Ab 608 & The Marlborough Flyer - January 2018 (HD)

During the summer cruise ship season of 2017 – 2018, a newly adapted tourist steam train venture between Picton & Blenheim named ‘The Marlborough Flyer’, set up by Pounamu Travel was operated using Steam Incorporated’s Ab 608 “Passchendaele” & 5 wooden carriages which had been transferred to the South Island to operate these trains over the cruise ship operating period. The Marlborough Flyer has become a massive success so far, thanks to many groups and sponsors involved including KiwiRail, RMTU, Steam Incorporated & Port Marlborough. In our video, we cover the flyer in operation during late January 2018 which sees Ab 608 tackle the infamous 1 in 37 steep gradient from Picton yard to Elevation and travelling through the valley down to Blenheim to drop off passengers. Here they travel to other attractions in Marlborough while the train continues to Vernon crossing loop to run around and head tender first for the return trip to Picton. We hope you enjoy seeing some of New Zealand’s finest action of steam power in regular use, something that may be adapted more often in the future for tourism!