Tangiwai: 60 Years On

DCP 4634 and DFB 7307 slow train 200 to stop on the bridge

24 December 2013

Train 200 stops on the bridge, to observe a minute's silence and for staff to throw a wreath into the river. Later that night, train 216 would also throw a wreath, closer to the disaster's occurrence at 10:21pm

24 December 2013

The ill-fated express, hauled by Ka 949, never made it as far as Makatote Viaduct. Fortunately, DCP 4634 and DFB 7307 did make it sixty years later

24 December 2013

The train passes through Raurimu after exiting the spiral, with the unusual double header evident

24 December 2013

Train 200 rushes towards Taumarunui

24 December 2013

The train twists and turns alongside State Highway 30

24 December 2013

The train continues following State Highway 30 as it reaches Te Kuiti

24 December 2013

Train 200 stops at Otorohanga for a passenger stop before continuing north

24 December 2013

The Northern Explorer is not known for double headers, but at Hamilton, the locomotives were replaced with DFT 7322 and DC 4571, giving the train four different locomotives in one journey

24 December 2013

DFT 7322 and DC 4571 arrive at Britomart with train 200, successfully completing the journey from Wellington to Auckland sixty years after Ka 949 and 151 passengers unfortunately failed to do so

24 December 2013

The reflection of DC 4571 in Britomart's pillars symbolises remembering those who perished sixty years ago, on Christmas Eve 1953 at 10:21pm

24 December 2013