Over a couple days in January we chased KiwiRail freight trains on the central portion of the main trunk line between Feilding and Te Kuiti. We follow Train 222 in the evening up to National Park during a thunderstorm and the following morning capture trains climbing the famous Raurimu Spiral and follow Train 390 north before heading south again chasing Train 225.
The Main Trunk climbs to an elevation of over 800 meters above sea level, and as a result, locomotives must tackle steep gradients due to the difficult terrain up and down the Central Plateau. This includes the Raurimu Spiral, which allows trains to ascend 200 meters up to National Park at a gradient of 1 in 52. The spiral has main horseshoe and then two tunnels where the line loops over itself. This allows for different views of the same train climbing the spiral in the same location as seen in this video.
First video of 2024! So sit back and relax to the sound of the DL Class through the scenic Central North Island!