NZR P class (1885)
Encyclopedia
The P class was a class of steam locomotive
s built to haul freight trains on the national rail network
of New Zealand
. The class consisted of ten individual locomotives ordered from the British company of Nasmyth, Wilson and Company in 1885, but miscommunications about the weight limitations imposed on the locomotives meant they did not start work until 1887. This debacle came at a time when the New Zealand Railways Department
(NZR) was suffering from a lack of motive power to work on its rapidly expanding network and was part of what prompted a shift towards American and home-grown manufacturers.
The classification of this class as "P" was the first example of the re-use of a classification that had previously been used for an earlier class. The members of the P class of 1876
had been sold to private companies or the Public Works Department
, leaving the classification unused. The Railways Department chose to assign it to this class, setting a pattern that was followed with other classes in years to come, with the most prominent example being the A class of 1906
re-using the classification of the A class of 1873
.
Initially, seven of the P class locomotives were deployed in Otago
, with the remaining three based in Auckland
, and in 1899, the Auckland fleet expanded to four when one was transferred north from Otago. The locomotives started their lives with wooden cabs in a Gothic
style, but they were later replaced with steel cabs. The V class
was the equivalent of the P class for passenger train duties, and recorded examples exist of overhauls where a member of one class was re-boilered with the boiler from an engine of the other class.
By 1926, all four Auckland members of the P class had been withdrawn from service, and the six southern members were retired within the next four years. Multiple members of the class are known to have been dumped in rivers to provide riverbank stability and halt erosion, and two of these (P 25 and P 107) were recovered from the Clutha River
in 1992 by Project Steam
of Dunedin
. Roughly a decade later, another two members of the P class (P 60 and P 133) were recovered from the Oreti River
near the Wairio Branch
and are in the possession of the Ohai Railway Board Heritage Trust. The goal of both organisations is to restore at least one of their engines to full operational condition, following in the footsteps of the restoration of K
88 at the Plains Vintage Railway
, and it is believed some considerable progress has been achieved on rebuilding P 107.
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 built to haul freight trains 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...
. The class consisted of ten individual locomotives ordered from the British company of Nasmyth, Wilson and Company in 1885, but miscommunications about the weight limitations imposed on the locomotives meant they did not start work until 1887. This debacle came at a time when 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...
(NZR) was suffering from a lack of motive power to work on its rapidly expanding network and was part of what prompted a shift towards American and home-grown manufacturers.
The classification of this class as "P" was the first example of the re-use of a classification that had previously been used for an earlier class. The members of the P class of 1876
NZR P class (1876)
The P class was a class of two tank locomotives built to work on the government-owned national rail network of New Zealand in 1876. Their wheel arrangement was 0-6-0T under the Whyte notation system and they were initially ordered by the Otago Provincial Council, but they were soon incorporated...
had been sold to private companies or the Public Works Department
New 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...
, leaving the classification unused. The Railways Department chose to assign it to this class, setting a pattern that was followed with other classes in years to come, with the most prominent example being the A class of 1906
NZR A class (1906)
The A class were steam locomotives built in 1906 with a 4-6-2 wheel arrangement for New Zealand's national railway network, and described by some as the most handsome engines to run on New Zealand rails. The class should not be confused with the older and more obscure A class of 1873. They were...
re-using the classification of the A class of 1873
NZR A class (1873)
The A class was the second class of steam locomotive ordered to work on New Zealand's national railways. It should not be confused with the more numerous A class 4-6-2 tender locomotives of 1906. Initially ordered by the Public Works Department for use in the construction of lines, the A class...
.
Initially, seven of the P class locomotives were deployed in Otago
Otago
Otago is a region of New Zealand in the south of the South Island. The region covers an area of approximately making it the country's second largest region. The population of Otago is...
, with the remaining three based in 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...
, and in 1899, the Auckland fleet expanded to four when one was transferred north from Otago. The locomotives started their lives with wooden cabs in a Gothic
Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
style, but they were later replaced with steel cabs. The V class
NZR V class
The NZR V class steam locomotive was used on New Zealand's railway network from 1885 onwards.-Introduction:The heavy increase in traffic by the early 1880s necessitated a design for a new class of passenger locomotive. The V class was conceived as an enlarged version of the 2-4-2 NZR K class of...
was the equivalent of the P class for passenger train duties, and recorded examples exist of overhauls where a member of one class was re-boilered with the boiler from an engine of the other class.
By 1926, all four Auckland members of the P class had been withdrawn from service, and the six southern members were retired within the next four years. Multiple members of the class are known to have been dumped in rivers to provide riverbank stability and halt erosion, and two of these (P 25 and P 107) were recovered from the Clutha River
Clutha River
The Clutha River / Mata-Au is the second longest river in New Zealand flowing south-southeast through Central and South Otago from Lake Wanaka in the Southern Alps to the Pacific Ocean, south west of Dunedin. It is the highest volume river in New Zealand, and the swiftest, with a catchment of ,...
in 1992 by Project Steam
Project Steam
Project Steam is a railway preservation society based in Dunedin, New Zealand. It is dedicated to the restoration of steam locomotives formerly operated by the New Zealand Railways Department, with its goal to restore at least one locomotive to main line operating conditions in order to operate...
of Dunedin
Dunedin
Dunedin is the second-largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the principal city of the Otago Region. It is considered to be one of the four main urban centres of New Zealand for historic, cultural, and geographic reasons. Dunedin was the largest city by territorial land area until...
. Roughly a decade later, another two members of the P class (P 60 and P 133) were recovered from the Oreti River
Oreti River
The Oreti River is one of the main rivers of Southland, New Zealand, and is 170 kilometres in length.The Oreti has its headwaters close to the Mavora Lakes between Lake Te Anau and Lake Wakatipu, and flows south across the Southland Plains to its outflow into Foveaux Strait at the southeastern end...
near the Wairio Branch
Wairio Branch
The Wairio Branch, now incorporating the Ohai Industrial Line, is a branch line railway in Southland, New Zealand. It opened in 1882 and is the sole remaining branch line in Southland, and one of only a few in the entire country...
and are in the possession of the Ohai Railway Board Heritage Trust. The goal of both organisations is to restore at least one of their engines to full operational condition, following in the footsteps of the restoration of K
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:...
88 at the Plains Vintage Railway
Plains Vintage Railway
The Plains Vintage Railway is a heritage railway near Ashburton, New Zealand that operates on three kilometres of trackage that was once part of the Mount Somers Branch before it closed...
, and it is believed some considerable progress has been achieved on rebuilding P 107.
See also
- Locomotives of New ZealandLocomotives of New ZealandLocomotives of New Zealand currently in operation owned by KiwiRail consist of 172 diesel-electric locomotives, 22 electric locomotives, 3 railcars, and 103 shunting locomotives...
- P class of 1876NZR P class (1876)The P class was a class of two tank locomotives built to work on the government-owned national rail network of New Zealand in 1876. Their wheel arrangement was 0-6-0T under the Whyte notation system and they were initially ordered by the Otago Provincial Council, but they were soon incorporated...
- Wellington and Manawatu Railway TrustWellington and Manawatu Railway TrustThe 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:...
- another society seeking to restore a locomotive recovered from a dumping site to full operational condition