Riding the Rails

 Time has got away on me, and I'm only just getting around to tell about our rail trip last month.  Happy travelers waited at the Levin Railway Station and chatted away while we waited in eager anticipation. 

Waiting for our rail adventure

Rather like "Mind the Gap" in UK

 The Spiral Spectacular run by Steam Incorporated left Paekakariki and 7.00am and arrived at Levin Station running a little late.  The excited bunch of travelers identified their correct carriage, and climbed aboard, looking for their seat numbers.  The engine was pulling seven carriages, a bar/lounge car, buffet car, and a viewing car.

Here it comes

Our first stop was Palmerston North when the red diesel engine was changed to an electric engine.  That certainly received a lot of attention from passengers as they crowded around to have a good look.

The engine was changed 

The scenery was spectacular, as we slowly crossed rivers high up on viaducts.  We were amazed to see car loads of train spotters who were following us on the trip, racing ahead in their cars to set up their very impressive cameras on tripods as we trundled past.  

It's a long way down

We had prepared a packed liuch of bacon and egg sandwhiches, shortbread, and somehow a couple of chocolate bars jumped in too.  Robin made the trip to the cafe car for two coffees and we tucked into our lunch at Waiouru.  Some passengers disembarked here for a visit to the Army Museum.

Lunch time 

At last we made it to the Raurimu Spiral, a single track railway spiral, starting with a horseshoe curve.  This was built to overcome the 139m, 456ft height difference on the Main Trunk Line.  The Institute of Professional Engineers of New Zealand have designated the spiral as a significant engineering heritage site.  Unfortunately the passengers had to remain on the train during our stop here.  Guess it was a health and safety requirement, but we had disembarked here on an earlier trip.

Raurimu

On the way back Mt Ruapehu was playing hide and seek with the cloud cover,  but we know it is hiding there somewhere.

Mt Ruapehu

The passengers who had disembarked at Waiouru rejoined the train and we all settled back to enjoy the homeward trip.  Some of us had decided to pre-order our evening meal from the Hunterville Hotel.  The train glided to a stop, the volunteers on each carriage jumped out, and came back loaded with boxes.

Collecting the dinner boxes

Well, we certainly didn't go hungry.  There was chicken salad, a bread roll, fruit salad, cheese and crackers and a brownie.  So much in fact, that we took some of it home with us.

Dinner box

The light was fading and we traveled the last part of the journey in darkness, whizzing by farms and small towns.  Oh look, I think we are almost in Levin.  The train stopped, we were reminded to take all our belongings with us, and we stepped off the train about 8.30pm.  It was a long day, but such fun.