Cab Rides with Drivers from Palmerston North: CAPITAL CONNECTION Original Footage

This 78 minute video was taken on January 6th, 2005.
As there had been some quite severe flooding around Mackays Crossing, the southbound service was cancelled and to get the coaches to Wellington a special ran with empty coaches after midday.
So take a ride with the Locomotive Engineer Jimmy Oliver from Palmerston North to Wellington, then returning with the normal service back to "Palmy".

[@gavindouglas5581]

I enjoyed this bringing back memories of when i worked for government railways in 1976.

[@johnericneil2455]

That's your best video. Had a real story to it.

[@rolandpenhall4526]

True, although my favourite is "Moving the Pulp" kzbin.info/www/bejne/iGeXgZ9qfZusnLssi=yOCY9PdtbGmQUPIe

[@chrisblake6024]

It's amazing to see what the kapiti line is like now in comparison to when this was filmed

It'll be so great in a few years time when the GWRC gets some new dedicated multiple units/railcars for the Palmerston North & Wairarapa services. There's so much potential that's been missed over the decades. Videos like this with the cab interiors really bring home how old the locomotives that aren't DL class really are. It's easy to forget that with their shiny liveries.

[@glenysstrawbridge2133]

Having lived in 'Pram' for 31 years and now living in Feilding, I loved every moment of this video. Going through places after having been away for 3 1/2 years, I realised where my heart still lies. Was superb.

[@dracovenit9549]

I love this! Thank you so much for taking this footage and putting it up.

[@rolandpenhall4526]

I'm most pleased you enjoyed the journey, thanks for commenting.

[@DWtrainsNZ]

I really enjoyed that. Thanks for getting it edited and uploaded (I know from first hand experience that editing can be very tiring and frustrating at times). There was a lot to see and hear which made the video interesting throughout. The commentary from yourself and the driver added a lot to the whole video. As someone who has done MANY trips on the Capital Connection and on the Units along that route over the years it brought back vivid memories of how the line use to look, with the double platform at Waikanae, the old curve into/out of Otaki, and also how the formation use to drop away on the other side of the second crossing (Tyne St) in Levin. Now that I have a Go-Pro when time allows (and when a friend of mine is taking the CC) I'll be recording the full trip from Levin to Welly or viceversa. It will be interesting to compare it to this.

[@rolandpenhall4526]

Well you sound like you are really into that route, do let me know once you have it uploaded, I would be most interested to view it. 👍

[@tainuibabe1812]

Great video and loved the commentary which was quite funny at times. My dad was a loco engineer for NZ Rail his whole life. He would have loved this video!

[@rolandpenhall4526]

Thanks for the glowing comments. Glad you enjoyed it.

[@ericbleasel5907]

Well done,very informative and when you went on to the turntable it all came back to me,it was 1971 and i fleetingly was at PN Loco then sent to Wanganui,i think the boss was a Mr Sherwood,he did me a real favour,just loved Wanganui.

[@AllanRothwell]

Superb video. That was the story of my early career right down to HHHV.

[@kevinwilloughby4140]

Glad to see that your now getting to replace the old Timber sleepers with the more durable concrete ones .They will add years of life for both Passenger @ Freight trains with safety being paramount for years to come . Over here in Adelaide South Australia we di tched the old Timber Sleepers many moons ago back when I worked in the Railways here in good old Australia back in the late 70's .

[@kiwitrainguy]

We started putting in concrete sleepers in the 1970s as well but it's taken a bit longer over here. We don't have the termite problem like you Aussies do. lol

[@jaybartlett1888]

Have just watched this whole video tonight. Awesome watch! Forgot what the highway use to look like around Pram/Otaki area until watching this

[@rolandpenhall4526]

So it's now a bit of History.

[@hemiallen3576]

Awesome guys.

[@tigertiger1699]

Love your commentary 🙏👍

[@rolandpenhall4526]

Hi, I'm glad you found it of interest.

[@tigertiger1699]

@@rolandpenhall4526 Sure do, our old man John Leach drove steam in Auckland, then Ohakune (single mens quarters😂), then otiria & Westfield…, I grew up on DA/ DX etc.. miss it and him terribly..!! 😂🙏🙏🙏

[@tigertiger1699]

@@rolandpenhall4526 Lol your commentary reminds me of him calling out the places n bridges etc to us kids… he wanted us to know our country…

[@tigertiger1699]

@@rolandpenhall4526 Miss the cab rides.., haven’t been in a yard since he retired in 1990…, apparently he was taking us to work at 15 weeks??, but I remember from primary school.., sat on seat on own.. & drove Auckland Hamilton freight at 13 yrs😂👍

[@rolandpenhall4526]

@@tigertiger1699 LOL

[@crypticallly]

That rusty track has been left unused for so long now that it has been cover by ballast over time and only just now raised back up

[@robross6367]

Gee i would love to do a full on trip around the hole of the north inland both ways

[@chrisstaylor8377]

Our trains allways look scruffy ,Evan in the cab

[@DWtrainsNZ]

They did back then. I can say having riden in the cab of DFB around this time last year some of them are kept clean in the cab nowadays.

[@asciimation]

Doing this trip tomorrow, and most weeks actually, from Waikanae. Interesting to see how it was back in the day. I miss the old British Mk2 coaches. The new ones are rubbish! Less room, less storage, less comfortable, non vestibule doors. Just awful.

[@rolandpenhall4526]

That's a bit sad, but enjoy the scenery and other passengers.

This must've been filmed over a decade ago. There's no traction catenary between Paraparaumu and Waikanae.

[@rolandpenhall4526]

Yep 16 years ago plus a couple more weeks. January 6th, 2005.

[@richardvoogd705]

Kinda miss the footbridge at pram.

[@rolandpenhall4526]

For watching the trains or was it for easy access to home and shops?

[@richardvoogd705]

@@rolandpenhall4526 About 2003 I grabbed the camcorder, came up from Porirua, and did some recording. I've long lost the original footage, much of which wasn't the best quality, but I did manage to get a shot or two from the footbridge. The beginning of this clip is at Paraparaumu: kzbin.info/www/bejne/onivkqChi6ecasUsi=XbhREQtH7Boce_jw

[@rolandpenhall4526]

@@richardvoogd705 Thanks for the link to your old footage, which I quite enjoyed, bought back memiries of that area.

[@ricbrowne3249]

Hevens Ta Mergatraud Knickers Indeed !

[@smallrails6831]

Nice

[@damianstalker775]

What was the engine problem do you remember?

[@rolandpenhall4526]

Damian Stalker: Hi, I was pretty sure that it was something to do with a Traction Motor, but thought I had better ask Jim. Jim rang this morning and he recalled asking the fitters who worked on the loco and was told it was due to a bolt in one traction motor coming loose and was close enough to cause arcing, when the power was increased significantly, like as we left Palmerston North and then again as Jim increased power after a speed restriction at South Junction.

[@stuboyd1194]

Jesus this is a while ago now.

[@rolandpenhall4526]

Sure is and now I too am much older than I was back then.

[@stuboyd1194]

@@rolandpenhall4526 I realised how old it was when it showed McKays crossing as a level crossing for SH1. :-)

[@jamesbradley7306]

Great non-Woke ride!

[@rolandpenhall4526]

Pleased you enjoyed it.

[@terminallydrunk1900]

Dam paraparaumu is so diffrent now