Auckland City Rails

My first attempt at making a 60 minute video with the footage I obtained around Auckland. Features mainline trackside action from South Auckland, shots from the Orakei and Newmarket tunnels, overhead shots from the yard at the Port and a lot of shunting action from Westfield.

Available in full screen (4:3) only

Matamata to the Mount - 2009 Edition

For a number of months after releasing the original 2001 version of "Matamata", I continued to return to the Bay of Plenty with the intention of making another video from this area. The locations were supposed to cover Mt Maunganui to Kawerau and Murupara.

It didn't happen. So with the footage I had sitting around, I've added it to the original "Matamata" and come up with this version - the 2009 Edition. I would've like to have done a total re-edit of the entire production but I never kept the original footage, so I've cleaned up as much as I can, removed some really bad shots and spliced in the additional footage where appropriate.

Available in full screen (4:3) only     75 minutes

Auckland City Rails 2

Heading West

Footage gathered whilst seeking new locations. Twenty minutes of steam action from Mainline Steam, Parnell, the former Auckland Railway Station, Waimauku, Waitakere tunnel and Helensville. Followed by 40 minutes of freight and Metro action from Henderson west to Helensville. Features pacing shots and the new yellow and black 'Bumble Bee' paint scheme.

Available in full screen (4:3) only    60 minutes

Waiouru Wanderings

Taihape to Tangiwai

Filmed over 8 days of glorious autumn weather, covering areas from Taihape, the Turangarere Horseshoe curve, Waiouru, Tangiwai and Karioi. Mostly EF Class electric locos but diesels do make appearances.

Some interesting lighting conditions enhance a very dry landscape.

Available in full screen (4:3) only   60 minutes

Waikato Hotshots

Franklin to Hamilton

We start off witnessing the changeover of the diesel locos to the electric locos on the southbound Overlander at Hamilton Station, take a brief look at the Te Rapa Yards, the Hamilton City Bridge and tunnel, then it's off up north to have a look at the Huntly coal mines, then further north to the Glenbrook Steel Mill, and finally a lot of trackside shots from various areas in between. Features a close up 'in your face' pacing shot at East Huntly, coal loading at the two mines and some very high speed freights.

Available in full screen (4:3) only     60 minutes

USA Rails

Midwestern Encounters

Starts off at West Bottoms in Kansas City Missouri to see some big Union Pacific trains, then off to Benson in Arizona for more high speed Union Pacific freights, San Diego California where the BNSF (Burlington Northern Santa Fe) Railway is king. Lots of Amtrak California action, including a ride to Fullerton, and a ride in the San Diego Trolley. We finish off at Fullerton California - a great place to watch trains.
Note: If you'd like the two hour version of this production, then please specify USA Rails Special Edition. This special 2 hour version has no introduction, no narration, more trains from Kansas City, San Diego and Fullerton, and takes a brief look at the San Diego Model Railway Club.

Available in full screen (4:3) only     60 minutes / 120 minutes

USA Rails 2

America's Mightiest

A repeat visit to the USA six months later produced enough footage to make another two videos. This first one features lots of CSX action from Washington DC and Alexandria Virginia, and more high speed Union Pacific action from Benson Arizona.

Lots of Amtrak action - including the USPS Roadrailers.

All CSX and Amtrak trains are identified by number, origin and destination.

Available in full screen (4:3) only   60 minutes

USA Rails 3

Missouri Revisited

This final installment features a variety of roads from North Kansas City Missouri including Union Pacific, BNSF, Norfolk Southern and Iowa Chicago & Eastern (ICE), where there's lots of manifest freights (mixed freights) and autoracks. We then head north to check out the intense BNSF action from Saint Joseph Missouri. Lots of very long, high speed coal trains and manifest freights. Hotbox and dragging equipment detectors are caught on tape as well.

"If you have a thing for the BNSF SD70MAC's - get this one."

Available in full screen (4:3) only   60 minutes

Ruapehu Rails

Ohakune to Te Kuiti

Ruapehu Rails covers rail action on the North Island Main Trunk Railway between the towns of Ohakune in the south, and Te Kuiti in the north. Areas covered include Horopito, Raurimu, National Park, the Piriaka lookout and Taumarunui.

Available in full screen (4:3) only      60 minutes

Canadian Thunder

Canadian Thunder covers rail action entering and leaving Canadian National's Walker Yard in Edmonton, Alberta.

A huge variety of rolling stock and locomotives. Filmed over 2 weekends, this could easily have been a two hour production owing to the length of the trains, so the final production is heavily edited to keep things interesting. Only the shorter locals / transfers plus three main line trains are shown in their entirety.

Note: I've made a two hour version of this program and if you really want it, then please specify Canadian Thunder Unlimited Edition. This two hour, two disc version has no introduction, no narration, no identifier subtitles and you get to see the whole train....some of them are very long and slow.

Available in full screen (4:3) only    60 minutes  /  120 minutes

Canterbury's Coal Line

Lyttelton to Otira

Canterbury's Coal Line  takes in trackside rail action from Lyttelton to Otira via Addington Station, Templeton, Rolleston, Darfield, Springfield, Cass, and Arthurs Pass. The footage was taken over the Christmas and New Year's break of 2003 and 2006. The three year gap is evident with the change in corporate identity.  The Tranzalpine gets a big showing, as do the abundant coal trains that roll over the Midland line to Rolleston, then swing north on the main South Line to Christchurch and Lyttelton. The program concludes with an extended length coal train trial between Otira and Arthurs Pass where 7 DX's haul in excess of 40 coal wagons through the Otira tunnel.

Released by Silver & Ballard as NZ Rail Documentary Series Volume 8

Available in full screen (4:3) only    60 minutes

Auckland City Rails 3

Westfield to Wellsford

Auckland City Rails 3 covers rail action in the Auckland area. Locations featured are: Otahuhu station, the Metroport at Westfield, Newmarket, the Auckland City Port, the old Auckland Railway Station, Britomart, the Orakei Basin and various locations along the North Auckland Line from Morningside through to Ranui, Waimauku and Helensville.   We then jump north to Wellsford where the team on the Whangarei shunt are found to be sorting 4 wheeler log wagons, with the video ending chasing this shunt north back towards home.

Released by Silver & Ballard as NZ Rail Documentary Series Volume 11

Available in full screen (4:3) only

This video kicks off by the small settlement of Mataroa, just north of Taihape, and heads south finishing at Feilding. Areas covered include Taihape, Hunterville, Silverhope, Marton, Greatford, Kakariki, Halcombe and Maewa. The focus is on the longer freights that run between Wellington and Auckland, although the Overlander and a few locals manage to sneak in.

A couple of great shots of the Rangitikei Bridge South are included. Surprisingly, this one took four years to put together. I think the wait has been worth it as only the very best of all the footage I've gathered made it to this one.

Available in full screen (4:3) only     60 minutes

75 minutes of pure steam action in a modern setting. RR2 begins in Feilding where we piece together the sequence of events that take place during "Steam Sunday's" - where the northbound Overlander is hauled from Feilding to Taihape by a steam loco with the loco being pre-positioned in the loop track and eventually connecting onto the Overlander upon its arrival.   Once we sort all this out, we're on our way North with lots of run-by shots from Feilding through to Taihape, ending with a couple of snow shots from Waiouru and Tangiwai. The focus is on Feilding Steam's Wab 794, however the Ja and the Ab make appearances with some excursion runs.

Available in full screen (4:3) or widescreen (16:9) Please specify which you'd prefer.

Note: A small number of shots were filmed with an older camera in Standard Vision. These shots will appear with black bands on either side of the clip when the widescreen version is viewed on a widescreen TV.

In this production we kick off at Palmerston North and head our way north through the passing loops at Milson, Bunnythorpe, Feilding, Maewa, Rangitawa (Halcombe), Greatford and finally at Marton where the loop connects onto the multitude of tracks at the Marton Junction. Filmed between 2005 and 2009, we're treated to various liveries, with a good helping of the new KiwiRail paint scheme making a few appearances.  The program ends with something a little different - 12 minutes of scale rail action from the Palmerston North Esplanade Scenic Railway - a surprisingly pleasant escape from the big stuff.          Total running time: 75 minutes

Available in full screen (4:3) only   60 minutes

63 minutes of the best shots from the USA Rails series, this compilation features medium to high speed shots from Saint Joseph Missouri, Alexandria Virginia, Benson Arizona, Fullerton California and Kansas City Missouri.   This production started out as a personal project that I created to suit my own interests - long trains cracking along at a high pace. I'm now sharing this with you and has become Part 4 of the USA Rails series. No intro music, just a brief intro narration with minimal subtitles to identify the location. Lots of coal trains, lots of intermodal trains, all going 50 - 80 km/hr with airhorns blasting. If this is what you like, then it comes highly recommended - at the end you'll wonder how one hour went so fast. 

Available in full screen (4:3) only   63 minutes

Electrics on Parade is 60 minutes of rail action from Feilding to Ohakune featuring New Zealand's KiwiRail Class EF Electric Locomotives hauling freight and passenger trains between Wellington and Auckland. The EF's, originally designated Class 30, were introduced in 1988 - 89 and despite their age, have proven to be a worthy locomotive ideally suited to New Zealand's unique conditions. They show little outward signs of strain getting up to track speed and make the tough job of hauling 50 plus freight cars through the central North Island's numerous curves and inclines look easy. 
This production features freight and passenger trains making numerous run-by's, as well as a few pacing shots and many night shots filmed under floodlights.

Flaunting its new livery, and with justifiable pride, New Zealand's KiwiRail has embarked on a challenge to re-brand its loco fleet and bring it into line with its new corporate image.
Diesels on Parade is 60 minutes of ground shaking diesel rail action from the Tararua, Manawatu, Rangitikei, Wanganui and Ruapehu districts and features many locos in the KiwiRail livery.
Featured are the seasonal milk trains and the ever present mixed freights. From bright, sunlit skies to golden sunsets to floodlit night shots, this compilation features KiwiRail doing what it does well.

Available in widescreen (16:9) DVD (PAL & NTSC) and  Hi-Definition Blu-ray disc   60 minutes