a DC+DX-DX-DFT combo up front 
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Near Shannon, 215 chases the Overlander after crossing 242
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The next day... the Overlander departs Wellington
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Stonking through Paraparaumu

Otago, Saturday 10 April.
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The clouds part as 7104 and 4277 in red (yay!) steam across the Humber st bridge in Oamaru with train 963, a whopping three wagons in tow..
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Heading south over the neat stone legged bridge at Waianakarua,,, 
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...above Karitane... 
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...and near Seacliff. Number boards sharp as, coupler not so...Taken with shallow depth of field with the 70-200, so will keep an eye on this.

Midland Line, Tuesday 13 April.
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4754? and 4450 wheeling down the Cass bank with 827 goods in tow. Bring back the Fruit Salad scheme!
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Three DX bankers are attached to the two DX train engines and the combined horsepower lifts a 24 wagon 842 up the 1 in 33 out of Otira with little drama just as the sun begins to enter the valley. 
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Back on the Cass Bank, the westbound passenger takes me by surprise, with 4559, 4801 and 4513 catching me short of a few more metres of elevation. 
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At Cass crossing 842
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842 wheeling its way over the bank in my fave shot of the day
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842 approaching Springfield
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 Train X07 comprising containers and empty log wagons is a healthy 575 metres long and headed by DX 5293 and DBR 1213 near Kowhai Bush

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