Ja 1271 Heads to Auckland

Heading down the Raurimu Spiral, Ja 1271 drifts down the grade with DBR 1254 trailing

25 September 2022

Ja 1271 leads the GVR portion of the consist down the Raurimu Spiral. The train was made up of seven GVR carriages plus van, and six Steam Inc carriages

25 September 2022

At the base of the spiral, Ja 1271 powers up as it heads over the level crossing

25 September 2022

Ja 1271 thunders around the base of the Raurimu Spiral, with DBR 1254 just along for the lift home

25 September 2022

Ja 1271 exits Raurimu station limits on its journey north to Auckland

25 September 2022

Passing around the curves at Piriaka, Ja 1271 leads DBR 1254 and 14 carriages north

25 September 2022

Then lengthy train stretches out behind Ja 1271 as it heads around the curves through Piriaka

25 September 2022

Ja 1271 handles the train with ease, while DBR 1254 idles along

25 September 2022

Ja 1271 and its train heads off into the distance towards Taumarunui

25 September 2022

At Taumarunui, Ja 1271 pulls in to stop to take on water

25 September 2022

Ja 1271 sits on the platform at Taumarunui

25 September 2022

Heading south, DL 9596 leads train 247 through the loop to cross Ja 1271

25 September 2022

DL 9596 with train 247 crosses Ja 1271 at Taumarunui

25 September 2022

Train 247 crosses Ja 1271 while it takes on water at Taumarunui

25 September 2022

Now with a full tank of water, Ja 1271 departs Taumarunui while putting on a show

25 September 2022

Almost completely covered in steam, Ja 1271 gets under way with its train from Taumarunui

25 September 2022

Ja 1271 getting under way from Taumarunui

25 September 2022

Ja 1271 charges through Ongarue at speed

25 September 2022

Pulling into Te Kuiti, Ja 1271 positions its train on the platform

25 September 2022

Ja 1271 is then uncoupled from the train and moved to the turntable for coal and water

25 September 2022

Ja 1271 reverses down the loop to move to the turntable

25 September 2022

Passing the old goods shed at Te Kuiti, Ja 1271 moves to the turntable to take on coal and water

25 September 2022

Close-up view of Ja 1271 as it moves over tracks rarely travelled over towards the turntable

25 September 2022

Bags of coal are loaded into the tender of Ja 1271, while a fire hose pumps water into the tanks

25 September 2022

The bag of coal is split open for unloading into the tender

25 September 2022

After rewatering and recoaling, Ja 1271 heads back onto its train

25 September 2022

Ja 1271 reverses onto DBR 1254 as it prepares to depart Te Kuiti

25 September 2022

Before Ja 1271 can depart, DFB 7282 enters Te Kuiti station with train 200, running for the first time in over a year

25 September 2022

DFB 7282 overtakes Ja 1271 as the former leads train 200 north from Auckland. The Northern Explorer service was suspended in August 2021 after the second Alert Level 4 lockdown, and is finally resuming on this day after over a year off the rails

25 September 2022

Ja 1271 departs Te Kuiti for Auckland, again putting on a show for the crowd

25 September 2022

Ja 1271 gets under way from Te Kuiti after waiting for train 200 to clear

25 September 2022

Ja 1271 pulls into Hamilton for a passenger and water stop

25 September 2022

Ja 1271 stops at Hamilton station for the last water refill of the journey to Glenbrook

25 September 2022

Ja 1271 simmers at Hamilton while it takes on water

25 September 2022

Heading towards Tauranga, DL 9020 leads train 327 out of Te Rapa onto the East Coast Main Trunk

25 September 2022

Ja 1271 departs Hamilton for the last leg of the journey to Glenbrook

25 September 2022

Just after sunset, Ja 1271 charges up the Whangarata bank through Pokeno, nearing its final destination of Glenbrook

25 September 2022

Heading south through Pokeno, Ja 1271 leads the RES and Steam Inc carriages solo towards Hamilton and Te Kuiti. The train is running a series of excursions in the Waikato region over the next three days, before heading back up to Auckland

7 October 2022

Ja 1271 bursts out of the tunnel underneath Hamilton and onto the Claudelands bridge on the ECMT, en route from Hamilton to Tokoroa

8 October 2022

Whistling hard over the bridge, Ja 1271 crosses the Waikato River as it exits from the tunnel underneath the Hamilton CBD, on its journey to Tokoroa

8 October 2022

A sunny day for a change as Ja 1271 crosses the Waikato River bound for Tokoroa

8 October 2022

With the GVR cars leading the consist and Steam Inc's red carriages at the rear, Ja 1271 crosses the Waikato River heading for Tokoroa

8 October 2022

Making a spectacle as it heads towards Otahuhu, Ja 1271 passes through the Orakei Basun with the Auckland Steam Supreme excursion around the Auckland metro network, making the last of four runs of the day between The Strand and Otahuhu

15 October 2022

Pedestrians are definitely made aware of the passing train as wind blows smoke from Ja 1271 over the shared path through the Orakei Basin

15 October 2022

Ja 1271 thunders into Meadowbank station towards Otahuhu with the last of four loop runs around the Auckland metro network

15 October 2022

Ja 1271 heads south through Tuakau with just the Steam Inc carriages in tow. The train is heading to Hamilton on this day as the Grand North Island Steam Tour, travelling via Tokoroa and Whanganui over the next few days before Ja 1271 returns to Wellington

19 October 2022

Ja 1271 passes the site of the old Tuakau station as it heads south to Hamilton

19 October 2022

Ja 1271 makes light work of the slight grade up through Tuakau as it heads south

19 October 2022