At last; Kiwirail proves useful!! Check out this brilliant footage of two Kiwirail locomotives doubling as snow-ploughs at Arthur's Pass yesterday:
And how good would it be to be travelling on the TranzAlpine over the next few days? It's usually regarded as one of the most scenic train journeys in the world, but with the snow up there from Wednesday, it would be something else again.
Hat-tip to film-maker Geoff Mackley for the spectacular footage, via YouTube
10 comments:
Very impressive, thanks for sharing this.
This just goes to show that rail and public transport in general may be the safest bet in difficult weather. I really miss the Southerner service when I have to drive to Dunedin in Winter. We now have no plane or train connections between Invercargill and Dunedin:
http://localbodies-bsprout.blogspot.co.nz/2011/09/reinstate-passenger-rail-services-to.html
Are you for real?
The buses got put away pretty early on wednesday.
Great footage. Felt a bit homesick. have to get back in the pool.
As a keen skier I have been continually appalled at what some people are prepared to attempt in their cars, our ski roads would be much safer if people left their cars at the bottom of the hill and used buses instead.
Europe has more severe Winters than us and public transport is safer, cheaper and more reliable than cars to get around in dodgy conditions.
Zurich, Europe's banking capital, has few cars but efficient light rail and bicycles are the most popular forms of transport.
http://localbodies-bsprout.blogspot.co.nz/2011/10/green-transport-and-green-ties.html
As a keen skier I have been continually appalled at what some people are prepared to attempt in their cars, our ski roads would be much safer if people left their cars at the bottom of the hill and used buses instead.
You mean buses designed to handle snow?
You propose to optimise the bus fleet for conditions encountered around 2 days each year?
And BTW, I think what you witness might have more to do with the fact you're talking about a bunch of people who wish to spend their leisure time halfway up a mountain in the middle of winter, i.e; a couple of sandwiches short of a picnic :)
@ bsprout - I appreciate your contributions, which are generally thoughtful and polite. Just ease up on the link-whoring thanks.
I've driven Arthurs Pass in a just-opened condtion (waiting an hour at AP Village because it's only cleared single file to Otira) the scenery's fantastic when it's not a wall of snow 1m from your car window.
Also, if I'm going to be in an ungainly RWD tail-happy vehicle in those conditions, I'd rather it was me at the wheel of a Commodore, not some skill-unknown driver piloting a bus.
@James Stephenson:
+1
I'm with you James; I always feel safer when I have a steering wheel to hold on to. I'm not the world's best passenger!!
Sorry KP, I'm not sure of protocols for such links. I had always thought that link whoring was related to deliberate use of using someone else's blog to attract traffic to their own (as the sole purpose). I only use such linking if it supports a genuine discussion thread. I will cease the practice on your blog.
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