Here are the photos from the lineside. The train is heading back to Christchurch up Cass Bank. The railway from Christchurch to Arthur's Pass follows the Waimakariri River until the river enters a gorge where upon the railway diverts up the valley of a tributary (Broken River), crests the glacier carved mounds of Cass Bank and then descends to rejoin the river flats of the upper Waimakariri which it follows to Arthur's Pass. That explians why the train in these photos is working hard uphill, while heading east towards Christchurch, on the east side of the main pass. This always puzzled me, reading train books as a boy.
We were in Christchurch again this winter, for the steam train excursion to Arthurs Pass. This is run by Mainline Steam Incorporated using their restored J-Class steam engine and modern carriages (with heaters and pie warmers!) Grandad Pat and Verna came with us (it was Grandad's Birthday present). Despite a freezing cold rainy start the weather cleared as we got into the mountains. At Arthurs passs we got off and found a little mound of snow for some silly games. It was Guys first encounter with snow. Despite being in an alpine village in winter, Guy decided conditions were perfect for an ice cream. He delighted in watching a kea on the platform. The kea got everyones attention before escaping with a filled roll from a bystanders lunch box. On the way up and on the way back the train let us off and backed up to do a photo run which is how I got these photos of it, at work in the mountains.
We were in Christchurch again this winter, for the steam train excursion to Arthurs Pass. This is run by Mainline Steam Incorporated using their restored J-Class steam engine and modern carriages (with heaters and pie warmers!) Grandad Pat and Verna came with us (it was Grandad's Birthday present). Despite a freezing cold rainy start the weather cleared as we got into the mountains. At Arthurs passs we got off and found a little mound of snow for some silly games. It was Guys first encounter with snow. Despite being in an alpine village in winter, Guy decided conditions were perfect for an ice cream. He delighted in watching a kea on the platform. The kea got everyones attention before escaping with a filled roll from a bystanders lunch box. On the way up and on the way back the train let us off and backed up to do a photo run which is how I got these photos of it, at work in the mountains.
