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.

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.

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.

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.

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.