Blue Fern (train)
Encyclopedia
The Blue Ferns, an unofficial name, were temporary replacement locomotive-hauled carriage train
s between Wellington
and Auckland
on the North Island Main Trunk Railway (NIMT) in the North Island
of New Zealand
, in 1981-1984 and 1989-1990.
in the central North Island, killing four people. It was the worst railway accident in New Zealand since the Tangiwai disaster
in 1953.
-Wellington locomotive-hauled Endeavour
Express train had its buffet car removed. To replace the damaged railcar the six Endeavour carriages and two matching vans were hastily assembled into a replacement trainset, unofficially named the Blue Fern. The train ran on a 12-hour schedule on Wednesdays, to give the Silver Ferns a day off for servicing. The duration of the journey was increased with delays surrounding the impending NIMT electrification and associated earthworks.
Seating capacity was 204, in reclining first class seats designed in the 1950s - three cars each sat 36, the other three 32.
DC class
locomotives were assigned to its haulage, and on occasion DX class
locomotives provided the motive power. The train lasted until May 1984, when all three Silver Fern railcars were fully operational again and the cars were transferred to a new daily Gisborne
-Wellington service.
In November 1990 the train resumed when another Silver Fern was involved in an accident.
This consist was two Northerner
carriages, which had their 53 reclining road coach-style seat count each reduced to 41 in order to increase leg room space and line each row up with windows, and the Railfreight Systems business car. The business car was originally an aluminium-sheathed 60 foot (18.288 m) Railway Travelling Post Office van, built in 1960. In 1975, it was totally rebuilt as a dining car for the Northerner, seating 40 in tip-up seats arranged in bays of four, alcove-style. In 1988, six seats were removed to provide an open area and at this end a huge plate-glass rear-viewing window and associated framing replaced the intercar gangway, while the rest of the car was overhauled and refurbished. The other two cars were each former single-lavatory first-class cars, later designated South Island Main Trunk
first-class cars, refurbished for the Southerner of 1970. In 1987 they were refurbished for the "new" Northerner. A Mitsubishi-built FM
modular guard's van, one of three assigned to the Gisborne Express
and later the resumed Endeavour, was fitted with an 11-kW petrol generator for powering on-train facilities. The van was painted to match the cars' standard InterCity dark blue with a 100-mm red band inside a 220-mm wide white stripe.
The advantages of a carriage train over the 96-seat railcars quickly became apparent, as did adding the rear-view car to open up viewing opportunities, more room to move, and a full buffet as opposed to a mini-buffet. Major earthworks, track upgrades and realignment, and curvature easing associated with the electrification of the NIMT enabled the Blue Fern to maintain the railcar schedule - some of the fastest transit times for a carriage train on the NIMT were achieved by this service and, if anyone had been recording, some of the fastest times overall, no doubt aided by the use of more powerful DX class and DF class
locomotives as opposed to DC class locomotives that mainy hauled the 1981 version.
Although the advantages of the carriage train concept were quickly realised, it would not be further developed until 1991.
Accordingly, plans were made for a permanent carriage service, and the Overlander commenced operating on 8 December 1991. This was the first permanent daytime carriage train on the NIMT since the cancellation of the Scenic Daylight
in the late 1960s.
Train
A train is a connected series of vehicles for rail transport that move along a track to transport cargo or passengers from one place to another place. The track usually consists of two rails, but might also be a monorail or maglev guideway.Propulsion for the train is provided by a separate...
s between Wellington
Wellington
Wellington is the capital city and third most populous urban area of New Zealand, although it is likely to have surpassed Christchurch due to the exodus following the Canterbury Earthquake. It is at the southwestern tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range...
and Auckland
Auckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
on the North Island Main Trunk Railway (NIMT) in the North Island
North Island
The North Island is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, separated from the much less populous South Island by Cook Strait. The island is in area, making it the world's 14th-largest island...
of New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, in 1981-1984 and 1989-1990.
Twist of Fate
On Tuesday 18 August 1981 a Silver Fern railcar derailed near WaiouruWaiouru
Waiouru is a small town in the centre of the North Island of New Zealand. It is on the North Island Volcanic Plateau, 25 kilometres south-east of Mount Ruapehu, and in the Ruapehu District....
in the central North Island, killing four people. It was the worst railway accident in New Zealand since the Tangiwai disaster
Tangiwai disaster
The Tangiwai disaster on 24 December 1953 was the worst rail accident in New Zealand history. An 11-carriage overnight express from Wellington to Auckland fell into the Whangaehu River at Tangiwai, ten kilometres west of Waiouru. The bridge carrying the North Island Main Trunk Railway over the...
in 1953.
Replacement
Ten days earlier, the Wellington-NapierNapier, New Zealand
Napier is a New Zealand city with a seaport, located in Hawke's Bay on the eastern coast of the North Island. The population of Napier is about About 18 kilometres south of Napier is the inland city of Hastings. These two neighboring cities are often called "The Twin Cities" or "The Bay Cities"...
-Wellington locomotive-hauled Endeavour
Endeavour (train)
The Endeavour was a long-distance passenger train service between Wellington and Napier in the North Island of New Zealand...
Express train had its buffet car removed. To replace the damaged railcar the six Endeavour carriages and two matching vans were hastily assembled into a replacement trainset, unofficially named the Blue Fern. The train ran on a 12-hour schedule on Wednesdays, to give the Silver Ferns a day off for servicing. The duration of the journey was increased with delays surrounding the impending NIMT electrification and associated earthworks.
Seating capacity was 204, in reclining first class seats designed in the 1950s - three cars each sat 36, the other three 32.
DC class
NZR DC class
The NZR DC class locomotive is the most common class of locomotive currently in operation on the New Zealand rail network. Primarily employed to haul freight trains operated by KiwiRail, the class is also used for long-distance passenger trains operated by Tranz Scenic and suburban passenger trains...
locomotives were assigned to its haulage, and on occasion DX class
NZR DX class
The NZR DX class is a class of 49 Co-Co diesel-electric locomotives that currently operates on New Zealand's national railway network.Built by General Electric in Erie, Pennsylvania, United States, they were introduced to New Zealand between 1972 and 1976. The class is based on the General Electric...
locomotives provided the motive power. The train lasted until May 1984, when all three Silver Fern railcars were fully operational again and the cars were transferred to a new daily Gisborne
Gisborne, New Zealand
-Economy:The harbour was host to many ships in the past and had developed as a river port to provide a more secure location for shipping compared with the open roadstead of Poverty Bay which can be exposed to southerly swells. A meat works was sited beside the harbour and meat and wool was shipped...
-Wellington service.
Resurrection
In 1989 a Silver Fern railcar derailed again, in a level-crossing accident near Tangiwai. No-one was hurt or killed, but it would have implications on the running of daylight passenger trains on the NIMT. Another Silver Fern was slated to run an excursion in the South Island at the time of the Tangiwai accident. Instead of cancelling the excursion, Rail Passenger decided implemented a temporary carriage train replacement. Also unofficially named the Blue Fern, the carriage train returned on Friday 7 April 1989 and remained in use until mid-year.In November 1990 the train resumed when another Silver Fern was involved in an accident.
This consist was two Northerner
Northerner (train)
The Northerner was an overnight passenger train between Wellington and Auckland in New Zealand. Originally numbered 227 southbound and 626 northbound, it replaced the unnamed and less revered ordinary express trains supplementing the luxurious Silver Star , which had replaced the Night Limited in...
carriages, which had their 53 reclining road coach-style seat count each reduced to 41 in order to increase leg room space and line each row up with windows, and the Railfreight Systems business car. The business car was originally an aluminium-sheathed 60 foot (18.288 m) Railway Travelling Post Office van, built in 1960. In 1975, it was totally rebuilt as a dining car for the Northerner, seating 40 in tip-up seats arranged in bays of four, alcove-style. In 1988, six seats were removed to provide an open area and at this end a huge plate-glass rear-viewing window and associated framing replaced the intercar gangway, while the rest of the car was overhauled and refurbished. The other two cars were each former single-lavatory first-class cars, later designated South Island Main Trunk
South Island Main Trunk Railway
The Main North Line between Picton and Christchurch and the Main South Line between Lyttelton and Invercargill, running down the east coast of the South Island of New Zealand, are sometimes together referred to as the South Island Main Trunk Railway...
first-class cars, refurbished for the Southerner of 1970. In 1987 they were refurbished for the "new" Northerner. A Mitsubishi-built FM
NZR FM guards van
The NZR FM guards van is a rail vehicle in New Zealand originally used on freight trains but now used primarily on passenger trains, reclassified AG.-First batch, 1977:...
modular guard's van, one of three assigned to the Gisborne Express
Endeavour (train)
The Endeavour was a long-distance passenger train service between Wellington and Napier in the North Island of New Zealand...
and later the resumed Endeavour, was fitted with an 11-kW petrol generator for powering on-train facilities. The van was painted to match the cars' standard InterCity dark blue with a 100-mm red band inside a 220-mm wide white stripe.
Advantages
Unlike the predecessor of eight years before, this incarnation proved very popular with the public, both in services offered and in speed.The advantages of a carriage train over the 96-seat railcars quickly became apparent, as did adding the rear-view car to open up viewing opportunities, more room to move, and a full buffet as opposed to a mini-buffet. Major earthworks, track upgrades and realignment, and curvature easing associated with the electrification of the NIMT enabled the Blue Fern to maintain the railcar schedule - some of the fastest transit times for a carriage train on the NIMT were achieved by this service and, if anyone had been recording, some of the fastest times overall, no doubt aided by the use of more powerful DX class and DF class
NZR DF class (1979)
The NZR DF class of 1979 is a class of 30 Co-Co diesel-electric locomotives built by General Motors Diesel of Canada between 1979 and 1981. Between 1992 and 1997, all the locomotives were rebuilt as the DFT class, a turbocharged version of the DF....
locomotives as opposed to DC class locomotives that mainy hauled the 1981 version.
Although the advantages of the carriage train concept were quickly realised, it would not be further developed until 1991.
Accordingly, plans were made for a permanent carriage service, and the Overlander commenced operating on 8 December 1991. This was the first permanent daytime carriage train on the NIMT since the cancellation of the Scenic Daylight
Scenic Daylight
The Scenic Daylight was a short-lived daytime express train in New Zealand that operated between Auckland and Wellington along the North Island Main Trunk Railway...
in the late 1960s.