This is the first in a series of posts I intend to write, and illustrate, on the subject of trains. I picked up this idea from Andrew Petcher over at Have Bag Will Travel. Andrew clearly has a love of travel in general, trains in particular. That certainly strikes a chord for me! So thank you, Andrew, for giving me the stimulus.
So as not to appear parochial, my first train comes from ‘across the ditch’ in New Zealand!
The Taieri Gorge Railway runs from Dunedin, to the rich farmlands of Central Otago, in the South Island of New Zealand. Building commenced in 1879, with the first section opened in 1889, and extended to Middlemarch by 1891. It was subsequently extended as far as Cromwell by 1921, and the railway is credited with opening up Central Otago. The Government ended the regular passenger and freight service in 1990. The Mayor of Dunedin immediately announced that the City Council would buy the line through the Taieri Gorge as far as Middlemarch, provided the community raised $1 million to finance the project. It is that section of the line that now forms this delightful excursion through the spectacular scenery of the gorge.
Further details about the Taieri Gorge Railway, its history, landmarks and some of the engineering detail, can be found on the website.
The Dunedin Station is itself delightful, both externally and internally.
The Booking Hall and the centrepiece of the floor (below)
Naturally, the train is now hauled by a 20th century diesel locomotive, but the assortment of vintage carriages are beautifully restored and maintained. No fancy air-conditioning in these carriages, as windows can be opened. All that is missing is the steam and coal dust in the eyes!
The two way trip from Dunedin to Middlemarch takes about four hours. As we were taking the train as part of a Garden Tour, we only travelled to Middlemarch, from where we continued by coach. One is frequently reminded of the challenges, of bridging and tunnelling, through this rugged landscape, in the 19th century. The scenery along the way, as well as the stops at a couple of former stations, make for a most enjoyable trip.
Someone with a sense of humour named the hut (above), while passengers had time for a photo stop at Hindon (below), one of the stations along the route.
Watch this space for future contributions with a train (or trains) as the feature!
