Americarna Comes To Inglewood 2026

#americarna #inglewood #themonroes We follow a heritage diesel hauled excursion train to an American car themed street-festival in Inglewood, New Zealand. The convoy has arrived at Inglewood from Waitara late afternoon. There are food stalls at the ready along the sides of the streets and in the old railfreight yard. The amazing Hamilton based band 'The Monroes' are on stage. The townspeople come out in large numbers to be part of the street festival The annual Taranaki 'AmeriCARna' event (first held in 2007) celebrates American car culture in NZ. About 650 people registered for the 2026 event, which ran from Tuesday the 24th to Saturday 28th of February. This late-summer event is popular with both enthusiasts and members of the public alike, as there is a wide array of vehicles involved, from vintage & classic cars to modern American muscle Using the city of New Plymouth as a hub, the event is shared with selected host townships in the surrounding Taranaki region. 'Steam Incorporated' operated a four-day New Plymouth based 'Americarna Rail Experience'. This train featured heritage diesel-electric locomotives DBR 1254 (Built in 1965, Rebuilt 1981) & DA1410 (Built 1955). On the way up the Marton - New Plymouth Line, the excursion train crosses Train 545 at Pātea. After dropping its passengers off at Inglewood, the empty train travels on to New Plymouth. Later, Train 521 heads southbound through Inglewood.