a North Island Main Trunk train climbs out of Wellington, 1930s

Two steam locomotives climb the Ngaio Gorge in the early to mid 1930s. The first is an Ab class helper probably as far as Paekakariki, the rest will be heading to Auckland or Napier or New Plymouth. A 'Railway Travelling Post Office' is behind the second engine.  With the completion of the Tawa deviation in 1937, only suburban steam trains continued running up here, and after July 1938 they were electric multiple units.

For lots more see the books Wellington Transport Memories and Wellington: a Capital century.