Trip to Raurimu Spiral
1St April 2007
Wab 794
coal fired loco & sister engine Ab 663 oil fired loco hauled a total
320-ton train to the must spectular
engineering masterpiece the Raurimu Spiral.
Laid out in
the form of an ascending spiral, incorporating a complete circle, three
horseshoe curves, and two short tunnels, the Raurimu Spiral artificially
increases the distance between Raurimu and National Park from 3+ miles, if the
spiral was straightened out in a direct line it would measure 7 track miles.
This
advent was a rare sight for the doubled headed train, the first time a Wab
& an Ab on this line since the late 1940's.
Photo’s By
Stuart Anderson & Janine Evans
Created By
Stuart Anderson