Mainline Steam
Encyclopedia
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...
organisation devoted to the restoration and operation of historic New Zealand Railways
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...
mainline steam locomotives. Regular day excursions and multi-day tours are operated over rail lines throughout New Zealand. These excursions provide travellers with the unique opportunity to relive the days when steam was king while experiencing the magnificent New Zealand countryside. Excursions are operated by the Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch branches.
About the organisation
Mainline Steam began in 1988 based around the collection of steam locomotives that were privately owned by Mr Ian Welch, the first of which had begun operating on the main line. Depots sprang up in Christchurch and Auckland, and later Wellington. The Auckland depot, based in the old Parnell diesel depot became the organisation’s primary restoration base and most of Mainline Steam's currently active locomotives were restored there. The Wellington depot, located at PlimmertonPlimmerton
The township of Plimmerton is adjacent to one of the more congenial beaches in the northwest part of the Wellington urban area of Porirua in New Zealand...
, is a purpose-built building which replaced the formerly leased Upper Hutt goods shed and has become an important restoration base also. The depot in Christchurch is a former industrial building that used to be located at Studholme, relocated to land on the premises of CWF Hamilton.
Mainline Steam is notable for having imported a number of African steam locomotives from South Africa and Zimbabwe (including a GMAM Garratt), with some more South African and Zimbabwean steam locomotives still overseas. It has also imported former British Rail Mark 2
British Rail Mark 2
The Mark 2 family of railway carriages were British Rail's second design of carriages. They were built by British Rail workshops between 1964 and 1975...
carriages for use on its steam-hauled excursions, and is in the process of overhauling them for NZ use – it currently relies on spare carriage stock being available from Tranz Scenic
Tranz Scenic
Tranz Scenic is the long-distance passenger train brand of KiwiRail, formed from the New Zealand Railways Corporation InterCity Rail services. Tranz Scenic was renamed along with the other operating divisions of Tranz Rail in 1995...
. The organisation regularly operates excursions out of Auckland and Christchurch, the latter operating excursions primarily along the highly scenic Midland Line
Midland Line
Midland Line refers to the following rail lines:*Midland railway line, Perth, Australia*Midland Line, New Zealand*Midland Line in Massachusetts, United States...
. Mainline Steam also has a number of diesel and electric locomotives in its care.
List of NZ locomotives
| Key: | In Service | In Service, Main Line Certified | Under Overhaul/Restoration | Stored | Static Display | Scrapped |
|---|
| Number | Builder | Builder's Number | Year Built | Arrived at Mainline Steam | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BA 552 NZR Ba class The BA class was a class of steam locomotive built by the New Zealand Railways Department for use on New Zealand's national rail network. The first BA entered service in November 1911, with the last of the 11 class members introduced on 14 May 1913.... |
NZR Addington Workshops | 128 | 1912 | 1995 | Owned by Les Hostick. Previously on static display at Te Awamutu Railway Museum, leased to Mainline Steam. Restored to main line standard, certification lapsed. At Auckland Depot. Needs 10 year boiler survey and associated work to return to Mainline operation. |
| BB 144 NZR Bb class The BB class of steam locomotives comprised 30 engines operated by New Zealand Railways in the North Island of New Zealand. Similar in design and appearance to the preceding B and BA classes, the first BB class locomotive entered service in February 1915, with the last to commence operations doing... |
A & G Price, Thames | 85 | 1917 | 1995 | Owned by Les Hostick. Previously on static display at Te Awamutu Railway Museum, leased to Mainline Steam. Under restoration, not intended for main line use. At Auckland Depot. |
| AB 663 NZR Ab class The NZR AB class was a class of 4-6-2 Pacific tender steam locomotive that operated on New Zealand's national railway system. Originally an improvement on the 1906 A class, 141 were built between 1915 and 1927 by NZR's Addington Workshops, A & G Price Limited of Thames, New Zealand, and North... |
NZR Addington Workshops | 188 | 1917 | 1988 | Initially intended as a spare for Kingston Flyer Kingston Flyer The Kingston Flyer is a vintage steam train operating in the South Island of New Zealand at the southern end of Lake Wakatipu. It uses 14 kilometres of preserved trackage that once formed a part of the Kingston Branch.-History:... , stored at Dunedin and stripped of numerous parts. Purchased by Ian Welch 1984, restored to main line standard & converted to oil firing at Silverstream Railway. In use since 1997, named Sharon Lee. At Wellington Depot. |
| K 911 NZR K class (1932) The NZR K class of 1932 was a class of mixed traffic 4-8-4 steam locomotives that operated on New Zealand's railway network. The locomotives were developed following the failure of the G class Garratts... |
NZR Hutt Workshops | 288 | 1934 | 1997 | Used as a boiler supply prior to preservation. Purchased by Ian Welch 1992, restoration begun then sidelined in favour of overhaul of KA 942 NZR Ka class The NZR KA class of 1939 was a class of mixed traffic 4-8-4 steam locomotives that operated on New Zealand's railway network. They were built after the success of the K class to meet the increasing traffic demands of the New Zealand Railways Department... . Restoration continues in limited capacity. At Wellington Depot. |
| KB 968 NZR Kb class The NZR KB class of 1939 was a class of mixed traffic steam locomotives that operated on New Zealand's railway network. They were built by the New Zealand Railways Department after the success of the K class to meet the increasing traffic demands on the Midland Line in the South Island... |
NZR Hillside Workshops | 351 | 1939 | 1992 | Preserved by Ferrymead Trust through efforst of Cyril Evans. Static display at Ferrymead until 1992, leased to Mainline Steam and moved to Christchurch depot. Restoration begun 2006 towards main line use. At Christchurch Depot. |
| KA 942 NZR Ka class The NZR KA class of 1939 was a class of mixed traffic 4-8-4 steam locomotives that operated on New Zealand's railway network. They were built after the success of the K class to meet the increasing traffic demands of the New Zealand Railways Department... |
NZR Hutt Workshops | 325 | 1940 | 1988 | Intended for use as boiler supply, but not used. Purchased by Ian Welch 1974, moved to 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... . Eventually moved to Glenbrook Vintage Railway Glenbrook Vintage Railway The Glenbrook Vintage Railway is a steam railway in Glenbrook, New Zealand. One of New Zealand's premiere rail heritage sites, it is not a museum as such, but rather a fully self-supporting, operating steam railway, built almost entirely by volunteer labour... for restoration to main line standard, in use from 1992. Fitted with original style shrouding, names Nigel Bruce. At Wellington Depot. |
| J 1211 NZR J class (1939) The NZR J class steam locomotives were a class of locomotive used in New Zealand. Following the success of the K class on NZR main lines, there was an urgent need for a modern, powerful locomotive capable of running over secondary lines laid with lighter rails. Thus a new "Mountain" 4-8-2 type... |
North British Locomotive co. | 24534 | 1939 | 1988 | Purchased by syndicate from NZR 1971 and moved to 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... . Purchased outright by Ian Welch 1978, moved to Glenbrook Vintage Railway Glenbrook Vintage Railway The Glenbrook Vintage Railway is a steam railway in Glenbrook, New Zealand. One of New Zealand's premiere rail heritage sites, it is not a museum as such, but rather a fully self-supporting, operating steam railway, built almost entirely by volunteer labour... for restoration and leased to Bay of Islands Vintage Railway Bay of Islands Vintage Railway The Bay of Islands Vintage Railway Trust is a heritage railway in Kawakawa, in Northland in New Zealand. The railway operates on part of the former Opua Branch railway.-History:... 1985-86. Restored to main line standard and fitted with original style streamlining, in use from 1988. Converted to oil firing 1996, named Gloria. At Parnell Depot. |
| JB 1236 NZR J class (1939) The NZR J class steam locomotives were a class of locomotive used in New Zealand. Following the success of the K class on NZR main lines, there was an urgent need for a modern, powerful locomotive capable of running over secondary lines laid with lighter rails. Thus a new "Mountain" 4-8-2 type... |
North British Locomotive co. | 24559 | 1939 | 1988 | Purchased by Railway Enthusiasts Society Railway Enthusiasts Society The Railway Enthusiasts Society Incorporated is a New Zealand railway enthusiast society registered under the Incorporated Societies Act 1908 on 17 July 1958.-Objectives:The RES objectives are as follows:... 1971, onsold privately and moved to MoTaT Museum of Transport and Technology The Museum of Transport and Technology is a museum located in Western Springs, Auckland, New Zealand. It is located close to the Western Springs Stadium, Auckland Zoo and the Western Springs Park. The museum has large collections of civilian and military aircraft and other land transport vehicles... . On static display until 1988 when purchased by Ian Welch, moved to Parnell. Restored to main line standard and converted to oil firing, in use from 2001. Named Joanne. At Christchurch Depot. |
| JA 1240 NZR Ja class The NZR JA class were a type of 4-8-2 steam locomotive used on the New Zealand railway network. The class was built in two batches, with the second batch possessing some differences from the first... |
NZR Hillside Workshops | 363 | 1946 | 1988 | Purchased by Pete Coleman from NZR 1971 and moved to his Blenheim Blenheim, New Zealand Blenheim is the most populous town in the region of Marlborough, in the north east of the South Island of New Zealand, and the seat of the regional council. It has a population of The area which surrounds the town is well known as a centre of New Zealand's wine industry... property. Purchased by Ian Welch 1988, moved to Parnell for restoration 1990. Restoration begun 2007 to main line standard. At Auckland Depot. Restoration progress photos. |
| JA 1267 NZR Ja class The NZR JA class were a type of 4-8-2 steam locomotive used on the New Zealand railway network. The class was built in two batches, with the second batch possessing some differences from the first... |
NZR Hillside Workshops | 381 | 1950 | 2008 | Purchased by Les Hostick & syndicate 1971. On static display at Te Awamutu Railway Museum. Sold to Ian Welch 2008, moved to Parnell for eventual restoration. To be kept as coal burner. At Auckland Depot. |
| JA 1275 NZR Ja class The NZR JA class were a type of 4-8-2 steam locomotive used on the New Zealand railway network. The class was built in two batches, with the second batch possessing some differences from the first... |
North British Locomotive Co. | 27104 | 1951 | 1995 | Purchased by Les Hostick 1967. On static display at Te Awamutu Railway Museum. Leased to Mainline Steam, moved to Parnell 1995 for restoration to main line use. In use from 2004, at Auckland Depot. |
| EW 1805 NZR EW class The NZR EW class locomotive was a class of electric locomotive used in Wellington, New Zealand. The classification 'EW' was due to their being electric locomotives allocated to Wellington.- Introduction :... |
English Electric Co. | 1735/E7491 | 1952 | 2005 | Retained as part of Tranz Rail Tranz Rail Tranz Rail, formally Tranz Rail Holdings Ltd , was the main rail operator in New Zealand from 1991 until it was purchased by Toll Holdings in 2003.- Formation :... Heritage collection until 2005, purchased by Ian Welch and moved to Plimmerton depot. Overhauled to static display condition and undergoing overhaul to main line standard. At Wellington Depot. |
| DSB 313 | Drewry/Vulcan | 2516/D246 | 1955 | 1988 | Used as yard shunter at Parnell Depot, in service. At Auckland Depot. |
| DSA 258 | Hunslet | 4536 | 1955 | 1999 | To Tomoana Freezing Works after NZR. Sold to 2nd Chance Train Trust Rotorua 1997, then to Mainline Steam. Overhauled and leased to Ravensdown Awatoto, suffered damage. Scrapped c2004. |
| DSA 261 | Hunslet | 4698 | 1957 | 2002 | Formerly in use as yard shunter at Christchurch Depot. Stored partially dismantled awaiting overhaul. At Christchurch depot. |
| TR534 NZR TR class The NZR TR class is a class of diesel shunting locomotives built by many different manufacturers. Many of these locomotives have been withdrawn, but some are still in service. The first locomotives of this class were built by the Drewry Car Co in 1936, and had 52 kW or 90 kW petrol engines... |
Bagnall | 3107 | 1957 | 2003 | Used as yard shunter at Plimmerton Depot, in service. At Wellington Depot. |
| Price 213 | A & G Price, Thames | 213 | 1964 | 1988 | Built for Milburn Cement, Burnside. Sold to Mainline Steam 1988, moved to Christchurch depot and used as yard shunter. Under overhaul 2006, painted in “Fruit Salad” colours. In use at Christchurch Depot. |
| DJ3044 NZR DJ class The NZR DJ class locomotive is a class of diesel-electric locomotive used in New Zealand. The class were purchased from Mitsubishi Heavy Industries with a modernisation loan from the World Bank to replace steam locomotives in the South Island, where most of the class members worked most of their... |
Mitsubishi | 1511 | 1967 | 1990 | Purchased as motorless and alternatorless hulk. Moved to Parnell depot, stored awaiting decision on future. At Auckland Depot. Scrapped in May 2011 |
| DJ3292 NZR DJ class The NZR DJ class locomotive is a class of diesel-electric locomotive used in New Zealand. The class were purchased from Mitsubishi Heavy Industries with a modernisation loan from the World Bank to replace steam locomotives in the South Island, where most of the class members worked most of their... |
Mitsubishi | 1535 | 1967 | 1990 | Purchased as motorless and alternatorless hulk. Moved to Upper Hutt depot, later to Plimmerton depot. Under restoration to main line use. |
| DJ3303 NZR DJ class The NZR DJ class locomotive is a class of diesel-electric locomotive used in New Zealand. The class were purchased from Mitsubishi Heavy Industries with a modernisation loan from the World Bank to replace steam locomotives in the South Island, where most of the class members worked most of their... |
Mitsubishi | 1536 | 1967 | 1990 | Sold by NZR to Ohai Railway Board, and later bought back. Purchased as motorless and alternatorless hulk by Richard Head and Graeme Moffatt. Moved to Upper Hutt depot, purchased outright by Richard Head and moved to Plimmerton depot. Under restoration to main line use. |
| DJ3580 NZR DJ class The NZR DJ class locomotive is a class of diesel-electric locomotive used in New Zealand. The class were purchased from Mitsubishi Heavy Industries with a modernisation loan from the World Bank to replace steam locomotives in the South Island, where most of the class members worked most of their... |
Mitsubishi | ? | 1968 | 1990 | Purchased as motorless and alternatorless hulk. Moved to Parnell depot, later scrapped for parts. |
| DSC2759 NZR DSC class The NZR DSC class is a heavy shunting locomotive used throughout New Zealand. The class was built in seven batches, the first 18 locomotives being built by British Thomson-Houston of the United Kingdom, with the remainder being built by New Zealand Railways.... |
NZR Hillside Workshops | 449 | 1967 | 2002 | Occasional yard shunter at Plimmerton Depot, in service. At Wellington Depot. |
| Niigata | Niigata | NK2071 | 1983 | 1994 | Owned by Mainline Steam. Originally bought by Tasman Forestry. At Auckland Depot. |
In addition:
- Hudswell Clarke 1542 of 1924 was purchased by Mainline Steam in 1994, and later onsold to the Rotorua Ngongotaha Railway Trust.
List of overseas locomotives
| Key: | In Service | In Service, Main Line Certified | Under Overhaul/Restoration | Stored | Static Display | Scrapped |
|---|
| Number | Builder | Builder's Number | Year Built | Arrived at Mainline Steam | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SAR 19D 2695 | A. Borsig | 14746 | 1938 | 2007 | Purchased from SAR by Unicem Zimbabwe & fitted with Class 24 tender, their No.1. Purchased by Ian Welch, moved to Bulawayo Railway Museum and dismantled for shipping to NZ. Arrived Napier 2007, stored at Plimmerton Depot awaiting future restoration. At Wellington Depot. |
| SAR 15F 2976 | Beyer Peacock. | 7092 | 1944 | Purchased by Ian Welch, from United Portland Cement. Currently stored at Bloemfontein, South Africa. | |
| SAR 19D 3332 | North British Locomotive Co. | 26052 | 1948 | Purchased by Ian Welch. Currently stored at Bloemfontein, South Africa. | |
| SAR 24 3628 | North British Locomotive Co. | 26332 | 1949 | 1996 | Purchased by Ian Welch 1996 and shipped to Auckland 1997. Converted to oil firing and restored, shipped to Cairns, Australia Australia Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area... 2004 and used on Cairns-Kuranda Steam Train. In storage Cairns, 2006. |
| SAR 25NC 3432 | Henschel & Sohn, Germany. | 28751 | 1953 | 1996 | Purchased by Ian Welch 1996 and shipped to Auckland 1997. In storage awaiting decision on future (currently too heavy for NZ track). At Auckland Depot. |
| ZNR National Railways of Zimbabwe The National Railways of Zimbabwe is the parastatal railway of Zimbabwe. The Zimbabwe railway system was largely constructed during the time of British colonial rule, and part of it represents a segment of the Cape-Cairo railway... 14A 509 |
Beyer Peacock | 7582 | 1953 | 2007 | Purchased from ZNR by Unicem Zimbabwe, their No.2. Purchased by Ian Welch, moved to Bulawayo Railway Museum and dismantled for shipping to NZ. Arrived Napier 2007, stored at Plimmerton Depot awaiting future restoration. At Wellington Depot. |
| SAR 25NC 3508 | North British Locomotive Co. | 27368 | 1954 | 1996 | Purchased by Ian Welch 1996 and shipped to Auckland 1997. In storage awaiting decision on future (currently too heavy for NZ track). At Auckland Depot. |
| SAR GMAM 4148 | Henschel & Sohn, Germany. | 29607 | 1954 | Purchased by Ian Welch. Currently stored at Reefsteamers, Germiston, South Africa. | |
| SAR GMAM 4083 | Beyer Peacock | 7681 | 1956 | 1996 | Purchased by Ian Welch 1996 and shipped to Auckland 1997. In storage awaiting restoration. At Auckland Depot. Often labelled as GMAM 4088. |
| SAR GMAM 4135 | North British Locomotive Co. | 27787 | 1958 | Purchased by Ian Welch. Currently stored at Reefsteamers, Germiston, South Africa. |
Not all locomotives owned by Mainline Steam that are stored overseas are expected to be shipped to New Zealand.
Rolling stock
Mainline Steam has a large collection of rolling stock, mostly consisting of tank wagons used for oil and water storage, some of which are main line certified. In addition Mainline Steam has twice purchased British Railway Mark 2 rolling stock and shipped it to New Zealand – first in 1997 (and on-sold to Tranz RailTranz Rail
Tranz Rail, formally Tranz Rail Holdings Ltd , was the main rail operator in New Zealand from 1991 until it was purchased by Toll Holdings in 2003.- Formation :...
shortly thereafter, after TranzRail informed Mainline Steam that they would not allowed the Mark two carriages to operate on the national network, no doubt to protect their own charter services), and in 2007/2008. Currently some of these latter carriages are under restoration for NZ conditions and to form the basis of Mainline Steam’s carriage fleet. Of note Mainline Steam owns carriage AA 1013, the last remaining carriage from the Parliamentary Special of 1908. This carriage was restored in time for use on the Centenary anniversary train. Mainline has recently acquired surplus 56' carriages
NZR 56-foot carriage
The NZR 56-foot carriage is a class of 17.07m-long railway passenger car formerly used on almost all long-distance rail transport in New Zealand, and still in service. Some have been preserved.-1927: Prototypes:...
A56263, A56742, AO117, AO209 and ASO14.
Excursions
Mainline Steam operate excursions periodically, with a number of excursions operating out of Mainline Steam’s Christchurch depot. These typically involve day excursions to Arthurs Pass on the Midland LineMidland Line
Midland Line refers to the following rail lines:*Midland railway line, Perth, Australia*Midland Line, New Zealand*Midland Line in Massachusetts, United States...
, with a once-a-year 2 day trip along this line to 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 return. The Auckland depot periodically runs excursions to National Park
National park
A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or owns. Although individual nations designate their own national parks differently A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or...
and Tauranga
Tauranga
Tauranga is the most populous city in the Bay of Plenty region, in the North Island of New Zealand.It was settled by Europeans in the early 19th century and was constituted as a city in 1963...
, with Wellington not having operated an excursion out of their base for over 2 years due to carriage availability. Mainline Steam also operates a 2-week New Zealand wide tour once a year, touring the country behind a large selection of Mainline Steam’s main line certified locomotives.