H&MGR, a family railway in NZ

And today pictorial offering starts with Manawanui rounding the curve by the Playhouse deck...

 
...uphill past the bridge gangers hut....

 
....and coming off Nina's Trestle on to the embankment leading to the truss bridge...

 
...and backdown the hill having passed over the level crossing/cattle stops about to pass under the truss bridge.

 
So ends Monday's service

Thanks for the plan John, it is great to be able to place your excellent photos.
We have had a fun trying to run trains in slightly different conditions to you!

A quick steam up this evening, cool for summer but great for steam effects.

 
steaming hard as the climb starts under the lemon bush and a tight curve to boot under the trestle bridge - Steamed lemons anyone

 
And look what I found in the archives 

 
Perhaps there has been steam in Tawa longer than I remember 

Great to see a scaled track plan - any chance of annotations with vertical heights? You know your layout was a huge inspiration for my own John - and these new photos are absolutely lovely

Wonderful as ever John

Thanks Paul & James.  I'll see what I can do about some levels James, with the layout having been designed with my civil engineering hat on I do have my calculations on record, but I'm sure you don't really what to see things quite that detailed!
 
Meanwhile with the blessing of a true summers day today, and having got the lawns mown it there was still time to run the Bush Jigger and attempt an arty picture

 
Perhaps I should stick to normal ones   Here exiting the bottom tunnel...

 
And through Church Cutting....

 
Under the lemon ....

 
Cheers 

That last one is a gem! Lovely to see a railway in the sun whilst it's grey, damp and overcast here in the UK's winter.

Great as always John. I approve of combining railways and drinking. Seems right somehow.....

Last Sunday the Beckside Works (PBMM) inspired tram engine got a run with our rake of GSM coaches.  Sunday picnic train

 
At Punga Cliffs.

 

And this evening it was Climax time.  If I may be slightly self indulgent, if you read Garden Rail, this is the Climax written about in the current issue.   World famous in it's own lunchtime 

 
Punga Cliffs again...

 
And in same spot but from low down across the railway lawn.

 
Drat - then it was time for tea

Nice......pure nice.......

^ what he said ^
 
...with a few more "nices" thrown in  

Thanks guys.  Come the 28th the H&MGR is 6 years old.  I hope we'll have a wee celebration this weekend.  We come a long way in 6 years.  And still a long way to go 

John, sweet as always.  Your line is amazing. 

Thanks Shawn, but the railway really isn't as good in the flesh, I just try and capture angles that filter out the bland bits.  I need some more fine structures like you line amongst other things.
 
But in the mean time we'll run in the dark so you can't see the bland bits 

 
Hehe, well the last few running session have been mostly in the dark, the summer nights are rapidly running out   From last night....

 
Light growing out of the top tunnel onto Punga Cliffs yard entry...

 
 
 

Easing out of the other end of Punga Cliffs, log loading siding on the left, main line on the right...

 
Illuminated Punga cliffs

 
And last one from last night in my attempt to share with you the fun of my imagination in night time running.  There is something about the play of the headlight around the garden. 

keep up the good work john - always a pleasure to see ur line and stock

Like the night-time shots - gives yet another dimension to an already wonderful line

Yippee a steam up when the sun was still up today...

 
Still need more practice capturing a moving steamie and get visible steam...

 
Guess that is something to look forward too in the coming winter, better steam effects
Though with a slight bit of retouching to dog out a distracting kitchen window in the distant background, the picture below give the feel of the evening  

Make the most of it John - winter's coming
 
(As usual, it looks great !!!!)