Rotorua, New Zealand, 23 September 2010

Photographs cannot do any justice to the sounds and smells that are part of the Rotorua experience.
Boiling mud ponds are fascinating.

These geysers are in Rotorua itself.

After a fascinating day, I travelled up to Ngongotaha, just outside Rotorua, to visit the Rotorua Rail site. Here I found a wonderful vintage John Fowler and a quintessential New Zealand bush 'lokey' conversion.

 
This is part of half of one of the duplex Andrew Barclay locomotives that were supplied to bush tramways.

Huntly & Rotorua, New Zealand, 22 September 2010

Heading down to the hydrothermal delights of Rotorua, called in at the Bush Tramway Club at Pukemiro Junction near Huntly.
This was probably the neatest preservation site I have ever visited and although no one was in attendance, it was open for the casual visitor to walk around, although obviously most of the equipment was locked away in sheds.

This is the unusual New Zealand combination of Climax and Heisler, built by A&G Price in 1923.

An interesting Drewry 0-4-0PM built for New Zealand Government Railways by English Electric.

I can only describe Rotorua as one of the natural wonders of the world. This is one of the lakes in the Waimangu Valley, which dates from the explosion of Mt Tarawera in 1886.

Auckland, New Zealand, 21 September 2010

A short interlude in Auckland for a choir trip is providing a good excuse for a short holiday.
The Museum of Transport and Technology is a quite impressive facility but it still bears the marks of having been started by a conglomeration of enthusiast groups. Now, with government funding, it looks to be on a sound footing but there still appears to be a need for a strategic focus to be more thoroughly applied.

Melbourne 893 at the MOTAT II tram stop.

The most notable aspect of the main site (MOTAT I) is a tram museum and some railway equipment is also preserved there statically. Unfortunately, a lot of the trams were not accessible but I suppose this is understandable for a weekday out of school holiday time.

Kerr Stuart 'Haig' Type 0-6-0T displayed in the open air at MOTAT I. A GM Model G12 is behind.

The second site (MOTAT II), linked to the first by electric tramway, contains the aircraft, military and railway museums. It is rather bleak and in need of thoughtful development. A massive aircraft hanger extension is in course of construction, as is a storage shed extension for the rail workshops. There is a short 3ft 6ins gauge railway line on this second site, but I could not help thinking that it would have been nice if the railway could also have been accommodated on the route of the tramway link.

The railway workshop was 'closed' but I was shown round some of the buildings by a kind gentleman. Most of the locomotives I saw were impossible to photograph adequately and some others must have been in locked storage sheds. There are some nice timber carriages for use on the monthly passenger trains and some nicely restored goods rolling stock also.

This beautiful little Avonside 2-4-0T (1205 of 1877) was under repair with its rear axle out. It was first used on New Zealand Government Railways.

'Bertha' is a delightful Orenstein & Koppel 0-4-0T (1411 of 1904) but the sideways widening of its cab side sheets does not look too authentic.

It was imposssible to photograph the locomotive - ex NZR DSA 223, but the builder's plate is very nice.

Sunday 8 August – Tegal to Jakarta via Jatibarang

Today was the final day of the post-tour tour. Before our departure we had an official group photo. (L-R) Birthday boy Bob (New Zealand), Peter and Rod (England), our tour leader John Raby from England, Danielle and Scott (Australia), Richard (England), John (Australia), Cliff (USA) and Kelvin (Australia).

There was time for just a short visit to Jatibarang mill. This has a roundhouse of wonderful design.

There were just two Japanese diesels in use. The steam locomotive number 5 that was in service in 2008 is now not regularly used but we were told that it was available for charter.

A new development since 2008 has been the building of a short tourist railway – really just a children's circuit ride.













Our trusty bus driver and his assistant.
From Jatibarang we headed for Jakarta passing markets and mosques.



























Service station refreshment stall.

We stopped for lunch along the way.













And made good time along the tollway.














Finally, I'm at the Jakarta Airport Hotel looking forward to a 2.15am wakeup call to start the journey home.

Saturday August 7 - Sumberharjo and Pangka

Today we had reprise visits to two of the best mills in Java for steam. Sumberharjo was quiet - to a certain extent living up to its 'Slumberharjo' reputation, but nevertheless there were seven 700mm gauge steam locomotives at work (just). 

As we left, we saw a steam locomotive heading out to a field line. Rod Smith of Gloucestershire features here.

We also found a diesel heading in to the mill hauling a rake of crippled loris.

Pangka was great with three 600mm steam locomotives at work as well as some of the oldest operational diesels in Java. It was good to see Jung number 1 in operation, meaning that I have seen all three of this type at Pangka in use.

This time, I'll let the photos speak for themselves.

Friday 6 August – Solo to Tegal via Sragi

Today was a long transfer trip but we managed to get in a good return visit to Sragi mill.
Our tour leader, John Raby, deep in conversation with the security man just before we left the hotel this morning.

Becak drivers awaiting trade at the hotel gates.













A Chinese shrine close to where we ate lunch.


















Crane driver's view high above the scene at the unloading station.

Nowhere else in the world can you see five 600mm gauge industrial steam locomotives all at work at the same time and the same place. There were eight in steam here once again.

Only mad dogs. Englishmen, and small children go out in the midday sun.













Quite a slow day with the mill broken down but there is still work to be done and cane shifted.