Sixty Australian tourists arrived in Dunedin in style
yesterday afternoon on the southern leg of a national historic
steam excursion, hauled by restored locomotive Ja1271.
The locomotive was built at Hillside workshops in 1956, one
of 35 "Ja" class engines constructed in Dunedin between 1946
and 1956.
The locomotives operated on all mainline New Zealand routes
until they were retired in 1971.
Ja1271 was restored to operational standard by excursion
company Steam Incorporated in 1997.
During the tour, passengers are riding in two cars which were
recently painted in a "Pullman Green" colour scheme, and used
on the North Island main trunk Parliamentary Special.
From Dunedin, the tourists will visit Queenstown, the West
Coast and Arthurs Pass before returning to Wellington.
While in Dunedin, the locomotive will haul carriages on
Saturday's five Taieri Gorge Railway runs between Dunedin and
Sawyers Bay.
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