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NZR D class (1874)
Encyclopedia
The NZR
D class was a class of tank
steam locomotive
s that operated on New Zealand
's national railway network
. The first members of the class entered service in 1874, and all had left the service of NZR by the end of 1927, which allowed the D classification to be used again
in 1929.
and cylinders were the same as the slightly earlier C class
, but its driving wheel
s had a larger diameter and it was aesthetically different from the C. The locomotives were ordered in a number of separate batches: the first consisted of eight from Neilson and Company
in 1874, five from Dübs and Company
and four more from Neilson in 1878, another seven from Neilson in 1880, ten from Scott Brothers
in 1887, and the final D from Scott Brothers in 1890. The order with Scott Brothers
, placed in 1884, was the first large-scale construction project of locomotives in New Zealand.
and Lyttelton
until superior locomotives took their place, and they were also utilised at other major locations up and down the South Island
's east coast. In the North Island
, one locomotive, D 137, was used in 1905 as part of a "railcar
" trial service between Lower Hutt
and Upper Hutt
. This featured D 137 hauling a passenger carriage that seated 24 first class passengers, 48 second class passengers, and had a guard's compartment, and was inspired by locomotive/carriage combinations the General Manager of NZR witnessed in the eastern United States
. However, the combination was overpowered and uneconomic and did not last long in service.
, and three more followed in the next two years, one to the PWD and the other two to private businesses. However, the rest of the class continued to operate for over a decade. Withdrawal began to take place during World War I
; the locomotives had long since been superseded by newer and more powerful engines on the national network, but they were ideally sized to operate private sidings and bush tramways, so many were sold rather than scrapped. Only eight of the class remained in service at the start of 1920, and the last left NZR in May 1927. The PWD and private industries continued to use D class locomotives for decades - a few examples survived into the 1960s. This included the aforementioned D 137, which operated until 1963 on the truncated portion of the Hutt Valley Line that remained as an industrial rail siding
for the Gear Meat Preserving and Freezing Company.
, followed by D 140 at the Ferrymead Railway
. Of the other five, D 6 is unrestored at the Ocean Beach Railway
, D 137 and D 143 are under restoration at the Silver Stream Railway
, D 170 is on static display at Helensville
railway station, and D 221 is on static display in Centennial Park in Kaitaia
and its sister train (number unknown) residing in a paddock in Kaingaroa.
New Zealand Railways Department
The New Zealand Railways Department, NZR or NZGR and often known as the "Railways", was a government department charged with owning and maintaining New Zealand's railway infrastructure and operating the railway system. The Department was created in 1880 and was reformed in 1981 into the New...
D class was a class of tank
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...
steam locomotive
Steam locomotive
A steam locomotive is a railway locomotive that produces its power through a steam engine. These locomotives are fueled by burning some combustible material, usually coal, wood or oil, to produce steam in a boiler, which drives the steam engine...
s that operated 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 railway 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...
. The first members of the class entered service in 1874, and all had left the service of NZR by the end of 1927, which allowed the D classification to be used again
NZR D class (1929)
The NZR D class of 1929 comprised one 0-4-0 tank locomotive that was built for the New Zealand Railways Department by the Clayton Wagons Ltd in Lincoln, England.- History :Originally, D 1 was purchased for railcar type service but it was not successful...
in 1929.
Introduction
The D class's boilerFire-tube boiler
A fire-tube boiler is a type of boiler in which hot gases from a fire pass through one or more tubes running through a sealed container of water...
and cylinders were the same as the slightly earlier C class
NZR C class (1873)
The C class consists of a number of tank locomotives 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....
, but its driving wheel
Driving wheel
On a steam locomotive, a driving wheel is a powered wheel which is driven by the locomotive's pistons...
s had a larger diameter and it was aesthetically different from the C. The locomotives were ordered in a number of separate batches: the first consisted of eight 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...
in 1874, five 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:...
and four more from Neilson in 1878, another seven from Neilson in 1880, ten from Scott Brothers
Scott Brothers (locomotive manufacturers)
Scott Brothers in Christchurch, New Zealand had an engineering works and iron foundry that supplied 11 steam tank locomotives to the New Zealand Government Railways in 1874. They are the only New Zealand manufacturer apart from A & G Price of Thames to have supplied the NZR with steam locomotives,...
in 1887, and the final D from Scott Brothers in 1890. The order with Scott Brothers
Scott Brothers (locomotive manufacturers)
Scott Brothers in Christchurch, New Zealand had an engineering works and iron foundry that supplied 11 steam tank locomotives to the New Zealand Government Railways in 1874. They are the only New Zealand manufacturer apart from A & G Price of Thames to have supplied the NZR with steam locomotives,...
, placed in 1884, was the first large-scale construction project of locomotives in New Zealand.
Names
Four of the original 1874 locomotives were named:- D 143: Trout
- D 144: Kingfisher
- D 169: Possum
- D 240: Snapper
Operation
The D class locomotives were used in a variety of locations. When they were first introduced to New Zealand, the railway network was young and fragmented, and each individual section had its own numbering pattern: this meant that transfers of locomotives from one section to another tended to result in the allocation of a new number, which creates a confusing history up to the point where numbers were nationally standardised. The Ds were not particularly powerful locomotives and were employed on light duties, sometimes achieving speeds of 72.4km/h (45mph) on a level grade. They often saw service on commuter trains between ChristchurchChristchurch
Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the country's second-largest urban area after Auckland. It lies one third of the way down the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula which itself, since 2006, lies within the formal limits of...
and Lyttelton
Lyttelton, New Zealand
Lyttelton is a port town on the north shore of Lyttelton Harbour close to Banks Peninsula, a suburb of Christchurch on the eastern coast of the South Island of New Zealand....
until superior locomotives took their place, and they were also utilised at other major locations up and down the South Island
South Island
The South Island is the larger of the two major islands of New Zealand, the other being the more populous North Island. It is bordered to the north by Cook Strait, to the west by the Tasman Sea, to the south and east by the Pacific Ocean...
's east coast. In the North Island
North Island
The North Island is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, separated from the much less populous South Island by Cook Strait. The island is in area, making it the world's 14th-largest island...
, one locomotive, D 137, was used in 1905 as part of a "railcar
Railcar
A railcar, in British English and Australian English, is a self-propelled railway vehicle designed to transport passengers. The term "railcar" is usually used in reference to a train consisting of a single coach , with a driver's cab at one or both ends. Some railways, e.g., the Great Western...
" trial service between Lower Hutt
Lower Hutt
Lower Hutt is a city in the Wellington region of New Zealand. Its council has adopted the name Hutt City Council, but neither the New Zealand Geographic Board nor the Local Government Act recognise the name Hutt City. This alternative name can lead to confusion, as there are two cities in the...
and Upper Hutt
Upper Hutt
Upper Hutt is a satellite city of Wellington. It is New Zealand's smallest city by population, the second largest by land area. It is in Greater Wellington.-Geography:Upper Hutt is 30 km north-east of Wellington...
. This featured D 137 hauling a passenger carriage that seated 24 first class passengers, 48 second class passengers, and had a guard's compartment, and was inspired by locomotive/carriage combinations the General Manager of NZR witnessed in the eastern United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. However, the combination was overpowered and uneconomic and did not last long in service.
Withdrawal
The first D to leave NZR's service departed in 1899 for use with the Public Works DepartmentNew Zealand Ministry of Works
The New Zealand Ministry of Works, formerly the Department of Public Works and sometimes referred to as the Public Works Department or PWD, was founded in 1876 and disestablished and privatised in 1988...
, and three more followed in the next two years, one to the PWD and the other two to private businesses. However, the rest of the class continued to operate for over a decade. Withdrawal began to take place during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
; the locomotives had long since been superseded by newer and more powerful engines on the national network, but they were ideally sized to operate private sidings and bush tramways, so many were sold rather than scrapped. Only eight of the class remained in service at the start of 1920, and the last left NZR in May 1927. The PWD and private industries continued to use D class locomotives for decades - a few examples survived into the 1960s. This included the aforementioned D 137, which operated until 1963 on the truncated portion of the Hutt Valley Line that remained as an industrial rail siding
Rail siding
A siding, in rail terminology, is a low-speed track section distinct from a running line or through route such as a main line or branch line or spur. It may connect to through track or to other sidings at either end...
for the Gear Meat Preserving and Freezing Company.
Preservation
Seven members of the D class have been preserved, although only two are in operational condition. The first D to be returned to operational condition was D 16, owned by the Pleasant Point Museum and RailwayPleasant Point Museum and Railway
thumb|right|Pleasant Point Museum and Railway YardThe Pleasant Point Museum and Railway is a narrow gauge heritage railway located in the small country town of Pleasant Point in southern Canterbury, New Zealand, inland from Timaru. Its main terminal is located at Pleasant Point station, which was...
, followed by D 140 at the Ferrymead Railway
Ferrymead Railway
The Ferrymead Railway is a New Zealand heritage railway built upon the formation of New Zealand's first public railway, the line from Ferrymead to Christchurch, which opened in 1863. On the opening of the line to Lyttelton on 9 December 1867, the Ferrymead Railway became the Ferrymead Branch and...
. Of the other five, D 6 is unrestored at the Ocean Beach Railway
Ocean Beach Railway
The Ocean Beach Railway is a heritage railway that operates in Dunedin, New Zealand. It is located between John Wilson Drive in the suburb of Saint Kilda and sports grounds near Forbury Park Raceway, and runs parallel with the city's main beach, Ocean Beach...
, D 137 and D 143 are under restoration at the Silver Stream Railway
Silver 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...
, D 170 is on static display at Helensville
Helensville, New Zealand
Helensville is a town in the North Island of New Zealand. It is sited 40 kilometres northwest of Auckland, close to the southern extremity of the Kaipara Harbour. State Highway 16 passes through the town, connecting it to Waimauku 16 km to the south, and Kaukapakapa about 12 km to the...
railway station, and D 221 is on static display in Centennial Park in Kaitaia
Kaitaia
Kaitaia is a town in the far north region of New Zealand, at the base of the Aupouri Peninsula which is about 160 km northwest of Whangarei. It is the last major settlement on the main road north to the capes and bays on the peninsula...
and its sister train (number unknown) residing in a paddock in Kaingaroa.