What 3rd world country threw away their trains

[Eddieb]

Before Wellington got hold of them?

Took the train to work this morning as usual, however I was running a few minutes late so got a later train than usual.

I was amazed at the state of the carriages on this run, if there were a road going vehicle they certainly wouldn't get a warrant.

The carriage in front of mine had quite a few holes larger than a modern 50c piece just in the end of the carriage I could see. When I got out in town and looked at my carriage the front lights were only just still attached, and only by a slim strip of rust along the bottom and one side of their mounting plate. The other side and top edges were completely rusted through.

The seating inside was so bad people were having to hold on to the walls and opposite seats to stop being flung into the corridor, it was boucing around so much you actually left the seat.

Another great example of the GOVT selling off an enterprise for it to be run into the ground by private owners.

Wellington's train system is under stress due to increasing usage over the past few years without the correspending investment in rolling stock to keep abreast with that. Recent media reports indicate it could be 3 years before any more rolling stock is introduced, and even that is just to take old carriages off the scrap heap, supposedly refurbish them and re introduce them onto the tracks.

I think this morning carriages are well over due going onto the scrap heap. If they are a sample of whats still being used I'm not looking forward to seeing what they resurrect off the heap.

[Coyote]

All this while a huge convoy of cars with a single person in each flood in and out of the city each day

[pete376403]

The old English Electric cars date from the 1950s, way past their use-by.

However as you say, perfect example of "private enterprise efficiencies" - run them into the ground then threaten the government with stopping their use unless given more handouts

Richard Prebble, Labours Minister for SOE (Selling Off Everything) later went on to help form ACT because Labour wasn't moving fast enough toward the private enterprise model. I wonder if he still feels, with the benefit of hindsight, that it was the best thing to do. (Likewise, Max Bradford and electricity production)

[Finn]

I know that our Auckland cho cho's were purchased from an Australian museum.

[Mr Merde]

I know that our Auckland cho cho's were purchased from an Australian museum.

All they are missing is the cow catchers at the front of the engine and possibly a little bit of mechanical reliability.

[Squeak the Rat]

Is wellington rail electrified or still runing on diesel like auckland? As per finns comment, aucklands trains were dug out of a fossill pit, because parts for diesel trains aren't being manufactured any more.

In fact when the much hyped britomart was being built it was the only non-electric train station being built in the world at the time.

But don't worry, in half a century we can all look back and say bloody hell, they were talking about how crap the infrastructure was in 2007 and still nothings changed......

[Swoop]

I work next to an Auckland train enthusiast...

The Ak trains came from Perth. Aparently Perth is rather flat...
Hence the reasons that the trains struggle when they get to a small hill (then catch on fire)!

[skelstar]

The ones on the Hutt or Paraparaumu lines are from Hungary. They used to be called the 'Hungarians' I think. Dunno about the J'Ville ones. WWII vintage I reckon.

[Blackbird]

Oh wonderful! Hope they're reliable. I'm flying down to Wellington a week on Friday then catching the train up to Paremata to pick up my Blackbird.

[Hitcher]

Yes, Wellington has antiquated State-of-the-ark commuter rail. But the times they are a changing: New Wairarapa carriages start arriving in a month's time, with significant station upgrades on that line; double-tracking to the Waikanae overbridge and electrification to Waikanae by 2010; more park-and-ride facilities being constructed as space, facilities and consents allow; new locomotives in seven years... The list goes on. To quote Rachel Hunter "It won't happen overnight, but it will happen!"

[bungbung]

They borrowed some of the 1938 Cyclops design units from Ferrymead to make up numbers during peak time. Some of the 1946 versions are pretty rusty now.

[et al]

Oh wonderful! Hope they're reliable. I'm flying down to Wellington a week on Friday then catching the train up to Paremata to pick up my Blackbird.

Don't worry - the ones they use on that line are usually the more modern and reliable ones, but even so they are 60's vintage I think but comparitively luxurious compared to those old English Electric units that the Plebs from Jville and the Hutt have to use.

[SPman]

I know that our Auckland cho cho's were purchased from an Australian museum.

Hey - from our museum - we've got nice new electrics what can rattle along at 120kph......from Subiaco to Midland, 20 km through the traffic on up to 70kph roads, the trains are faster than the bike, and that includes the 1k walk to the station.
I thought the Wellington electrics were new in the early '80s.

[Motu]

I thought the Wellington trains were pretty flash when I was there in the '80's - Auckland didn't have commuter trains,passengers went in the freight wagons.

[Madness]

All the long distance services use vehicles originally built in the 1930s, albeit refurbished, but with no alterations to suit modern requirements for access. The TMW trains are also old, and some do not provide for appropriate access by today’s standards. Fifteen cars, used to and from the Wairarapa, are the same vintage as the long distance cars. A further 9 two-car sets and 6 3-car sets remain from the original English Electric electric multiple unit (“EMU”) fleet built in the early 1950s (to a 1930s design). These are used on the Johnsonville line, and on peak services in the Hutt Valley. Forty-four two-car EMUs built by Ganz Mavag in the early 1980s form the bulk of the fleet. A set of eight British carriages was refurbished in the mid-1990s for the Capital Connection train to and from Palmerston North.

I remember being knee high to a grasshopper when the "new" Ganz-Mavag units tuned up on the Hutt Valley line, oooh err they were flash back then.