Author(s): Joy Cowley

NZ Picture Books

Engine H One-Ninety-Nine worked the Wairarapa line, pulling carriages up the steep incline of the Rimutaka Hill. It’s a darned long way to the summit of the Rimutakas, and a steep climb at that. But Engine H 199 used to do its bit to get people and freight through the Rimutaka Ranges. At the end of the story, which is told in Cowley’s faultless rhyme and rhythm, is a double-page fact spread about the locomotives and brake vans that were needed to achieve this feat.