transpress nz

great railway songs - 15 'Chattanooga Choo Choo' by the Glenn Miller Orchestra

2012-01-29T10:57:00.000+13:00

One of the best known train songs, "Chattanooga Choo Choo" was written by Harry Warren (music) and Mack Gordon (words). It was recorded in a big-band/swing style by Glenn Miller and his orchestra and featured in the 1941 movie Sun Valley Serenade.

The song was recorded on 7 May 1941 for as 78-rpm single RCA Victor's Bluebird label and became the first to be certified a gold disc on 10 February 1942 for sales of 1,200,000. In 1996 it was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.

the former Boston and Maine station of Salem, Massachusetts

2012-01-29T10:32:00.000+13:00

This former impressive looking station was located at the intersection of Washington and Norman Streets in Salem, Massachusetts, a town most associated with the witch trials of 1692, despite the town's name which means "peace" in both Hebrew (shalom) and Arabic (salaam).

Understandably, with the growth of road traffic, this street railway was later sunk underneath the streets in tunnel and the present day station is found at the north end of Washington Street beyond the tunnel.

the Rocky Mountaineer trains, Canada

2012-01-29T09:46:00.000+13:00

In the recent snail-mail was a brochure for the Rocky Mountaineer trains operating out of Vancouver (including services to/from Seattle, Washington) designed to treat tourists to "rail cruises" on different routes through western Canada's sumptuous mountain scenery, as shown on the route map. Very tempting... Rocky Mountaineer website

the TGV-POS Lyria, France - Switzerland

2012-01-29T09:26:00.001+13:00

A TGV-POS set from the time of their deployment on French-Swiss services in February 2011. (CFF pic)

Since 4 March 2002, the name Lyria has been applied to TGV high speed rail services between France and Switzerland and was applied to Paris–Geneva trains around January 2005. Service to Geneva had existed as part of the Ligne à Grande Vitesse or LGV Sud-Est since 1981.

After the opening of the TGV Est in June 2007, Lyria service between Paris and Zurich began using the newly-constructed line instead of the previous route, passing through Strasbourg, Colmar, Mulhouse, and Basel. Consequently, service from Paris has run from the Gare de l'Est instead of Gare de Lyon.

In February 2011, service improvements were announced, with a fleet of 19 latest generation TGV POS (the POS standing for Paris-Ostfrankreich-Suddeutschland) trains giving increased frequencies.

Since 12 December 2010, travel time on the Paris–Geneva line has improved with the reconstruction of the Haut-Bugey line, which connects Bourg-en-Bresse and Bellegarde-sur-Valserine. Until then, only the western part of the line was open (up to Oyonnax), and the project has restored the entire length of the line. Travel time between Paris and Geneva reduced by 30 minutes, to 3 hours and 5 minutes, and track capacity was also increased, allowing nine trains each way per day instead of the usual seven.

With the completion of the LGV Rhin-Rhône this year, travel time between Paris and Basel/Zurich will be reduced by 30 minutes. The departure station in Paris will be changed back to the Gare de Lyon instead of the Gare de l'Est.

early 1950s Commer truck

2012-01-28T23:31:00.001+13:00

Croft Combined Carriers operated from Lower Hutt in the 1950s and 1960s (footage is included in the NZ Road Memories DVD) and are still in business: today known as Croft Transport and still based in Lower Hutt.

This oil painting, commissioned of Wallace Trickett, shows an old Commer truck parked at Lower Hutt station in the 1960s .

great railway songs 14 - 'Locomotive' by Thelonious Monk

2012-01-28T20:23:00.002+13:00

Jazz recorded in 1967.

Hoboken to Jersey City elevated railway, New Jersey

2012-01-28T20:06:00.001+13:00

This operation lasted from 1886 to 1949, initally cable-driven and then electrified from 1892. Info on this webpage

one-time spiral bridge, Hastings, Minnesota

2012-01-28T18:07:00.002+13:00

This spiral bridge over the Mississippi River in Hastings, Minnesota, was built in 1895 and was designed supposedly to slow down horse-drawn traffic from the opposite side of the river as it entered downtown, although more likely it was a space saving expedient for the length of the approach. The novel design became a tourist attraction for the town, but it was demolished in 1951 because it could not accommodate the size and weight of modern vehicles (towards the end it could only support 4 tons). It was 1,708 ft (520.6 metres) long, 18 ft (5.5 metres) wide and 55 ft (16.8 metres) above the water level.

A quarter-scale replica of the bridge was later built in the Little Log House Pioneer Village near the town: webpage.

the old Clyde street bridge, Otago

2012-01-28T14:59:00.000+13:00

This was opened in 1881 and was replaced with a bridge with much more capacity in 1934. A similar bridge was built at Alexandra, also over the Clutha, not far away, likewise replaced - see earlier post and the book Bridges of New Zealand.

great railway songs - 13 'Driving the last spike' by Genesis

2012-01-28T13:39:00.002+13:00

award winning Studebaker car design, 1953

2012-01-28T13:29:00.000+13:00

1954 Büssing bus, Germany

2012-01-28T13:11:00.002+13:00

A good name for a bus... This 1954 Büssing 4000T has bodywork by Ernst Auwärter. Although the Neoplan Auwärter company was sold prior to this to MAN, the Ernst Auwärter company, which began in 1854 with argicultural machinery, continued and in 2004 celebrated its 150th Anniversary. The Wandervogel (migratory bird) sign on the side is that of a bus travel company which still exists.

In 1971 the Büssing company, which began in 1903 in Braunschweig and made buses and trucks, was taken over by MAN.

Canadian Pacific Jubilee class 4-4-4, 1936-37

2012-01-28T12:49:00.002+13:00

2912 at Winnipeg, 1959.

Twenty-five of these were built in two consecutive classes, F1a and F2a, and are often seen in photos of Canadian Pacific steam trains, although the 4-4-4 type was rare elsewhere. Details of the CPR locos are on this webpage.

Russian train travel advert

2012-01-28T09:47:00.001+13:00

The reality isn't always so glamorous, but you may be lucky...

the general store, France, 1920s

2012-01-27T20:55:00.000+13:00

A scene in the village of Tincques in the Pas de Calais region. The shop on the right states that, among other things it offers lodging, snacks, a saddlery and groceries. There is also a petrol pump. The shop further up where there is a smaller car and a well laden truck presumably offers other items - the signage isn't legible.

a custom scheme for a VW Transporter front

2012-01-27T20:38:00.000+13:00

It was inevitable that someone would turn the embossed front of a 1960s VW Kombi into panties. One of the wackier livery schemes that was included in the book 50 Years of Volkswagens in New Zealand - for lots more, see the book, available from our US distributor only.

'books about transport history from transpress nz are so interesting'

2012-01-27T20:30:00.000+13:00

Montana Rail Link

2012-01-27T15:53:00.000+13:00

MRL SD35s 703,701,705 are seen at Paradise, Montana, with empty gas tanks in 1996. (Bruce Robertson)

Montana Rail Link or MRL is a Class II railroad which operates on trackage originally built by the Northern Pacific Railway, with headquarters in Missoula, Montana. It runs between Huntley, Montana and Spokane, Washington, largely within Montana, and the main line passes through the towns of Missoula, Livingston, Bozeman, Billings, and Helena. Montana Rail Link connects with the BNSF on both ends and also in Garrison, Montana. It has over 900 miles (1450 km) of track, serves 100 stations, and employs approximately 1,000 personnel. The main yard is in Laurel, Montana, while a smaller yard is in Missoula. Website

great railway songs - 12 'I've been working on the railroad'

2012-01-27T15:23:00.006+13:00

An old American folk song; the first published version is from 1894 and the first recorded version is from 1927. One of us can remember learning it at primary school in NZ in the 1960s. The video above is a Chet Atkins electric guitar instrumental tribute.

The modern lyrics of sung versions:-

I've been working on the railroad

All the live-long day.

I've been working on the railroad

Just to pass the time away.

Don't you hear the whistle blowing,

Rise up so early in the morn;

Don't you hear the captain shouting,

"Dinah, blow your horn!"

Dinah, won't you blow,

Dinah, won't you blow your horn?

Someone's in the kitchen with Dinah

Someone's in the kitchen I know

Someone's in the kitchen with Dinah

Strummin' on the old banjo!

Singin' fi, fie, fiddly-i-o

Fi, fie, fiddly-i-o-o-o-o

Fi, fie, fiddly-i-o

Strummin' on the old banjo.

Someone's makin' love to Dinah

Someone's making love I know.

Someone's making love to Dinah

'Cause I can't hear the old banjo

TranzAlpine passenger train at the top of Cass Bank, NZ

2012-01-27T13:22:00.000+13:00

A summer view of the mountains of the Southern Alps with nearly all the snow melted, at the beginning of the long downhill gradient for westbound trains known as Cass Bank; for eastbound trains it is the opposite, and the station of Cass is about half way on it. This photo was used in the previous edition of On the TransAlpine Trail, but not the present edition.

1919 Renault truck

2012-01-27T09:03:00.002+13:00

inside the Berliet truck factory in Vénissieux, France, 1920s

2012-01-27T08:52:00.000+13:00

stamping shop

truck bodywork assembly

gear cutting

making cylinders and heads

two big hydraulic presses

the foundries

Vénissieux is a suburb of Lyon.

traditional and new maritime craft, Singapore

2012-01-27T08:26:00.001+13:00

Actually the "new" in this 1958 American President Lines poster is now old; see the book New Zealand Maritime Images: the golden years.

station of Ambérieu en Bugey, France

2012-01-27T00:49:00.006+13:00

This station has has a significant Musée du Cheminot (Museum of the Railwayman/Railroader) nearby. It utilises a part of the motive power roundhouse and conserves the records of the PLM. It comprises an important documentation on the PLM and SNCF periods of the dépôt and the station of Ambérieu with plans and photos.

The modern Gare de Triage, or as we would call it, freight car marshalling yard (in America, classification yard).

'by saving money on clothes I could afford all these excellent transpress nz books'

2012-01-27T00:41:00.000+13:00

Perth, Scotland, tram

2012-01-27T00:30:00.000+13:00

Seen in Glasgow Road. Perth had a 3'6" (1067 mm) gauge system from 1905 to 1929 when it ceased.

great train songs - 11 'The Metro' by Berlin

2012-01-26T21:38:00.003+13:00

Fast '80s pop.

the Dante Alighieri

2012-01-26T20:39:00.000+13:00

If the name isn't enough, the flag in this 1910s postcard of the SS Dante Alighieri makes it obvious this was an Italian ocean liner. The ship was built by Società Esercizio Bacini of Riva Trigoso in 1914 for Transatlantica Italiana. She was 9,754 grt, 503.7 feet (153.5 metres) long with a 59.5 feet (18.1 metre) beam. She had accommodations for 100 first-class, 260 second-class, and 1,825 third-class passengers. Launched on 28 November 1914, she sailed on her maiden voyage from Genoa to Palermo and New York on 10 February 1915.

During WW1 she was employed as a troopship carrying US troops to France as part of the Cruiser and Transport Force. In 1927 she was sold to Japanese firm Nippon Yusen Kaisha and renamed Asahi Maru. Operating as a hospital ship during WW2, she was damaged in a collision in 1944 in Japan, and was eventually scrapped in 1949.

the former North Union Station, Boston, 1905

2012-01-26T18:01:00.001+13:00

North Union Station, often just called North Station, in Boston, Massachusetts, consisted of three adjoined buildings. It was located on Causeway Street in the West End, and included Lowell Station (built 1878), a central building designed by the architecture firm of Shepley, Rutan and Coolidge (1893), and a third structure. The station was demolished in 1927, when the new North Station and the Boston Garden were built.

great train songs 10 - 'the City of New Orleans' by Arlo Guthrie

2012-01-26T17:03:00.001+13:00

Actually written by Steve Goodman in 1971, it is most associated with Arlo Guthrie for whom it was a hit in 1972. Yes, the train still runs, today an Amtrak service.

Soller truck, Switzerland, circa 1910

2012-01-26T16:53:00.000+13:00

This manufacturer in Basel, Switzerland, lasted from 1904 to 1913.

snow in Beirut

2012-01-26T16:40:00.000+13:00

Beirut in Lebanon is not the sort of place you would expect to get snow, particularly in May. A photo taken in 1963 outside the Hotel Continental. One detects a Renault Dauphine among the cars.

double-decker London tram circa 1910

2012-01-26T15:01:00.000+13:00

The reserved section of roadway was a good idea and if this had been the case everywhere would probably have saved the trams in later years. Of course most streets were too narrow for this. London's trams were progressively replaced by buses between 1935 and 1952.

Cobb & Co stagecoaches at Broken River station, 1906

2012-01-26T13:27:00.000+13:00

A photo that was considered for, but not used in the book On the TransAlpine Trail, this shows horse-drawn coaches on the north side of the Broken River bridge on the Midland Line, where the temporary train station was established in November 1906. For more, see the book.

1932 Ford V8 replica

2012-01-26T12:29:00.000+13:00

Photos considered for, but not used in the book Alternative Drivestyles.

Opel Blitzbus, 1940s

2012-01-26T12:13:00.000+13:00

It's a little hard to date this: the grille is the same as that used for Opel Blitz Wehrmacht trucks and buses during WW2, but this bus could be 1939 or 1940. The name Blitz (lightning) had been in use in the 1930s and had nothing to do with Blitzkrieg. Zugvogel means a bird that flies to different parts of the world with the seasons.

yes, we shouldn't forget Australia's other attractions

2012-01-26T12:06:00.001+13:00

Australia Day, 26 January

2012-01-26T11:23:00.004+13:00

So what better than a selection of stamps featuring Australian trains:-

The loco on the right of the centenary stamp looks like a VR B class from 1952.


The four steam locomotives shown are preserved in WA, Victoria, SA and NSW respectively.

marking the 150th anniversary of railways in 2004

the Victorian Railways electric L class although for some reason the royal blue has been replaced with red here!

1961 Plymouth station wagon promotional artwork

2012-01-26T10:21:00.000+13:00

A Deluxe 2-door Suburban model.

great railway songs - 9 'Train song' by Pentangle

2012-01-26T09:41:00.001+13:00

The same title but a different song to the Vashti Bunyan one. Pentangle was a British folk group featuring Bert Jansch, an influential acoustic guitarist and the lead singer here, who died last October.

1925 de Havilland D60 Moth

2012-01-26T09:34:00.000+13:00

The de Havilland DH 60 Moth was two-seat touring and training aircraft developed from the larger DH 51 biplane, and made its first flight on 22 February 1925. In the rest of the decade it was developed into a series of aircraft including the Gipsy Moth.

Hamburg trams, Germany, 1976

2012-01-26T09:23:00.000+13:00

Two years before the end of the trams - the system was progressively closed from 1958 to 1978.

1936 Chevrolet pick-up truck

2012-01-26T08:32:00.000+13:00

With a special purpose tank on the tray, seen in Europe (Holland?), no date.

1935 Chevrolet truck advert

2012-01-26T08:28:00.000+13:00

aviation theme momento about 100 years ago

2012-01-26T08:08:00.000+13:00

A train theme as well. Editée en France (Published in France) - it seems this card company would insert portrait photos into the space shown - reflecting the person's ambition?

1946 Renault type AHN 2 truck

2012-01-25T21:12:00.000+13:00

threshing hay in Levin, 1912

2012-01-25T20:23:00.001+13:00

A steam threshing machine being used probably to obtain grass seed at Weraroa Boy's Training Farm, Levin, in 1912.

fishing boats of Finistère, France, 1940s

2012-01-25T20:10:00.000+13:00

A view of the port of Douarnenez in Bretagne. One notes the little Citroen from about 1934, almost the Citroen equivalent of the Morris 8 and it probably is an 8 hp model.

Chessie System freight train on Sand Patch Grade, Pennsylvania, 1970s

2012-01-25T17:19:00.003+13:00

A Chessie System freight train headed by an EMD GP40-2 exits the 4,475 ft (1,364 metre) Sand Patch Tunnel - which was constructed in the mid 19th century - on the Sand Patch Grade, an approximately 100 mile (160 km) length of railway with sharp gradients and curves through the Allegheny Mountains of Pennsylvania and Maryland.

The line was originally built by the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad or B&O, which became a component of the Chessie System in 1972, which in turn merged into CSX in 1987.

great railway songs - 7 'People Get Ready' by Rod Stewart and Jeff Beck

2012-01-25T14:00:00.000+13:00

This gospel number was originally recorded by The Impressions in 1965, but this version from 20 years later with Rod Stewart's husky vocals and Jeff Beck's master guitar work is the best. Rod Stewart is a keen railway enthusiast and has built two large model railway layouts, one in Britain and one in America.

Western Maryland steam hauled freight train, 1952

2012-01-25T13:55:00.000+13:00

Western Maryland Railway's number 1119, a 2-10-0, is seen rounding a curve at Corriganville, Maryland, in May 1952. Western Maryland, which began in 1852, became a constituent of today's CSX in the 1980s.

Trier, Germany, circa 1960

2012-01-25T12:55:00.001+13:00

The Marktplatz or Market Place of Trier about 1960 with some period vehicles including what looks like a 3-wheel car at left. Trier was one of the few German towns occupied by the Romans and there are a few remnants of the Roman era, including the big Portanigra or black gate. Trier was also the birthplace of Karl Marx and the birthhouse and the street (named Karl- Marx-Strasse, the only street in West Germany to get this name, unlike in the DDR where Karl Marx was the equivalent of Queen Victoria) are popular visitor attractions in the town.

Leyland Beaver truck, 1930s

2012-01-25T12:25:00.000+13:00

A Leyland Beaver loaded with wool bales is pictured north of Masterton in the 1930s. This oil painting by Wallace Trickett was commissioned by Doug Gray, whose father owned and operated a small fleet of trucks in the Wairarapa before and after WW2. Mr Gray became a driver for his father before Wairarapa Transport swallowed up most of the small independent trucking companies in that region by the 1970s.

This is just one of 10 different oil paintings Mr Gray has commissioned of the trucks he remembered driving and loved. He retired only last year from driving at the age of 85, up until then he was working for Southpac trucks delivering brand new Kenworths, Dafs and Fodens off the wharves to their purchasers around the country. Info is on page 61 of the book On the Road in the Seventies by Graeme Carter; the AEC shown was also the largest stock truck - one converted to be on NZ roads. Doug Gray has been the feature of several magazine articles.

'I think I need help to reach that transpress nz book'

2012-01-25T12:19:00.000+13:00

Corinth Canal, Greece

2012-01-25T12:07:00.005+13:00

A 1960s view of a metre gauge steam train crossing the railway bridge over the Corinth Canal as a tug pulls a cargo ship through it.

The 6.4 km (4 mile) Corinth Canal connects the Gulf of Corinth with the Saronic Gulf in the Aegean Sea, cutting through the narrow Isthmus of Corinth. Because it separates the Peloponnesian peninsula from the Greek mainland, it effectively makes the former an island. It is entirely at sea level and uses no locks. It is only 21.3 metres (70 ft) wide at its base, making it impassable for most modern ships and has little transport importance.

Proposals for the canal dated from classical times and an unsuccessful effort was made to build it in the 1st century AD. Construction got underway in 1881 but was hampered by geological and financial problems that bankrupted the original builders. It was completed in 1893, but due to the canal's narrowness, navigational problems and periodic closures to repair landslips from its steep walls, it failed to attract the level of traffic anticipated by its operators. It is now used mainly for tourist traffic.

This aerial view shows how narrow the isthmus is at this point (aroundgreece.com)

Hansa Diesel side tiptruck, 1930s

2012-01-25T11:58:00.000+13:00

Used by a Dutch shipper based in Nieuwerkerk aan den IJssel. Its actual usage isn't obvious.

logging wagons at Vuokatti, Finland

2012-01-25T09:24:00.000+13:00

The way logs should be transported - from the cutting sites to the railheads by truck and from there to the sawmill or port by train. A pic from June 2010 by Geoff Churchman, one notes an old track vehicle on the siding to the left.

Illinois Central EMD E9 at Chicago, June 1966

2012-01-25T08:49:00.000+13:00

great train songs - 6 'Take the A train' by Duke Ellington

2012-01-25T08:33:00.002+13:00

Actually a jazzy instrumental but it nicely captures the rhythm of the rails. Co-composed by Charles Mingus.

The lyrics of the sung version (supplemented by a lot of scat singing):-

You must take the A train
To go to Sugar Hill way up in Harlem
If you miss the A train
You'll find you missed the quickest way to Harlem
Hurry, get on, now it's coming
Listen to those rails a-humming
All aboard, get on the A train
Soon you will be on Sugar Hill in Harlem

and now - a Volkswagen bicycle

2012-01-25T08:28:00.000+13:00

train at Helensville, Auckland, a century ago

2012-01-25T08:19:00.001+13:00

A rather picturesque scene of a goods train pulled by a WG tank loco across the Kaipara River.

the Iron Maiden truck!

2012-01-24T23:48:00.001+13:00

It looks like one of Steven Joyce's mates in the cab :-) See earlier post for the movie Duel (1971).

Cologne, Germany, 1950s

2012-01-24T23:16:00.000+13:00

A Magirus Deutz truck parked on the left. This area seems to have escaped the WW2 damage that was inflicted on every significant Germany city.

NZ Railways Road Services Hino bus

2012-01-24T20:36:00.001+13:00

New Zealand Road Services Hino RK 7199, the third to enter service in 1987, stands inside the NZR Road Services depot in Lincoln Road, Masterton in January 1988 still wearing the Road Services livery. It was the first time one had travelled to Masterton on charter from the Hutt Valley, and the following day Wallace Trickett had the pleasure of taking the bus out to Castlepoint. The depot was originally the town's Opera House, and following the demise of the NZRRS/InterCity service to Masterton from Wellington in October 1990, the building eventually became an auction house. (Wallace Trickett)

great train songs - 5 'Hear my Train a coming' by Jimi Hendrix

2012-01-24T20:13:00.001+13:00

The late great Electric Gypsy plays a rare accoustic blues. There are several electric versions around that were recorded, but this is in the spirit of the early blues singers.

a goods train crosses Victoria Street, Hamilton, 1959

2012-01-24T19:54:00.001+13:00

A K pulls a goods train across Victoria Street in Hamilton. To eliminate these street crossings, 5 years later the line was sunk under the streets in tunnel and a new lower bridge built over the Waikato River (see our books and earlier posts).

Naples, Stazione di Portici-Ercolano

2012-01-24T19:46:00.001+13:00

This is effectively a suburb a short distance to the south-east of Naples at the foot of Mt Versuvius. The coastal station dates from an early 1839.

View Larger Map

Naples main station, Italy, 1940s

2012-01-24T19:20:00.001+13:00

Napoli Centrale was built in 1866 and today has 25 platforms and sees over 50 million passengers a year, the 6th biggest in Italy. Only about 10 km of the city's tram network is still in operation today.

electric railway mobile Post Office

2012-01-24T19:05:00.000+13:00

A New Bedford mail car rebuilt from a 1873 horse tram (streetcar), now at the Seashore Trolley Museum, Kennebunkport, Maine

Northern Pacific freight train near Helena, Montana

2012-01-24T18:34:00.001+13:00

A Northern Pacific freight train crosses the Greenhorn Trestle northwest of Helena, Montana, led by an EMD SD 45. Not dated. Northern Pacific was one of the predecessors of BNSF (see earlier posts).

A general view of Greenhorn Trestle (MT Hopper/Google Earth)

Nicaraugua tank car stamp

2012-01-24T16:10:00.000+13:00

Well, freight cars are the 'business' part of a train; this stamp is from 1983 but the tank car looks early 20th century.

'this transpress nz book is so useful for my history studies'

2012-01-24T15:44:00.002+13:00

the Saluda Grade - the steepest mainline railway gradient in the US

2012-01-24T15:08:00.002+13:00

The Saluda Grade - here climbed by Southern Railway 2-8-2 number 4501 - is at 4.7% the steepest standard-gauge mainline railway gradient in the United States. Owned by the Norfolk Southern Railway as part of its W Line, the Saluda Grade in Polk County, North Carolina forms part of the line over the Blue Ridge Mountains from Spartenburg, South Carolina to Ascheville, North Carolina.

The Saluda Grade itself consists of a three-mile (5 km) section of track that rises over 600 feet (180 metres) in elevation with a highest official grade of 4.7% but reaching 5.1% at one point between the towns of Melrose and Saluda. Norfolk Southern suspended freight traffic between Landrum, South Carolina and Flat Rock, North Carolina in December 2001, thus ceasing operations on the Saluda Grade

As those who have our books know, the steepest such gradient in NZ is 3% between Otira and Arthur's Pass.

NZR trains and buses, 1939

2012-01-24T12:46:00.002+13:00

From the NZR magazine of July 1939 - at top is a K class 4-8-4 from 1932. In the centre are recent acquistions: a Johnsonville Branch Line electric multiple unit, a Standard railcar and a new ED class electric loco for Wellington at right, actually the class leader 101.

The two buses at bottom with bodywork by NZR look like a Cadillac at left and a Leyland half-cab on the right.

1956 Oldsmobile advert

2012-01-24T12:27:00.000+13:00

And there's that rocket in flight!

Santa Fe passenger train at Needles, California, 1920s

2012-01-24T12:23:00.002+13:00

It seems a great hotel for enthusiasts - watch trains from your balcony! According to the info on the back of the card, folks on the platform include Mojave indians selling wares to passengers.

great railway songs - 4 'Two Trains Running' by Muddy Waters

2012-01-24T11:59:00.001+13:00

An earthy blues. Can't find a video of Muddy Waters performing it, so here is a cover version that is fairly close to the spirit of the original. The electric version by the Blues Project is also worth a listen.

the Finnish Baltic ferry 'Finlandia'

2012-01-24T09:49:00.001+13:00

This ship dates from 1967 and, with a number of changes of owner and rebuilds, is still operating as the Golden Princess. An extract from the info on this webpage (which has lots of pics):

"Finlandia was delivered by Oy Wärtsilä Ab, Helsinki in 1967 to Finska Ångfartygs Ab (FÅA), for the route Helsinki-Copenhagen-Travemünde, which was marketed as Finlandia Line. In 1975 she was sold to Finnlines without change in name or route. In 1978 Finlandia was converted to a cruise ferry and renamed Finnstar. She commenced cruising in the Mediterranean, but was laid up in Toulon in 1980. In 1981 she was sold to I.M.Skaugen and converted into a luxury cruise ship by Aarlborg Werft, returning to service in 1982 as the Pearl of Scandinavia of Pearl Cruises. In 1987, Pearl Cruises was sold to Ocean Cruise Lines. Pearl of Scandinavia was rebuilt again in 1988, receiving a new bow and funnel. and renamed Ocean Pearl. In 1990, Ocean Cruise Lines was acquired by Croisieres Paquet. The owners of Paquet also owned Costa, and management passed to Costa in 1994. The name was changed to Pearl. In 1995 Pearl was refurbished and reappeared as the Costa Playa of Costa."

record cover with a railway theme

2012-01-24T09:38:00.003+13:00

We mentioned a couple of such records last year; here is another: the cover of Blur's Modern Life is Rubbish from 1993. Every enthusiast in the UK will know what the loco is - the LNER A4 speed-record setting Mallard.

trolley bridge on Waukesha-Milwaukee Interurban line, Wisconsin

2012-01-24T09:30:00.001+13:00

According to this webpage, this operation lasted from 1908 to 1940.

cheesy books

2012-01-24T08:55:00.002+13:00

Who says booksellers don't have a sense of humour?

London's Charing Cross Station

2012-01-23T20:09:00.001+13:00

An undated postcard but probably 1900s.

A recent view showing the restored Eleanor Cross replica (wikimedia)

Named after the road junction, Charing Cross has been the site of the railway station since 1864. Its most notable exterior feature is a replica of the Eleanor Cross in Red Mansfield stone, erected in the station forecourt concurrent with the hotel construction in 1865. It was based on the original 13th century Whitehall Cross that had been demolished in 1647. Distances in London are officially measured from the original site of the cross in Whitehall, now the statue of Charles I, and not from this replica cross. In 2009 it was the subject of a 10 month restoration which was completed in August 2010. This work included recreating and attaching almost 100 missing ornamental features including heraldic shields, an angel, pinnacles, crockets and finials; securing weak or fractured masonry with stainless steel pins and rods and re-attaching decorative items which had previously been removed after becoming loose.

2 minutes are enough...

2012-01-23T17:00:00.001+13:00

...to change a wheel with a Roue Kap which has a removeable rim according to this 1912 advert. It might be enough to be demolished by a train too, if this is where they are doing it...

It says the factory is in Puteaux, a western suburb of Paris.

New York City sightseeing bus, circa 1940

2012-01-23T16:48:00.002+13:00

the first Standard railcar at Paekakariki, 1939

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One notes the electric overhead is in place. See earlier posts.

Stettin trams, Poland

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The Stettin system is 110 km (68 miles) long, with 11 lines in standard gauge. A few pics from mid 2005. See earlier posts.

Imperial Airways aircraft cabin, 1930s

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A publicity postcard that doesn't mention the aircraft type - maybe an Armstrong Whitworth Argosy which in the interwar period constituted the fleet that maintained Imperial Airways' lunchtime service to Paris and is believed to have been the world's first named airline service.

great railway songs - 3 'Train song' by Vashti Bunyan

2012-01-23T13:50:00.003+13:00

the SS Wiltshire, a Great Barrier Island shipwreck

2012-01-23T12:56:00.000+13:00

Photo by James Hutchings Kinnear after 1922.

from The Times of Friday 2 June 1922:-

"The Wiltshire, a steel twin-screw five masted insulated cargo steamer of 12,169 tons gross, built by John Brown and Co., Limited at Clydebank in 1912 and owned by the Federal Steam Navigation Company, Limited was driven ashore during a terrific easterly gale with blinding driving rain. She was swept by mountainous seas, which dashed against the precipitous cliffs of the inhabited shore of Rosalie Bay. The vessel broke in two and the after part disappeared in the after. The crew assembled on the fore part, the Auckland tug Arahura approached the wreck, at great peril, but was beaten by the waves. Late yesterday afternoon a life line drifted ashore from the wreck and four men landed. She carried 8,750 tons of general cargo. She had loaded at Avonmouth, Glasgow, and Liverpool, which last port she left on April 22. At the time of the disaster she was inward bound to Auckland. The Wiltshire was in command of Captain Hayward, the Commodore of the Federal Steam Navigation Company, which trades regularly between the United Kingdom and Australian ports. Besides the captain, the Wiltshire carried four navigating officers and ten engineers. Three wireless operators were on board. The total ship's company was 103."

More info and pics here

rails through the Sahara desert - the Mauritania railway

2012-01-23T10:33:00.001+13:00

It's probably not a part of the world many would want to go to except for business, but it has some long (3 km) ore trains hauled by modern EMD diesels. The Mauritania Railway, opened in 1963, consists of a single, 704 km (437 mile) line linking the iron mining centre of Zouerate with the port of Nouadhibou, via Fderik and Choum.

An article in Railway Gazette International in October 2010 stated:

"Société Nationale Industrielle et Minière has awarded Electro-Motive Diesel a contract to supply six SD70ACS heavy haul diesel locomotives with AC traction motors, the manufacturer announced on 20 October.

To be delivered from late 2011 they will allow the operation of heavier mineral trains through the harsh desert environment on the 700 km route from the mines to the port of Nouadhibou.

Each locomotive will have an isolated and air-conditioned tropical cab featuring a customised roof design to help dissipate heat when operating through desert temperatures of 50°C. They will also feature pulse filtration and movable sand ploughs.

The order will bring the total number of EMD locomotives operating in Mauritania to 44. 'SNIM has one of the most efficient and productive mining operations', said Ramzi Imad, EMD's Regional Director for Middle East & North Africa. 'They operate an all EMD fleet at 97% availability, which is one the highest rates of the North African and Middle East region, and we are proud of our 30-year relationship with SNIM.'

Official website (French)

great railway songs - 2 'Long train running' by the Doobie Brothers

2012-01-23T09:47:00.003+13:00

This version is remixed, not the original from 1973, but has some nice steam and early diesel train scenes.

le train s'affiche

2012-01-23T09:34:00.000+13:00

Some of the posters featured in this blog have come from this book Le Train s'affiche published by La Vie du Rail in 2005, of which we have a copy in our library. In a big format it contains hundreds of European railway posters (not just French) nicely reproduced, from the golden era of long distance (sometimes even short distance) travel when it was a glamous adventure. If you can find it on the second hand market, we recommend getting it.

early NZ cruise ship, circa 1907

2012-01-23T09:22:00.001+13:00

Postcards issued by the Northern Steam Ship Company of the SS Ngapuhi at Kawau Island. For more, see the book The Era of Coastal Shipping in NZ: the small motor ships.

1939 Plymouth truck

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Seen in Palmerston North City Council service for the Engineer's Department. In the pic is Ron Everleigh, driver, standing alongside it circa 1950.

Wellington Anniversary Day, 23 January

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We're not parochial here ... well, perhaps just a little.

Original Northlander train set in Ontario, Canada

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One of the original multiple unit diesel-electric sets for the Northlander service in Ontario, Canada is seen in Washago in this postcard from the commencement of the service in 1977. The train ran (and still does with different rolling stock) between Cochrane and Toronto over the Ontario Northland Railway from Cochrane to North Bay and on CN tracks south of North Bay to Toronto.

If it looks like one of the TEE trains used in Europe, that's because it is - the power cars sets were built in Holland for use on TEE trains for running from there to Switzerland in 1957, the carriages were built in Switzerland. Sold to Canada, they lasted in Northlander service until 1992. Model railway manufacturer Märklin, having already a model of the Dutch train in its catalog, produced a version in Northlander colours.

Info on these sets in Candian service here.

UFO gets a parking ticket in Chicago

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central Auckland then and now

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This time about 125 years apart; the intersection of Queen Street with Victoria Street (yes, it wasn't enough just to have one - both names were required!). The layout and street width is the same but that's all.

View Larger Map

great railway songs - 1 "Trans-Europe Express" by Kraftwerk

2012-01-22T15:09:00.001+13:00

In his book Traincatcher Colin Taylor suggested that someone should produce a list of the great train songs. Well, thanks to video posting sites such as youtube, we can now do one better than that: you can view many of them on our blog. This is the first of several: "Trans-Europe Express" by Kraftwerk, a German band, that made the charts in 1977.

not Texas...

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... but Otago Central in NZ; a farmer's super quad bike. The front is mostly from a 1963 Cadillac with the two-piece grille, but innards are probably from elsewhere. Getting around the farm in this should be an experience with a difference!