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Wayne Garraway lives in Christchurch but his family history is etched in soot that still lines tunnels on the Otago Central Rail Trail. Wayne's father Dave together with his brothers and sisters were literally children of the railway. On the early death of their railwayman father (Richard), whom for a time manned the train stop at the one-house settlement of Parera now on the Taieri Gorge Railway, New Zealand Railways guaranteed Dave and his three brothers, Gordon, John and George, jobs when they finished school. Jean, Dave's sister was born at Parera. Prior to living at Parera, the Garraway's also spent time at Ranfurly and Pukerangi. Originally from Ahaura on the West Coast.
Wayne's father chose to be an engine driver starting in Dunedin in 1947 before transferring as senior engine driver to Ranfurly in 1957 and then moving to Christchurch in 1965.
Long before the appearance of human resources managers, New Zealand Railways, as with many government departments, put a great deal of time and effort into the welfare of staff. Part of this was to support staff outings as illustrated in these photographs from Wayne's family album. If you are riding the Taieri Gorge Railway and you spy an older gentlemen in the garden of the only house at Parera be sure to give a wave to Wayne's dad's brother, John.
Ab717 at Omakau on a NZ Railways staff picnic outing 1963
The locomotive's driver, Dave Garraway, on the left in the photograph, is father of Wayne Garraway who sent in these photos of passenger trains on the Otago Central Line. To the right of the photo is fireman Jim Hansen. Today the station building has gone, but the goods shed to the left of the photo still stands.
Ab693 crossing Poolburn Viaduct 1964
The Ab locomotive was considered “easily the most successful locomotive to steam on New Zealand tracks." (Great Steam Locomotives of All Time - O.S. Nock Blandford Press 1976).
Ab693 on the turntable at Middlemarch 1964.
Engine driver Dave Garrawy is on the left of the photo.
Ab693 at Ranfurly 1963
This photo of Ab693 on a NZ Railways staff picnic shows just how busy Ranfurly was when railways were by government dictate used for all long distance freight haulage
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