The New Zealand Railway Observer : Issued Bi-monthly, ISSN 0028-8624
Issue 393, October-November 2025
Volume 82, No.4
Contents

DM8029 was the first of its class to be accepted by KiwiRail. On 24 July Glen Anthony photographed the locomotive hauling Train 951 near Templeton, bound for Timaru.
NZR Recollections – Neil Kruse
City Rail Link: Laying the Rails, Using Alternative Motive Power – Rob Merrifield
Palmerston North Before 1964 with J M Creber and JAT Terry
Research Notes #243 – Steam Ships and Steam Trains to Thames – Graeme McClare
Timaru Harbour Board Locomotives – Numbers 2 and 3 – Mark Denne
An Early Shunting Accident – Bill Cowan
Crewing the Bullion Train in June 1967 – Max Kennelly
It’s an Ill Wind that Blows No Good – Graeme Carter, Wayn McLintock and Patrick Dunsford
From the Top of the Raurimu Spiral, Down at the Station, Book and DVD Review
There are 23 colour photos in this issue.
Click Image for full size
The New Zealand Railway Observer
The Railway Observer is for everyone who takes an interest in the railways and tramways of
New Zealand. Read about their fascinating present developments and past history.
We publish it:-
- Six times a year for members of the Society and the public.
- For everyone who takes an interest in the railways and tramways in New Zealand.
- It is packed with information and pictures.
- Design · Construction · Operation · Development · History
- Mailed direct to Society members as part of the annual subscription.
- Copies may also be purchased from the Society or ordered through your favourite hobby shop or bookshop.
Membership of the Society brings you:
- Six issues of The New Zealand Railway Observer each year
- The Society’s members’ newsletter “Turntable”
- Special members’ prices for all Society publications
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- Opportunities to join your nearest Society Group for meetings and outings with other railfans.
- Access to the Society’s archives of information on railways.
Contributions
Manuscripts
We welcome, for possible publication, contributed articles and notes, including photographs. Articles should not normally exceed about 4000 words, and should be supplied electronically in PC format accompanied by a hard-copy version. We will consider a modest rate of payment for material published – enquire for details. Neither the Editor nor the Society can undertake to return unsolicited contributions.
Photographs
Photographs should be supplied as clear, sharp, glossy black and white or colour prints not less than 10cm x 15cm in size; or, for full colour reproduction, clear, sharp colour slides or transparencies. Digital scans should be no less than 300 dpi, preferably sent on a memory stick. The Editor reserves the right to reproduce colour slides or transparencies in monochrome. Black and white and colour prints are retained by the Society, but colour slides and transparencies are returned after use.
For more information write to
New Zealand Railway and Locomotive Society,
1A North Street, Petone
Lower Hutt, 5012, New Zealand.
Or send us an email at nzrls@actrix.co.nz