Murupara Branch Recollections

摘要

I transferred to Kawerau as a Locomotive Assistant in December 1959 and stayed till August 1964 when I transferred to Paeroa. Kawerau at that time was New Zealand's only diesel depot. There were no steam facilities, not even a water tank; steam locomotives took water at Matata or from a fire hose in the yard. Taking water in the yard on a J was like watching paint dry and we were lucky if we could scrounge a bag of coal. Trains heading to The Mount (Mount Maunganui) were fully laden with the J firemen having to trim the coal long before reaching Te Puke. Sometimes a D~F would work the line.