Milk Trains Through Aramoho

#KiwiRail #MilkTrain #Aramoho
Three trains (+ a Track Inspection Vehicle) make their way past the former Kempthorne & Prosser Chemical Works at Aramoho in Whanganui, New Zealand.
The first train is Southbound 545 being hauled by DL 9325 and is heading from the Whareroa Dairy Factory to Palmerston North. It passes through at about 1:00pm. In the consist are empty milk wagons for re-loading at Longburn. The second train is 535 being hauled by DL 9291 and is also travelling from Whareroa to Palmerston North. It passes through at 3:00pm. Next is a surprise Light Inspection Hi-Rail Vehicle, presumably on the look out for potential heat buckles on this hot Summers Day. The third train with DL's 9262 & 9210 is Northbound Train 544L and it passes by after crossing 535 at East Town. 544L has eight loaded milk tankers in the consist that are heading from Longburn to Whareroa.
Dominating the background is the derelect 1926 Kempthorne Prosser & Co Aramoho Chemical Works which was mostly closed in the 1980's. Further around the corner we can see the distant Whanganui River Railway Bridge which is Bridge Number 25 on the Marton - New Plymouth Line. Aramoho (opened 1877) is the Junction with the Whanganui Town Branch and was once a busy railway location with a large passenger station supported by signal boxes and goods handling facilities. In 2021 the yard still has two sidings in situ; one that leads to the local KiwiRail Network maintenance depot and another that leads to the Ravensdown Fertiliser Co-operative depot: But this private siding no longer receives wagons from KiwiRail. (A further pair of abandoned sidings still lead through to the old Fertiliser Works)
The KiwiRail DL class was manufactured by CRRC Dalian 中车大连机车车辆有限公司 with engines from MTU (Motoren- und Turbinen-Union). Introduced from 2010 onwards, they are the most powerful diesel-electric locos in service in New Zealand (3,600 hp). The class represents the first order for a Chinese-built locomotive from a western country. The 9000 series allocation was chosen for this class of locomotive as the number 9 represents longevity and good luck in Chinese culture. There are 63 of the class in service in 2021.

[@tonymckeage1028]

Great Video, I find it interesting the scale of fonterra as a customer of kiwirail, the raw product going up line from longburn, and maybe pahiatua, and processed product heading north, for export i am told via Auckland! thanks mark

[@MarkSeconi]

Over the last 20 years 'The Railways' have constantly been reducing their rail-serviced customers in Taranaki & Whanganui. In 2002 they deliberately closed dozens of private sidings and just focused on one or two big customers. This included a strong focus on the Fonterra factory at Whareroa. But they have put their few remaining eggs in one basket, and if that basket gets dropped, then the whole line becomes empty. This video was from 2017 and it looked like 'rail was on a roll' and the railfreight-renaissance had arrived.
However, the log traffic in this video was discontinued in Feb 2023 because of rising railfreight rates and a shakey post-covid international log-market. But never-the-less, there is still log flow in this region and it is now on road transport all the way to the port.
It is uncertain how export product from Fonterra will be transported to the ports in the 23/24 season. The only guaranteed rail traffic at this stage is southbound rail-freight. Northbound might go to road transport which will see less through-freights like the ones in this video.