Rail history moves to Tauranga

Three pieces of railway history are waiting at Pollock Cranes Tauranga yard for the ground to dry out, so they can be moved to their new homes.

They are going to be moved to new homes up the Minden, Omanawa and Taranaki, says Pollock Cranes dispatch operations manager Carl Hawkings.


Stainless steel Silver Star carriages at Pollock Cranes Tauranga yard. Photos: Chris Callinan.

'Two have stayed up in Thames, and that's about all we know about them.”

Carl believes one will be used for accommodation.

The stainless steel carriages were once part of the Silver Star express, NZR's late attempt to compete with jet aircraft for Auckland-Wellington business traffic.

The pricey all sleeper service never worked. The travelling public preferred to pay less for seats on the slower night express and those who could afford the overnight sleeper service, flew instead.

The Silver Star operated from September 1971 until June 1979. Plans to change the service stalled when blue asbestos insulation was discovered. The 24 cars were hauled to Auckland in 1987. In 1990 the train was brought by Orient Express Trains & Cruises and taken to A & G Price, in Thames, for regauging from New Zealand's 1067 mm (3 ft 6 in) gauge to 1000 mm (3 ft 3 3⁄8 in) gauge for Thai and Malaysian railway lines.

Six cars remained at A & G Price - two double sleepers, two single sleepers and two power vans with stripped out interiors, asbestos removed, and no longer on bogies. They have been for sale since December 2012.

The Silver Star was a luxury passenger train that ran overnight between Auckland and Wellington on the North Island Main Trunk.

3 comments

carriages

Posted on 23-09-2016 11:07 | By David Thomas

There is one of those Carriages in a paddock in the Hinuera Valley near Hinuera Stone. Last time I seen it, it had been tagged, even though it 200metre plus from road.


Hinuera

Posted on 28-09-2016 07:46 | By earlybird

Yes I saw it last weekend. I don't think it's been tagged but it does have a graffiti artwork on it.


Wayward Wagon

Posted on 03-10-2016 21:31 | By NZYZRZ

Hi earlybird. I am keen on finding that carriage you and David have seen. Any ideas on exactly where it is so I can track down its owner?


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