NZR N class
Encyclopedia
The N class were 12 steam locomotive
s that operated on the national rail network
of New Zealand
. They were built in three batches, including one batch of two engines for the private Wellington and Manawatu Railway Company, the WMR, by the Baldwin Locomotive Works
in 1885, 1891, and 1901. Previously the N class designation had been applied between 1877 and 1879 to Lady Mordaunt, a member of the B class of 1874
.
of the 1880s, the young New Zealand railway network continued to expand and additional motive power was required. The New Zealand Railways Department
had normally ordered locomotives from England
up until this time, though it had previously bought locomotives from United States
manufacturers (such as the Rogers K class
), and in 1885 it placed an order with Baldwin, whose first New Zealand locomotives were the T class
, to construct the six original members of the N class, which entered service between October and December 1885.
Six years later the WMR required additional motive power to handle the growing traffic on their line from Wellington
to Longburn
, just south of Palmerston North
. Its typical supplier of equipment was Baldwin, who offered the WMR a locomotive similar to the N class. The WMR ordered two such locomotives and they entered service as Nos. 9 and 10. They proved to be more efficient than the 1885 batch, and in an attempt to match these efficiencies the government converted N 27 into a Vauclain compound
, but with little success.
In 1901, the government ordered four similar locomotives.
; Nos. 5 and 18 had wider fireboxes and became the NC class
.
, the 1901 batch around Auckland
. In 1908 the WMR was nationalised and incorporated into the government's network. The two ex-WMR Ns continued to work on their home route until World War I
, when they were transferred to Westland
to operate the mail trains between Greymouth
and Otira
, making full use of their speed. In the 1920s the two were modified for shunting
duties, including the addition of a tender cab and side ladders on the tender
.
and Horowhenua. It ran comfortably at speeds of 50-55 mph, and between Levin
and Shannon
it reached 64.4 mph (103.6 km/h), then the world speed record on (1,067 mm) narrow gauge track.
300 when it was overhauled, distinguishing it from others of its class. Three more were withdrawn in March 1927, and N 27, the first member of the class, followed in November of that year. Record-setting WMR No. 10/N 454 was also meant to be withdrawn in 1927 but was given a reprieve: its crews formally complained about its poor condition and it ceased service on 30 January 1928. It was stripped of useful parts and sat in Greymouth yard until it was officially written off on 31 March 1928. It was dumped in the Waimakariri River
as a means of stabilising the riverbank. The last N was taken out of service in March 1934.
, dumped in the Bealey River
, and it was recovered by the Wellington and Manawatu Railway Trust
in stages between 2003 and 2006 with the aim of restoring it to full operational condition. On 27 February 2007, No. 9 returned to its old home of Paekakariki and is now based at the depot of Steam Incorporated
, where it is undergoing restoration to working order.
By May 2009, No.9's tender had been dismantled, and the frames and bogies overhauled and reassembled.
Railway enthusiasts have also attempted to find the remnants of WMR No. 10/N 454 but have not yet had success.
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 the 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...
of 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...
. They were built in three batches, including one batch of two engines for the private Wellington and Manawatu Railway Company, the WMR, by the Baldwin Locomotive Works
Baldwin Locomotive Works
The Baldwin Locomotive Works was an American builder of railroad locomotives. It was located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, originally, and later in nearby Eddystone, Pennsylvania. Although the company was very successful as a producer of steam locomotives, its transition to the production of...
in 1885, 1891, and 1901. Previously the N class designation had been applied between 1877 and 1879 to Lady Mordaunt, a member of the B class of 1874
NZR B class (1874)
The NZR B class of 1874 was the first of two steam locomotive classes to be designated as B by the Railways Department that then oversaw New Zealand's national rail network...
.
Construction
Despite the Long DepressionLong Depression
The Long Depression was a worldwide economic crisis, felt most heavily in Europe and the United States, which had been experiencing strong economic growth fueled by the Second Industrial Revolution in the decade following the American Civil War. At the time, the episode was labeled the Great...
of the 1880s, the young New Zealand railway network continued to expand and additional motive power was required. The New Zealand Railways Department
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...
had normally ordered locomotives from England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
up until this time, though it had previously bought locomotives from United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
manufacturers (such as the Rogers K class
NZR K class (1877)
The NZR Rogers K class was the first example of American-built locomotives to be used on New Zealand's railways. Their success coloured locomotive development in New Zealand until the end of steam.-History:...
), and in 1885 it placed an order with Baldwin, whose first New Zealand locomotives were the T class
NZR T class
The NZR T class was a class of steam locomotive used in New Zealand.-History:By the late 1870s there was a distinct need for a powerful type of locomotive to operate the steep section of the Main South Line between Dunedin and Oamaru...
, to construct the six original members of the N class, which entered service between October and December 1885.
Six years later the WMR required additional motive power to handle the growing traffic on their line from Wellington
Wellington
Wellington is the capital city and third most populous urban area of New Zealand, although it is likely to have surpassed Christchurch due to the exodus following the Canterbury Earthquake. It is at the southwestern tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range...
to Longburn
Longburn
Longburn is a rural settlement just outside of Palmerston North in the Manawatu-Wanganui area of New Zealand. Made up of large dairy processing plants Longburn is often mistaken to be a small township and not seen as a large satellite town of Palmerston North...
, just south of Palmerston North
Palmerston North
Palmerston North is the main city of the Manawatu-Wanganui region of the North Island of New Zealand. It is an inland city with a population of and is the country's seventh largest city and eighth largest urban area. Palmerston North is located in the eastern Manawatu Plains near the north bank...
. Its typical supplier of equipment was Baldwin, who offered the WMR a locomotive similar to the N class. The WMR ordered two such locomotives and they entered service as Nos. 9 and 10. They proved to be more efficient than the 1885 batch, and in an attempt to match these efficiencies the government converted N 27 into a Vauclain compound
Vauclain compound
The Vauclain compound was a type of compound steam locomotive that was briefly popular around 1900. Developed at the Baldwin Locomotive Works, it featured two pistons moving in parallel, driving a common crosshead and controlled by a common valve gear using a single, complex piston...
, but with little success.
In 1901, the government ordered four similar locomotives.
Subclasses
Two sub-classes of the N class existed, both Baldwin Vauclain compounds built for the WMR. Nos. 14 and 15 were a heavier and more powerful version of the N class and became the NA classNZR Na class
The NA class was a class of two steam locomotives that operated on the privately owned Wellington and Manawatu Railway and then the publicly owned national rail network in New Zealand...
; Nos. 5 and 18 had wider fireboxes and became the NC class
NZR Nc class
The NZR NC class was a class of two steam locomotives built by Baldwin Locomotive Works built for service on New Zealand's private Wellington and Manawatu Railway...
.
Operation
The 1885 batch operated in the Hutt Valley and the WairarapaWairarapa
Wairarapa is a geographical region of New Zealand. It occupies the south-eastern corner of the North Island, east of metropolitan Wellington and south-west of the Hawke's Bay region. It is lightly populated, having several rural service towns, with Masterton being the largest...
, the 1901 batch around 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...
. In 1908 the WMR was nationalised and incorporated into the government's network. The two ex-WMR Ns continued to work on their home route until 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...
, when they were transferred to 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...
to operate the mail trains between Greymouth
Greymouth
Greymouth is the largest town in the West Coast region in the South Island of New Zealand, and the seat of the Grey District Council. The population of the whole Grey District is , which accounts for % of the West Coast's inhabitants...
and Otira
Otira
Otira is a small township seven kilometres north of Arthur's Pass in the central South Island of New Zealand. It is on the western approach to the pass, a saddle between the Otira and Bealey Rivers high in the Southern Alps...
, making full use of their speed. In the 1920s the two were modified for shunting
Shunt (railway operations)
Shunting, in railway operations, involves the process of sorting items of rolling stock into complete train sets or consists. The United States terminology is "switching"....
duties, including the addition of a tender cab and side ladders on the tender
Tender locomotive
A tender or coal-car is a special rail vehicle hauled by a steam locomotive containing the locomotive's fuel and water. Steam locomotives consume large quantities of water compared to the quantity of fuel, so tenders are necessary to keep the locomotive running over long distances. A locomotive...
.
A world record
The most outstanding operational feat by an N class locomotive occurred on 20 July 1892. WMR No. 10 departed Wellington with a special test train, and gradually picked up speed on the flat trackage of the Kapiti CoastKapiti Coast
The Kapiti Coast is the name of the section of the coast of the south-western North Island of New Zealand that is north of Wellington and opposite Kapiti Island. It falls under the jurisdiction of the Wellington Regional Council...
and Horowhenua. It ran comfortably at speeds of 50-55 mph, and between Levin
Levin, New Zealand
Levin is a town in the Manawatu-Wanganui region of New Zealand, and is the largest town in the Horowhenua district. It is 90 kilometres north of Wellington, 50 kilometres south of Palmerston North, and two kilometres to the east of Lake Horowhenua....
and Shannon
Shannon, New Zealand
Shannon is a small town in the Horowhenua District of New Zealand's North Island. it is located 28 kilometres southwest of Palmerston North and 15 kilometres northeast of Levin. The town's population at the 2006 census was 1506....
it reached 64.4 mph (103.6 km/h), then the world speed record on (1,067 mm) narrow gauge track.
Withdrawal
By the 1920s withdrawal was seriously considered. The first two were withdrawn in November 1926; the boiler from WMR No. 9/N 453, withdrawn on 13 November 1926, was re-used on WBNZR Wb class
The NZR WB class was a class of tank locomotives that operated in New Zealand. Built in 1898 by the Baldwin Locomotive Works, the twelve members of the class entered service during the first five months of 1899...
300 when it was overhauled, distinguishing it from others of its class. Three more were withdrawn in March 1927, and N 27, the first member of the class, followed in November of that year. Record-setting WMR No. 10/N 454 was also meant to be withdrawn in 1927 but was given a reprieve: its crews formally complained about its poor condition and it ceased service on 30 January 1928. It was stripped of useful parts and sat in Greymouth yard until it was officially written off on 31 March 1928. It was dumped in the Waimakariri River
Waimakariri River
The Waimakariri River is the largest of the North Canterbury rivers, in the South Island of New Zealand. It flows for 151 kilometres in a generally southeastward direction from the Southern Alps across the Canterbury Plains to the Pacific Ocean....
as a means of stabilising the riverbank. The last N was taken out of service in March 1934.
Preservation
None of the N class were saved for preservation - they were withdrawn at least two decades before the preservation movement had even seriously begun. However, the skeleton of WMR No. 9/N 453 was discovered near Arthur's PassArthur's Pass
Arthur's Pass is a mountain pass in the Southern Alps of the South Island of New Zealand. It marks part of the boundary between the West Coast and Canterbury regions, 140 km from Christchurch and 95 km from Greymouth. The pass lies in a saddle between the valleys of the Otira River, a...
, dumped in the Bealey River
Bealey River
The Bealey River is a small river located in the Southern Alps of New Zealand. It is a tributary of the Waimakariri River. Its valley forms the eastern approach to Arthur's Pass...
, and it was recovered by the Wellington and Manawatu Railway Trust
Wellington and Manawatu Railway Trust
The Wellington and Manawatu Railway Trust is a charitable trust based in Wellington, New Zealand, and is actively restoring former Wellington and Manawatu Railway locomotive No.9 , to full working order.-The trust:...
in stages between 2003 and 2006 with the aim of restoring it to full operational condition. On 27 February 2007, No. 9 returned to its old home of Paekakariki and is now based at the depot of Steam Incorporated
Steam Incorporated
Steam Incorporated, often abbreviated to Steam Inc., is a railway heritage and preservation society based at the Paekakariki Railway Station, Paekakariki at the southern end of the Kapiti Coast, approximately 50 minutes north of Wellington on the west coast of New Zealand's North Island. Unlike...
, where it is undergoing restoration to working order.
By May 2009, No.9's tender had been dismantled, and the frames and bogies overhauled and reassembled.
Railway enthusiasts have also attempted to find the remnants of WMR No. 10/N 454 but have not yet had success.
