Member profiles
Here's a brief introduction to some of our members and their locos.
Scott Johnstone
Scott grew up near the GSWR (Glasgow and South Western Railway) in a village called Lochwinnoch. As a young boy he would go to the station and watch the trains. He emigrated to New Zealand in February 2003 from Scotland. Scott is an Aircraft Engineer at Napier Airport.
He first visited Keirunga Park Railway at Queens Birthday weekend 2006 and joined up there and then, as it is a great place to be. He has recently bought John Keenan's TR Price (pictured).
Stuart Anderson
Stuart's interest in trains began as a small boy playing with HO train sets given to him by an uncle. A light fabrication engineer by trade, Stu plays around and fires up full size steam locos, especially the WAB794 from the Feilding and Districts Steam Rail Society. He is regularly seen doing maintenance, and is currently working towards his fireman's ticket. Visit Steamrail's website for more information about WAB794.
Stuart's own miniature loco is based on an NZR DH shunting loco mainly used in Auckland. It's a remote control unit, powered by a 12 1/2 hp Briggs and Stratton motor with a mechanical drive to the wheels. Stu built the loco from scratch himself, and is currently building a Lima Mogul, based on an industrial loco used in sugar cane fields in Australia.
Lyle Dawe
Lyle's first visit to Keirunga was in Easter 2006, where he fell in love with a steam loco which he discovered was for sale. After a few quick words to his wife Diane, and a few more in discussion with its owner, the deal was sealed right there on the platform with a gentleman's handshake, and two months later, Lyle and his family took delivery of Aspen Southern RR 500.
Since then Lyle joined the Keirunga club and has been a regular visitor to the track, even though he lives north of Levin. His two sons Jordan and Warren love getting in the cab and helping to fire up and maintain their Dad's obsession.
Lyle is a fitter and welder by trade, and is a qualified boilerman. He regularly drives the Tokomaru "Manning and Wardell" full size shunting loco on public holidays.
Lyle and his family along with Aspen Southern have also been seen at Rotorua, Palmerston North and Mana Ariki (Taumarunui).
Mike Hartle
Mike is the owner/builder of DG760, a custom-built locomotive based on the original DG760 which was recabbed in 1978. The carriage named DG787 was built as a drive carriage and was designed to look like a slave unit. It carries 4 passengers and the driver. You can visit Mike's website to see the story of the building of the locomotive and carriage, and photo gallery.
Mike is a motor mechanic by trade who has had a lifelong interest in trains.
Caleb Scott
Caleb has been coming to Keirunga Park since 1992 when the track first opened. He has two NZR 3 1/2" gauge locos, a DA and a DC (1/12 scale). Both were built by his father when he was a year old, and Caleb has just finished rebuilding the DA (pictured).
He also owns a steam loco - the 5" gauge "Maid of Kent" of the Southern Railway, England, and is currently completing a 3-1/2" steam loco which was given to him - the "Miss Ten to Eight" 4-4-0 loosely based on the North Eastern Railway R1 class.
Caleb is completing an apprenticeship as an electrician with a local industrial electrical service company.
Jack Keenan
Originally from the United Kingdom, Jack used to ride steam trains as a soldier while in the Royal Artillery. He remembers riding a steam train across France to Marseilles in 1940 when he was transferred to the Mediterranean for three years during the war, and later landed at Gold Beach on 6 June 1944.
After leaving the Army in 1946 Jack worked for the Ford Motor Company at Dagenham in the tractor plant for several years, and then for Shell and BP before emigrating to New Zealand in 1964.
Jack's loco is a bright red DA1401 based on the first one ever delivered to New Zealand which was renumbered DAA and put to work at Te Rapa. The loco is 7-1/4" gauge and is 7 feet long.
Pat Herbison
After an experimental first train, built from old washing machines, etc, Pat built "The Express", a replica of the Australian "Ghan" which travels between Adelaide and Darwin. "The Express" is hydraulically powered by a 11-1/2 HP Robin motor.
Pat, who is an engineer by trade, joined the KPR in 2002 and is the General Manager's assistant and the leading hand on track maintenance.
Geoff Wright
Geoff's Amtrak F40PH is based on an American freight and passenger loco. It has an 8-1/2 hp petrol motor driving a hydraulic pump which in turn drives the two Charlynn traction motors, with 2 3-axle close-ratio bogies which all six axles drive.
View a real-life image of an Amtrak on the RailPix website, and read all about "GE Genesis (AMD103) Units: the P40 and P42" loco on this private website.
Geoff is a structural and maintenance engineer who drove DA locomotives for NZR until the mid 1980s.
John Wright
John has belonged to Havelock North Live Steamers for three years. His father worked on the London Underground from 1924 until he retired in the 1960s as controller and operator of the electricity supply. John completed an apprenticeship as an electrical fitter and then spent two years in the Royal Engineers at Xmas Island in 1959-60. He then joined the British Railways just as they were converting from steam to diesel, in Barnstaple in North Devon, as a fitter.
John remembers that when he was a child, his father had an "O" gauge table top railway, and he has always had an interest in railways. When he came to New Zealand in 1968 he worked for the NZ Railways in the Otahuhu Workshops for 20 years, ending up as a foreman in the diesel shop.
John is currently building a 7 1/4" gauge Western Region Hymek from the UK built by Beyer-Peacock. (There are preserved locos on the Minehead to Taunton branch). He would love to own a steamer one day.
John Keenan
John Keenan is a "train-spotter" from the UK who came to New Zealand in 1964, and currently works for a local authority.
John's present loco is a Price TR shunter which was built by John Romanes several years ago. It has been repowered with a 5 horsepower Tecumseh engine driving through an Eaton hydraulic pump, with chain drive to both axles.
Read about the TR shunter on the TrainWeb website and view a photo.
John joined the Havelock Live Steamers club as a signalman when it first opened, and is a past president and currently Secretary/Treasurer.
Warren Blackburn
"Mr Stationmaster" Warren Blackburn owns a 0-6-0 centre-cab shunter known as "Val". It is based on a GE 44-tonner and carries the colour scheme based on an adaption of the Great Northern Railway's "Big Sky Blue" colour scheme.
The loco uses a mobility scooter motor rewound for 24 volts driving a gearbox and a chain drive to the axles. Power is supplied by two 12-volt 130 amperes/hours deep-cycle batteries, and is capable of hauling four adults.
He had a lot of help building "Val" with friends, club members and business acquaintances providing the expertise.
Read more information about the 44-tonner on the Bison Rail website.
Warren grew up in a railway household where his father drove for the NZR in the days of steam in the central North Island.