Hi, I must do the Bray and Greystones trip somewhen, it looks spectacular. This has to be one of the most picturesque commuter routes in the world, it is also the main line between Wellington and Auckland, so it sees plenty of heavy trains complete with banking locomotives.

Thank you....Tim.

The first time I visited, Paraparaumu was the limit of the Wellington suburban trains, only the capital connect and Northern Explorer ventured further along the NIMT. Since then the line has been doubled with electrification added as far as Waikanae. The overhead catenary at Plimmerton used to be supported on wooden poles, I'd never seen that before. I visit about every other year and the changes to the road and railway are very noticeable.

Hi Steve, I don't hear the commuters on these trains complaining, they travel along some amazing lines into a beautiful city.....Tim.

:-)

Thank you for your kind comment....Tim.

The Kapiti Coast line has to be one of the most scenic commuter lines anywhere in the world and a ride on the Northern Explorer to Auckland is a wonderful way to see New Zealand.

Thank you.

+Karen O'connor Hi, I'm pleased you enjoyed the ride ... I think I'd miss such beautiful part of the world, if it had been my home.

Cheers

Thank you, it was good to take you along. The railways in my neck of the woods are electrified using a third rail, so I'm not used to seeing overhead catenery masts flashing past, they can be distracting if you are not used to them.

Hi, there have been a lot of changes since your ride behind a steam engine, but some things haven't changed, the scenery is still beautiful and the drivers still give a cheery wave. Steam engines can be found at Peakakariki and from time to time they still venture onto the main line at the head of special excursion trains. Thanks for your comment....Tim :)

I am travelling along the line again in April, I will keep an eye out for the secret tunnel, is it along the cliff section?

Timsvideochannel1 Oh... I thought everyone knew about it...! Yes - it's along the cliff section. Where the line goes around the cliff and there's all the structures holding up the cliff! I think when the line and tunnels were built, that one experienced too much movement, so they diverted around... It's probably WELL hidden now! "No 12 tunnel on the Wellington & Manawatu Railway (now Kapiti section of NIMT) between Paekakariki and Paraparaumu - abandoned in 1900." From Wikipedia's entry on New Zealand tunnels... (which in itself is fascinating!)

CubOz Thank you.

Hi, I am glad you enjoyed it.

+Timsvideochannel1 I did it was awesome ty I can send you short videos of the new auckland trains they are in three carriage configurations so its either 3 or 6 long each carriage has no wall or door in between so if you sit at the back you can see the people right up the front going left or right around the corners is very funny first time and unnerving

+heather newby Thank you.

Funny how we all remember our first real job, I was an apprentice toolmaker and my first job was preparing metal blocks for a die-cast mould tool for the Jaguar XJS engine rocker cover, I remember there were change parts as it was a 12 cylinder engine with two covers and only one needed an oil filler cap. I don't know if it's true but I was told that New Zealand paid for the Ganz units with butter. Around the time you were working on the Ganz units, work was starting at Brush traction on the EF electric locomotives also for New Zealand Railways delivered between 1986 - 88. The EF locomotive design was the basis for the Channel Tunnel Shuttle locomotives with a Bo Bo Bo wheel arrangement. It's a real shame you didn't get to help with commissioning the units in New Zealand, they operated on one of the worlds most scenic commuter networks. I've got a lot good memories from holidays spent in North Wales. All these years later I still design and make mould tools, are you still designing traction equipment?

I moved from Traction equipment to more general rolling stock elelctrical design with Metro-Cammell, later Alstom. I was the principal electrical engineer on Mk.IV coaches & DVT, and then the Networkers. I then did a renovation job on KCRC units in Hong Kong before moving to Alstom at Preston to do traction and electrical system upgrades on older stock. Now retired. OK on your tool making career, I did 2 months in Tool Making dept. at Brush as part of my apprenticeship, and found it fascinating!

Hi, I'm in my workshop now with a couple of CNC machines running doing something I always wanted to do, develop and manufacture my own product with a bit of help from a guy who owns a local moulding company. When I was younger I couldn't afford to take risks, now with the mortgage paid off and the kids having flown the nest a good few years ago, I can afford to have a go. My two best customers last year are over 70, they still get a kick out developing new products, both tried retirement, neither needs the money, they just missed the cut and trust of manufacturing. I count myself as being very lucky in that I have always enjoyed my job. You saw some of the best years of British rolling stock manufacturing. We are told how wonderful privatisation is, I not so sure, our railways are owned by foreign companies, most of our locomotives and rolling stock are made abroad. My local operating company (Southern) is a nightmare with around a third of trains never reaching their final destination, due to never ending strikes and staff shortages. Network Southeast were the last company to do a good job of running Southern, the trains were old, but they could be relied on, they even ran in the snow. If I want to see a British locomotive now, I have to visit a heritage railway. I love visiting the tram museum near Wellington, New Zealand, all the control and traction gear was made by Brush in the UK. Your career must have been very satisfying, does stepping into a Mk IV carriage and seeing "Metro-Cammel" on the first step still give you a sense of pride? and an HST Mk 3 carriage on the East Coast Main Line still gives the best ride of any carriage on Britain's railways. Maybe I'm just getting old and seeing life through rose tinted glasses.

@@Timsvideochannel1 Pretty sure the units were paid for with lamb or mutton. It was near the end of Nz's famrer subsidies , and NZ was producing more lamb than it could sell. Great video .

@@selfpowerenquiries3154 Thank you, I'm pleased you enjoyed it. Even here in the UK I try to buy New Zealand lamb, it has traveled half way round the world and still tasted better than European lamb.

Hi Nathan, I am pleased you enjoyed this video. On my next visit to New Zealand, I intend to try and film the journey from Wellington to Masterton, but it is likely to be early next year before I am next in NZ....Tim.

Sweet :-)

Did you ever get to film the journey to Masterton? I would love to see that

Hi, I did film the trip to Masterton, but not from the cab. I will approach KiwiRail on my next visit and hopefully gain permission to place a camera in the cab.

Hi Nick, I have stayed at Finn's Hotel next to the railway station at Paekakariki on several occasions and visited the museum, I have a couple of books I purchased there. The first time I visited the tramway museum at McKays crossing the railway line was still single track with no over head electrification. The tramway museum is well worth visiting as is the nearby Southward Car Museum, I imagine you are familiar with both places. The views from the Paekakariki Hill Road are amazing, my son used to live in Whitby. There is a new footpath on the hill above the railway, it opens up new opportunities to photograph the trains. The last time I walked it, the weather was aweful, but it was still great fun. Can't wait to visit again, hopefully early next year.

Timsvideochannel1 Hi Tim, Yes I'm very familiar with the tram museum and Southwards as I live in the area. Next time you are in the area; if you haven't already, I'd recommend checking out these places: Feilding steam rail. steamrail.org.nz/main.php Manawatu steam traction engine society. www.steamtraction.org.nz/ The vintage aviator fighter collection, Masterton. thevintageaviator.co.nz/vintage-aviator/vintage-aviator-fighter-collection-display Pahiatua railcar society. www.railcars.co.nz/

Timsvideochannel1 Hi Tim. Yes, I'm familiar with both places. I live slightly further north in the Manawatu region. If you come next year I recommend these places in the lower North island if you haven't already visited them... Hutt Valley. Silverstream vintage railway. www.silverstreamrailway.org.nz/ Wairarapa; Fell engine museum at Featherson. www.fellmuseum.org.nz/ The vintage aviator fighter collection, Masterton. hoodaerodrome.org.nz/pilot-info/the-vintage-aviator-limited The railcar society, Pahiatua. www.railcars.co.nz/ Manawatu region; Feilding steam rail. steamrail.org.nz/main.php Steam traction engine society. www.steamtraction.org.nz/ And slightly further afeild in the city of Whanganui; Whanganui preserved tram. m.facebook.com/wanganuitramways/

Thank you for the links, I've seen the traction engines and Pahiatua railcar in action, but I'll have to look up the other two. For a while my son used to lived near the Mainline Steam Depot at Plimmerton. Considering NZ has a small population there is good range of museums and preservation societies. I'm looking forward to my next visit.

I've got pleasant memories from days spent in Paekakariki, stayed at Fins Hotel a couple of times to catch Steam Inc rail-tours. Great views over the railway from the hotel, the beer and food was good too. The main road is busy, joining the flow from Paekakariki can be challenging at rush hour, glad no one was injured in the collision you were involved in. There are some lovely houses on the seafront. Cheers.

@@Timsvideochannel1 Yes there was "fush and chups" all over the place but we were Ok. Vikki's house is so amazing with views of Kapiti Island and the sea. Lovely mate Cheers

Thank you, I'm glad you liked it. This video was taken from a Matangi unit, but I have also travelled in the Ganz-Mavag units as well as the now withdrawn English Electric units on the Johnsonville line.

Timsvideochannel1 Yes I was aware they Ganz Mavag Units had been retired.

Hi David, the Wellington suburban electric trains finish at Waikanae. The Capital Connection runs on weekdays from Palmerston North to Wellington in the morning, returning in the evening and the Northern Explorer runs 3 times a week in each direction between Auckland and Wellington. To see a little more of the ride North try this link kzfaq.info/get/bejne/bbOenMZ_0siudJs.html .......Tim.

Hi, I'm glad enjoyed revisiting a line you were once familiar with. The line was doubled past Kay's crossing and the electrification has been extended, but the bulk of the trip is much as it was 20 or 30 years ago, especially the single track section along the Kapiti Coast. Not being local I'm not familiar the school or memorial, hopefully someone will see this who knows the answers.

rob lever Hi Rob, thank- you for your comment. As a youngster living in England I used to love holidays in North Wales where I traveled in the old DMU's along the Welsh coast and the branch-line to Blaenau Ffestiniog. It is a real shame that passengers no longer have a forward facing view in modern trains.

Hi, it was filmed in December 2012 when the Matangi units were starting to enter regular service.

The railway has seen considerable investment over the last fifteen years, with more double track and extended electrification.

It's a pleasure to share some of these wonderful places.

Hi, I'm pleased you enjoyed it. The thumbnail is Paekakariki station.

@@Timsvideochannel1 thank you for your reply I was working at mana in 2012 And i was living in Wellington city so i used to take waikanae train It is so nostalgic to watch this video

@@MrRupesh675 Hi, I'm please it bought back pleasant memories from your time in Wellington. This has to be one of the best commutes to work to found anywhere in the world. My son used to live just up the hill from Mana in Whitby.

There is nothing to stop you playing this video with your own choice of music. I looked at your Wellington video, it bought back a lot of good memories and I'm looking forward to my next visit.

I liked the view from the front passenger seat. There aren't many trains running today where passengers get to enjoy the same view as the driver.