Train Tracking & Speed Monitoring with the Gisborne City Vintage Railway

The Wa165 (commonly known as the Gisborne City Vintage Railway) is the only remaining Wa class train built in the Hillside workshops in 1897, Dunedin, New Zealand. After a thorough restoration process, the train is now able to run ‘relaxing steam ride trips’ over the summer seasons between Gisborne and Muriwai.

In 1959, the Wa165 was withdrawn from service, after spending the majority of its life on the heavily graded railway line between Gisborne and Motuhora. In1985, a group of railway enthusiasts formed the ‘Gisborne City Vintage Railway Society’. Their objective was to rebuild the Wa165 locomotive to its 1897 condition, after years of abandonment, rust and corrosion.

On the 22nd of October 2000, the Wa165 commenced its first public journey. Today you can experience the Wa165 steam train on several excursions, exploring the sites of Gisborne and its surroundings.

Monitoring Steam Train Trips

The Gisborne City Vintage Railway Society was wanting to monitor and publish the real-time locations of the Wa165 whilst out on its excursions. This led to the installation of a GPS tracking device (Oyster2 4G) on the carriages of the steam train.

Real-time Location Tracking

It is critical for The Gisborne City Vintage Railway Society to receive the real-time location of the train, as well as the ability to monitor and record its speed. This is critical when the train approaches road crossings, as the Vintage Rail Society is aware of incidents at Rail Crossings where vehicles ignore the warning and claim the train was speeding. Digital Matter’s Telematics Guru platform allows users to receive this data in one place with real-time live map views.

From the Vintage Rail Society

“The Oyster2 and Telematics Guru allow the location of the train to be monitored at any time, and also keeps records of the speed. This is especially important when the train approaches road crossings.” 

Visit www.gcvr.org.nz for more information or get in touch to learn more about becoming a partner!