NZR C class (1873)
Encyclopedia
The C class consists of a number of tank locomotive
s built to operate on New Zealand
's national rail network
during its infancy. It is sometimes referred to as the little C class or the original C class to distinguish it from the C class of 1930
.
's "Great Public Works" scheme came the requirement of motive power. Train sizes at the time were understandably small and terrain was difficult, so the small C class was ordered, ten from Neilson and Company
and six from Dübs and Company
. Its initial duties were to aid in the construction of lines, where the small wheel arrangement
of 0-4-0
and the lightness of the locomotive was a particular asset.
Once main lines were open, the C class was utilised to haul general freight and passenger trains, but it was quickly superseded by new locomotives that were larger, could generate more power, and could store enough coal and water to run longer distances. It was found to be somewhat unstable at speeds higher than 15 mph, and by 1880, all C class locomotives had been modified to have a wheel arrangement of 0-4-2
.
north of Auckland
to the under-construction Seddonville Branch
in Westland
, they understandably acquired a range of numbers. Sometimes, a locomotive on one section would have the same number as a locomotive on another, or when a locomotive was transferred to a new section, it received a new number in line with that section's numbering scheme. When standard nationwide numbering was introduced, numbers were modified again.
. Another C was recovered in 1993 from where it was dumped in the Buller Gorge
, Westland and is currently in the possession of the Westport Railway Preservation Society, whose ultimate goal is to return the locomotive to full operating condition.
Tank locomotive
A tank locomotive or tank engine is a steam locomotive that carries its water in one or more on-board water tanks, instead of pulling it behind it in a tender. It will most likely also have some kind of bunker to hold the fuel. There are several different types of tank locomotive dependent upon...
s built to operate on New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
's national rail network
Rail transport in New Zealand
Rail transport in New Zealand consists of a network of gauge railway lines in both the North and South Islands. Rail services are focused primarily on freight, particularly bulk freight, with limited passenger services on some lines...
during its infancy. It is sometimes referred to as the little C class or the original C class to distinguish it from the C class of 1930
NZR C class (1930)
The C class consisted of twenty-four steam locomotives built to perform shunting duties on New Zealand's national rail network. It is sometimes known as the big C class to differentiate it from the C class of 1873.-History and construction:...
.
Introduction
With the construction of a national network under Julius VogelJulius Vogel
Sir Julius Vogel, KCMG was the eighth Premier of New Zealand. His administration is best remembered for the issuing of bonds to fund railway construction and other public works...
's "Great Public Works" scheme came the requirement of motive power. Train sizes at the time were understandably small and terrain was difficult, so the small C class was ordered, ten from Neilson and Company
Neilson and Company
Neilson and Company was a locomotive manufacturer in Glasgow, Scotland.The company was started in 1836 at McAlpine Street by Walter Neilson and James Mitchell to manufacture marine and stationary engines...
and six from Dübs and Company
Dûbs and Company
Dübs & Co. was a locomotive works in Glasgow, Scotland, founded by Henry Dübs in 1863 and based at the Queens Park Works in Polmadie. In 1903 it became part of the North British Locomotive Company.-Preserved locomotives:...
. Its initial duties were to aid in the construction of lines, where the small wheel arrangement
Wheel arrangement
In rail transport, a wheel arrangement is a system of classifying the way in which wheels are distributed beneath a locomotive.. Several notations exist to describe the wheel assemblies of a locomotive by type, position, and connections, with the adopted notations varying by country...
of 0-4-0
0-4-0
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 0-4-0 represents one of the simplest possible types, that with two axles and four coupled wheels, all of which are driven...
and the lightness of the locomotive was a particular asset.
Once main lines were open, the C class was utilised to haul general freight and passenger trains, but it was quickly superseded by new locomotives that were larger, could generate more power, and could store enough coal and water to run longer distances. It was found to be somewhat unstable at speeds higher than 15 mph, and by 1880, all C class locomotives had been modified to have a wheel arrangement of 0-4-2
0-4-2
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 0-4-2 represents the wheel arrangement with no leading wheels, four powered and coupled driving wheels on two axles, and two trailing wheels on one axle...
.
Numbering
The numbering of the C class often proved to be completely illogical and they changed numbers multiple times. Locomotives with numbers from C 1 to C 577 existed. Part of the reason for this was that at the time, the New Zealand network consisted of many isolated stages with different sections using different numbering schemes, and as the Cs were used all around the country, from the Kumeu-Riverhead SectionKumeu-Riverhead Section
The Kumeu-Riverhead section was a short-lived railway line north-west of Auckland, New Zealand. It was built as part of the Kaipara-Riverhead Railway, which was isolated from the national railway network until 1881, just before closure of this section....
north of Auckland
Auckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
to the under-construction Seddonville Branch
Seddonville Branch
The Seddonville Branch, now truncated and operating as the Ngakawau Branch, is a branch line railway in the West Coast region of New Zealand's South Island. Construction of the line began in 1874 and it reached its final terminus at the Mokihinui Mine just beyond Seddonville in 1895...
in Westland
West Coast, New Zealand
The West Coast is one of the administrative regions of New Zealand, located on the west coast of the South Island, and is one of the more remote and most sparsely populated areas of the country. It is made up of three districts: Buller, Grey and Westland...
, they understandably acquired a range of numbers. Sometimes, a locomotive on one section would have the same number as a locomotive on another, or when a locomotive was transferred to a new section, it received a new number in line with that section's numbering scheme. When standard nationwide numbering was introduced, numbers were modified again.
Withdrawal and preservation
By the commencement of the 20th century, some of the C class, now too small for the work required on the national network, had been sold to operators of private industrial lines. By the early 1920s, all members of the C class had been sold, and many gave decades of good service on industrial lines and bush tramways. Their small size there was a considerable asset and one (number 132) survived long enough to be saved for preservation. It now operates on the Silver Stream RailwaySilver Stream Railway
The Silver Stream Railway is a heritage railway at Silverstream in the Hutt Valley near Wellington, New Zealand. It regularly operates preserved New Zealand Railways Department locomotives along a restored section of the Hutt Valley Line before a deviation was built in 1954.- History :The...
. Another C was recovered in 1993 from where it was dumped in the Buller Gorge
Buller Gorge
The Buller Gorge is a gorge located in the northwest of the South Island of New Zealand. The Buller River flows through the deep canyon between Murchison and Westport. Land Information New Zealand lists two sections for the gorge, Upper Buller Gorge and Lower Buller Gorge. State Highway 6 runs...
, Westland and is currently in the possession of the Westport Railway Preservation Society, whose ultimate goal is to return the locomotive to full operating condition.