Back from New Zealand

I spent a couple of days in the Wairarapa Valley, a couple of hour drive from downtown Wellington. First stop was in Featherston at the Fell Locomotive Museum. Up until the mid 1950's one part of the train route between Wellington and Featherston was a 1 in 14 grade, too steep for normal traction locomotives. Their solution was to put in a center rail that was raised above normal track level and to grip onto that for extra traction

• Multiple brake cars were placed in the train for extra downhill braking.
  


• Underneath the brake car
  


• Engine Cab
  

My gracious hosts in Masterton (Ian & Ann) took me around to layouts in the area and kept me fed. A picture from each layout

• Peter's American HO layout
  


• George's 7mm (O scale?) Scotish layout
  


• Clinton & Ian working with Clinton's US Diesel/UK Steam HO layout (Ian is the one wearing the Tie)
  


• Grant's Sn3.5 layout
  


• The Wairarapa Railway Modellers has a couple of dozen members and a large building. They are currently re-building a HO layout
  


• Ian's Garden Railway
  

A view of the Wairarapa Valley from Mt. Dick on a rainy day