NZR De with a passenger train north of Porirua in 1958

It's not recorded what this train was, but the cars weren't for Main Trunk expresses, nor why a De diesel rather than an Ew or Ed electric was hauling it as far as the then end of the wires in Paekakariki.

The alignment and the single track were later replaced with straight double track along the shore of the Porirua Harbour, and several years later the same was done with the road.

For more see our books. (Derek Cross pic)