Fun fact Adam, rail in New Zealand started with the Broad Gauge back when it was first introduced. However, it was later standardised to 1067mm Narrow Gauge to cater for the tight mountainous terrain such as the Alpine you traversed. 1067mm was deemed narrow enough for the terrain while large enough for the bigger sized rolling stock.
Almost similar case in Indonesia. Some used 1,435mm in certain route, even less than 1,000mm in Aceh region of Indonesia. Most of them are 1,067mm in Java and Sumatra.
Hi Adam, I only have one word after watching your video, and that is WOW!! The scenery is just beautiful. I'm looking forward to your review of the Kuranda railway. I've been on the train twice and absolutely loved it. Regards Erika from sunny Perth 😎
@FromtheWindowSeat Hi Adam, I'm sure your video will be fantastic. BTW, we really enjoyed Adelaide and Alice Springs. Originally, we were going to travel on the Ghan, but after your review, we plan to travel on the Indian Pacific instead. Regards Erika from sunny Perth 😎
That was a great ride Adam... you have made me rethink my trip now as I have had to reschedule it due to unforeseen issues. Now you have made me rethink my trip to take the Inter islander Ferry, Coastal Pacific, and Tranz-Alpine train/ferry... :):):) Thank you Adam...:):):)
Added your channel last week. Enjoying it a lot. Especially like the data you use such as maps, elevations, distances, and especially comparison of costs between standard and upgraded fares. Thank you and best wishes from Amarillo, TX USA !
That was a wonderful journey Adam. It was on my bucket list but I am now of an age where I am emptying my bucket list by tipping it out and the classic New Zealand rail journeys have been tipped out. I've so enjoyed your trips. Mind, in 2019 we did take the tourist train from Dunedin to Taieri Gorge. That was a good trip, made extra special by the staff.
Another spectacular coverage of NZ trains Adam. So well produced and researched! The TranzAlpine certainly sounds like the journey for me to do next time in New Zealand!
Hi Adam. I've just discovered your channel. So I see a bit of binge watching is in order. If I was to critique it, you have missed the money shot. The Trans Alpine has to be done in winter. The operative word being "Alpine." With plenty of snow, it makes for great photography. The other Alpine trip that was available, was the Mainland Steam Excursion which goes as far as Arthur's Pass. I've done the steam trip twice. One of the highlights is that they drop photographers off on the other side of the viaduct, then back up again, build up a head of steam and come chugging back. Awesome as video. Of the two, I prefer the Steam Excursion in winter. It all depends on what your subscribers want. But definitely come back midwinter, for the snow. Great photography then. Thank you for sharing.
Thanks for your detailed advice! Yes, I’d love to do this trip in winter. As this was my first trip to NZ, it was planned around hiking and being able to enjoy the rest of the country with a mild climate, hence the timing. 😁
@FromtheWindowSeat Thanks so much for your great message!! Before boarding the Trans Alpine I came down on the Trans Coastal from Blenheim!!!..On my highlights tour our coach broke down... we just made it back up the Homer Tunnel from Milford Sound!! ✨️
Thanks Adam, I thought the pie comment was correct. Kiwis do make good pies, but you can't (& shouldn't) microwave a good pie. Given that the local bakery can deliver a hot pie from a pie warmer, I find it very uncool to not have that simple kitchen process on board a tourist cafe car. It's not as if they store them frozen .. or do they ?? Nice job on the video sequencing and information about the history of the rail line. Lots of stuff I didn't know. Cheers.
Planning to take this adventure late 2024 and would love you to review the scenic plus! Fabulous and informative as are all your videos... eagerly waiting for the next!🤩
Mate hats off for a fenomenal series on NZ trains! Absolutely loved all 4 vids. I'll be moving here in September and definitely will try out that northern explorer! 🙏👏👏👏
Your train ride videos are awesome. They are so much fun to watch and very informative. Thank you so much. The effort you put in and how you inform us is very much appreciated.
Another great video. I am glad to see you enjoyed yourself so much over here in Aotearoa. If you had to pick one of the train journeys to take, which would you pick?
Hi Adam. What a great scenic route. Do you know if there is accessable seating ? I am imagining it might be in the higher class carriage, as I couldn't see any in the carriages you showed.
Yes, it’s very picturesque. There’s an accessible seating area in the cafe car. You’ll be able to see it briefly in my video about the Northern Explorer. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-HbNhl1QCGGU.html
Thee same applies for the Coastal Pacific train between Christchurch and Picton, the Northern Explorer train between Wellington and Auckland at the Te Huia train between Wellington and Hamilton and the new carriages on the Capital Connection train between Wellington and Palmerston North. Once a reservation has been made, you need to Contact Great Journeys New Zealand to advise that you need boarding assistance.
What a beautiful country. Really enjoyed seeing a bit of New Zealand. I would have bought a real NZ meat pie and a bit of NZ wine for lunch. Great adventure.
I will be travelling on the TranzAlpine train from Greymouth to Christchurch travelling Scenic Plus, hopefully in the new Scenic Plus carriage October this year. Greymouth railway station has 'scenic' coach services south to Hokitika, Franz Josef Glacier, Fox Glacier onto Queenstown and north to Punakaiki Rocks, Westport and Nelson. Another historic fact about Otira, it was a stabling depot for electric locomotives to haul trains through the Otira Tunnel to Arthur's Pass. Arthur's Pass was the major servicing depot and power station for the electric locomotives.
Scenic Plus should be a great experience Chris. That’s good to know about the coach connections. Yes, interesting that the Otira Tunnel used to be electrified. Pity in a way they didn’t keep that … would have been something different. Cheers!
@@FromtheWindowSeat - Like everything in New Zealand, everything is done in the 'here and now' and no long term thinking and planning :( The new Scenic Plus carriage with its new AKF 'Kitchen' carriage should be ready for the TranzAlpine 2023/24 Summer season. The Coastal Pacific train is planned to have a Scenic Plus carriage and associated AKF 'Kitchen' carriage but introduction dates for this service hasn't been finalised. A third AKF 'Kitchen' carriage is being built for the Northern Explorer but there will be no dedicated Scenic Plus Carriage. Kiwirail is looking at a hybrid 'Scenic Plus' experience using a standard AK passenger carriage for those passengers who want an enhance catering experience. I should have the latest about this at the end of this month - June 2023.
@@chrismckellar9350 Will the Scenic Plus carriage be "1st class" i.e. 2+1 seating with real tables at every seat? What kind of premium does KiwiRail think it would get on the Northern Explorer without upgraded seating? Seems a bit backwards to me. Usually premium classes are marketed on the upgraded hard product and the soft product (catering) is considered a bonus.
@@roger0929 - I have seen interior photos of the new Scenic Plus carriage and you are correct it is in 2 + 1 seating configuration with larger tables. The single seats face each other. The Scenic Plus Carriages will be used on the two South Island trains starting with the TranzAlpine followed by the Coastal Pacific from September 2023. There is currently no plans to have a Scenic Plus carriage on the Northern Explorer due to lack of carriage maintenance facility in the North Island for the Scenic Plus carriage. That said, a kitchen carriage has been built for the Northern Explorer and I suspect an additional 'Scenic' Carriage with 2+2 seating will be added to the current Northern Explorer consist offering a 'Scenic Plus' dining service only as oppose to a full Scenic Plus experience that will be available on the South Island trains.
At 24:00 you have a wonder view of 4 railway cottages. They are kit set builds made at the railway factory in Frankton, Hamilton. Another great review and informative video. I hope you do one on the Taieri gorge railway from Dunedin. 39:01
Fingers crossed - yes, I’d love to make some UK rail trips. I have been there a few times (and lived in London for a while) but that was before I started making videos. Cheers!
Thank you for your info packed video. I loved taking this trip. The scenery was spectacular. I spent most of the time in the outdoor carriage, so I didn't get to hear the commentary. I appreciated your comments to give me the titbits I missed out when I was there.
Great video Adam I have done this trip twice and enjoyed every moment of it as things keep changing with the weather and seasons Also a great road trip back to Christchurch
I think the TranzAlpine train excursion you took was spectacular. I really enjoyed the alps and Viaducts. Please consider riding it again in the future with Scenic plus booking. Is this also a sleeper train? Love this video! ❤👍👍📣
Hi Adam, this is another of your amazing travel videos. I really enjoy your wonderful and informative narration as well as your spectacular videography. The last shot of the mountains and glacier is absolutely breathtaking and I wonder if it is a teaser for your next presentation?
Thanks so much John. Really appreciate the feedback. Unfortunately when I went helihiking at Fox Glacier, I didn’t have making a video in mind so I don’t think I have enough footage for a video. But if I ever return, it’s a good idea.
@From the Window Seat You're very welcome, Adam 👍I am quite content to watch any presentation of yours. How about a slide show of it 🤔 do you have enough shots for that 🤔
Amazing journey. I just don't get why there is this carfuffle with checked baggage and checking in a long time before the start. What's wrong with just getting on and leaving your case in a luggage rack as on any modern civilised railway?
Thanks Andrea. I’m not sure … I’m presuming KiwiRail must have a reason or perhaps it’s just always been done like this. It would be complicated to change now because the carriages have been designed without space for luggage. 🤔
Yes, it takes me a long time to edit videos as this is a hobby and I have a full time job. I also have a backlog of videos to edit (currently 5 filmed but not yet edited).
Lovely video as always, Adam. The scenery in New Zealand is just spectacular. I think tourist trains such as this would do quite well in the United States. Just thinking of New England (the region where I live), we have mountains, vineyards, sea coast. It's quite beautiful. Though in my opinion no country can be as beautiful as New Zealand. I would be interested to learn about some of your other adventures you had down there. Knowing you, wineries were certainly involved in the itinerary.
Thanks so much. Great to hear that. Yes, New Zealand is stunningly beautiful. 😍 I visited a few wine regions in NZ. A couple of highlights were a day trip by ferry to Waiheke Island, which is close to Auckland. Beautiful island with warm weather and rolling vineyards. Another highlight was a self-guided bike tour in the Marlborough wine region, from Renwick. Again, a perfect day to cycle between cellar doors. I also did a full day guided tour of the Central Otago wine region from Queenstown. I didn’t capture footage from those trips because that would really be for a different channel than this one. Cheers! 🤔 🍷
Umm... all of Amtrak's routes outside of the Northeast Corridor? Plus the numerous tourist/scenic trains all over the country. Amtrak has at least 7 routes that travel through upstate New York and New England plus another 12 tourist/scenic railroads in the region. The only state I can think of that doesn't have a least one scenic train route would be Hawaii.
Thank you! Yes, music is subjective. On average, I get more comments from people who like the music than who dislike it but it’s personal, as you say. The other challenge with using the recorded audio is that some of it is unpleasant (the outdoor viewing car is a lot of wind sound and on a recent trip there was more than an hour of a screaming child 🙉). 🤔
Fair comment. And you are 100% right music is infinitely better than wind noise, etc, or a screaming child. Looking fwd to viewing your other videos. Cheers
So that you have the correct information. The old bridge supports in the Grey River at Greymouth was for a road bridge. The railway bridge had wooden supports but is no longer visable just up river from the old road supports. I wasn't living here when these new bridges were built. It is possible that the rail supports may have had to go because they were in the way of the new rail bridge construction.I was born in Greymouth but spent a few years away in the 1970s when these new bridges were built.
Thanks for another well put together and researched video, ive done the Transalpine and Coastal pacific several times my self i agree with you about the Coastal Pacific i never tire of it having traveled on more than a dozen times.
Friends from Australia say that it is overrated, I suppose their expectations were too high. Probably the best time would be to go in autumn or spring when there is snow is on the mountains. It's certainly not cheap and I'm probably never going to do it because I get a free drive over to Hokitika with my brother. 😀
I loved this trip when I did it. I did the return trip and it rained in Greymouth. I was disappointed there wasn't a lot of snow but I think it was better without snow as you could see all the texture and colours of landslides along the way. Of course there was snow on the mountain tops. It was FREEZING on the outside viewing car. I might do it again one day.
Very much enjoying your video production quality. You’re providing a great resource, as well as entertainment. It helps that since watching a couple of your video’s, RU-vid keeps presenting your extensive back-library… which I’m finding far more entertaining than most on my feed😊
Great video Adam it takes me back to june 2000 when i went the other way Greymouth to Christmas. A truely great rail trip ,up their wirh the best of them
Just before Christmas 87, I did the tour from Greymouth to Christchurch, been on trains on all continents, all kinds of nature sceneri, but always remember this as the most spectacular. There were only few wagons, and a balcony at the back.
A BRITISH RAILWAYS MECHANICAL ENGINEERS VISIT TO NZ - 1986. As a Guest of the then NZGR in 1986, I was able to make a trip over the Lyttelton Harbour to Greymouth route in the cabs of various locos hauling freight trains. The only "passenger" train at the time was one operated for miners daily. But what stunned me was the incredible views and rampant "weathering" processes clearly visible at numerous locations, of which I have many photos. So on my return to Wellington, I had a talk with the then Managing Director, and strongly urged him to consider running a "tourist train" over this route using coaching stock which should include roof windows to increase interior lighting & viewing !!! So it's nice to see some film of the train I suggested in 1986. Which appears to to be just what I envisaged, and seems to be operating successfully for the benefit of not just tourists, but the current rail operator.
@@FromtheWindowSeat I see you also have a piece on the Cairns to Kuranda line, which I also visited on my way back to Britain. So I'll leave you another post on that page.
This RU-vid channel deserve more views and subscriptions than any other travelogue documentaries. So, it's my humble request to our esteemed subscriber to share this RU-vid channel as much as you can. It will be the true subscription to this beautiful and unique channel. Thank you 💝 💝💝
It’s hard for me to say as I’ve only travelled on this train twice. Once in summer, once in winter. If travelling in summer, then you’re best to travel midweek rather than on weekends. Also, I believe travelling west is more popular (busy) than travelling east. 🤔
@@FromtheWindowSeat on another note we were searching for train journeys and came across your channel, wow you are good Adam, we have done a lot of train travel around Australia but we are looking for travel in NZ so thank you for your very informative journeys. Have you thought about the Savannahlander that leaves from Cairns and goes to Forsayth?
@@Travelling_Jonoberries Thanks so much! I certainly have thought about the Savannahlander … just a matter of finding time. Certainly keen to do it one day. 😃
@@FromtheWindowSeat it is a pity that governments decided modernise the rail transportation systems, done from a necessity to now a boutique journey. Take the Ghan, Platinum Class double bed cabin $10k wow, a great trip but there is better value out there hence NZ. Where you off to next?
Great video. I was born in NZ, moving away with family in mid 1960s at about age 12. I lived in North Island and was never very familiar with South Island, though my mother told me we visited as far south as Dunedin when I was small (I had and still have, dozens, hundreds, of relatives all over NZ). So I really enjoyed this view of my old homeland. I love the old Greymouth railway station. I also thought it could have been funny if you kept using the term loco for locomotive when you referred to the locomotive staff. (loco staff, which here in Canada would mean crazy staff). 😄Thanks for sharing this. BTW, I like the music you put here and there in your videos.
Great Video, this route was important to me when i lived in canterbury and my wifes sister lived in greymouth, i would love to do the train trip. thanks for sharing
Your comment about Midland Heritage Rail at Springfield is technically wrong. Midland Heritage Rail does still exist it was created by a now deceased rail fan who was part of the mainline steam Trust. The carriages you spoke of belong to them Springfield will some time become the new Mainline Steam Trust South Island depot. The other point about the Midland line at Stillwater that's where the Midland Starts and ends the line to Westport is correct the line to Greymouth becomes the Stillwater - Hokitika line.
Great informative video. Beautiful views but also a lot of information about rivers, tunnels, mines, vegetation, etc. Thank you. Greetings from Galicia (Ukraine).
