7173 leads DL trio 9204, 9158, and 9233 across the 58 m (190 ft) high Toi Toi Viaduct. The DF class were built by EMD Canada and entered service in 1979 with most now working on South Island lines. It's getting rare to find trains with a lead loco other than a DL these days. This, of course, is a balancing lash up; 13,000Hp is not needed on this train.
Trains on 3' 6" (1.067m) track from Whangarei to Bluff with virtually heritage rebuilt EMD and GE locomotives still the mainstay power. The network was privatized in 1990's and operated by Toll until 2008 when state owned KiwiRail was established.
