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Ten L class locos were built by the Avonside Engine Company of Bristol in England. Built in 1877 our loco (makers number 1207) entered service in Wanganui in 1878 and was initially numbered L30. Renumbered L21 in 1882 and later in 1890 became L219. The locomotive was transferred to Wellington in 1888. Here 219 was used on trains around the greater Wellington area before being sold to the Public Works Department (PWD) in 1903. The locomotive was then known as PWD 509 being used on construction work, firstly on the North Island Main Trunk line and later on the Raetihi branch line.
Built in 1938, R.M.30 was the first of 6 Standard railcars. They were designed with a driving cab at each end and seating in two compartments with a centre toilet. When built R.M.30 had seating for 36 passengers in second class and 12 in first class. This was changed later when the first class seats were removed and 16 second class seats fitted in their place. The original Leyland Diesel engines were replaced in the early 1950s with Meadows diesel engines. They are mounted under the driver’s seat at both ends.
C847 was the third C class heavy shunting locomotive built at Hillside Workshops is Dunedin in 1930 maker’s number 255. The C class were designed as heavy shunting engines with a light axle loading to allow them to be used on wharves and other light track. Until the time of their design most shunting had been done with older obsolete classes of locomotives. Twenty four C’s were built 12 each at Hillside and Hutt Workshops. They saw service mainly in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch. C847 was initially based in Dunedin but was transferred north to Christchurch in 1934.
Built in 1968 by A and G Price in Thames #221 is a 0-6-0 diesel hydraulic shunting locomotive. 221 was built for use at the New Zealand Steel mill at Glenbrook south of Auckland. Powered originally by a Catapillar D343 engine it is now powered by a Rolls Royce/Perkins C8-TCA. Used at the steel mill up until 2000, a damaged final drive saw the locomotive withdrawn from service.
De508 was built by the English Electric Company in Preston , England in 1951, makers number 1746 and entered service with New Zealand Railways in 1952. The locomotive is powered by an English Electric 6SRKT 6 cylinder turbocharged diesel engine which produces 660 Hp which drives through a generator to 4 traction motors (2 per bogie).
Our small C class locomotive was built by Dubs and Company of Glasgow in 1875, makers number 885, the last of the class to be built and was delivered to the then isolated Greymouth Section in December of that year. At first the locomotive was not numbered but named Pounamu a common practice at the time. In 1877 it was numbered C 132 and later in 1882 renumbered C 2. When originally built it had a 0-4-0 wheel arrangement but this was changed in 1879 to a 0-4-2 after the addition of a Bissell trailing truck.
D143 was built by Neilson and Company Glasgow Scotland in 1874 maker’s number 1847. The locomotive was one of the first of 22 D class locomotives built by Neilsons and also Scott Brothers in Christchurch New Zealand. Entering service in April 1875 143 became the first locomotive allocated to the Isolated Nelson Section. In 1882 it became D1 and in 1890 D143. 143 was first used on construction trains on the Nelson Line and later on Goods and Passenger trains.
Barclay 1181 was built in Scotland in 1909 for the Wellington Meat Export Company Ngauranga freezing works. It was used to shunt wagons from the NZR sidings up into the works. 1181 was in use until c1963 when serious boiler trouble saw it withdrawn from servie. 1181 was aquired by preservationist Len Southward who moved the loco to his factory in Seaview. In 1981 1181 was gifted to Steam Incorporated and stored at the Paekakareki depot. In1996 a group of Steam Inc's younger members nicknamed the Barclay Boys commenced work on a project to evantually return the loco to operation.
Built in 1921 at the Kilmarnock Scotland works of Andrew Barclay and Sons, Makers number 1749 is now the smallest Ex New Zealand Railways steam locomotive still in existence. Purchased by the Public works Department, 1749 became PWD 531.
Ed101 was assembled by the English Electric Company in Preston , England in 1937, makers number 3886 and entered service with New Zealand Railways in May 1938.Ed101 was used for suburban passenger trains and local goods trains around Wellington. After being withdrawn in 1981 Ed101 was moved to the railway in May 1984.
Built in 1936, R.M.5 was one of 6 Wairarapa Railcars principally designed for use over the steep Rimutaka Incline railway between Upper Hutt and Featherston. The section between Summit and Cross Creek used the Fell Centre Rail for adhesion and braking. As this rail sat up higher than the running rails the car was designed to clear it. Originally powered with a Leyland petrol engine this was later changed to a Leyland diesel to lessen the fire risk. Mainly used between Wellington and Masterton the Wairarapa railcars did occasionally venture further afield to places like Gisborne.
Ww571 was built at the Hillside workshops in Dunedin in 1914 with makers number 147 and entered service on the 4th of November of that year. Initially based in Wellington, 571 was also based in places as far away as Thames and Napier before returning to Wellington in 1936, where it was mainly used on suburban passenger trains until withdrawn from service in 1953 following the introduction of the De class diesel electrics in 1952. 571 was stored along with other withdrawn engines at Hutt Workshops, its future uncertain.
Ransomes and Rapier steam crane number 124 was built around 1946. It was understood to have originally been built for a metre gauge railway in Africa who later cancelled their order. The crane was then advertised for sale world wide as war surplus. New Zealand Railways purchased the crane the same year but it was not put into service until 1948. The delay after purchase is rumoured to have been the time taken to regauge the crane to 3ft 6in. Originally based at Frankton , 124 was used mainly on Way and Works service i.e. lifting track sets, bridges etc.
Eb26 was built by NZR at the Hutt Workshops using componants supplied by the Goodman Manufacturing Company in the USA in 1929, originally as a battery electric locomotive. It was based at the workshops for many years being used on light shunting duties in the car and wagon workshop. Over time the storage batteries started to fail so a war surplus AEC generator set was mounted on the original underframe along with a new cab in 1953. The generator was hooked up to the original traction motors converting the loco into a diesel electric.
This locomotive was one of 15 of a class that were the first Diesel Electric locomotives to run in New Zealand. A diesel electric is a locomotive that uses a diesel motor to turn a generator which produces electricity to power electric motors that turn the wheels. Built in 1952 our locomotive first entered service in Wellington before moving to Auckland a few years later.
Entering service in October 1941, Ka 935 maker’s number 318 was built at Hutt Workshops in Wellington. When built 935, along with most of the rest of the Ka class were coal fired but was converted to oil firing in 1948. They were also fitted with a “streamlined” casing over the front of the smoke box, boiler and running boards. The purpose of this was to hide the ACFI feed water pump and associated piping. 935 had its casing and ACFI pump removed in 1950 and was fitted with an exhaust steam injector.
D137 was built in Christchurch at Scott Brothers in 1887 makers’ number 31, entering service with New Zealand Government Railways that year. 137 was based in Wellington all of its working life. In 1901, 137 was sold to the Gear Meat company in Petone becoming their number 2. It worked at the company's large freezing works with extensive rail sidings near the Petone foreshore.
This locomotive was built by the firm of Andrew Barclay, Sons and Company of Kilmarnock, Scotland in 1913 maker’s number 1335. It was ordered by the Gear Meat Company of Petone who had an extensive railway network at the Freezing works near the foreshore in Petone. 1335 is an 4-4-0 tank locomotive that weighted 26 tons in working order. The 4-4-0 wheel arrangement was not overly common in New Zealand and 1335 is understood to have been one of only two industrial locomotive with this wheel arrangement. Both have been preserved.
