NZR DA class
Encyclopedia
The NZR
Da diesel-electric mainline locomotive class ran on the New Zealand
railway system
between 1955 and 1989. With 146 locomotives, it was the most numerous class to operate in New Zealand, just five more than the AB class
steam locomotive.
The class were A1A-A1A versions of the Electro-Motive Diesel G12
model, altered slightly to fit New Zealand's rail system, and New Zealand's small loading gauge
. They were introduced between 1955 and 1967, and were the first class of diesel locomotives to seriously displace steam traction.
Between 1978 and 1983, 85 were rebuilt as the DC class
, of which many are still in use. All but one of the remainder were withdrawn by 1989, with six preserved. The last locomotive was refitted for shunting duties, becoming DAR 517.
system, generated 1425 hp (1060 kW), and ran at up to 100 km/h. Although they were not the first class of main-line diesel locomotives to operate in New Zealand (this was the DF of 1954), they were the first class to displace the steam locomotives that dominated NZR until the 1950s. They were well suited to hauling freight and passenger trains, and operated the "Scenic Daylight
" service between Auckland
and Wellington
. When they arrived in New Zealand the tunnels south of Paekakariki
on the North Island Main Trunk Railway (NIMT) were not large enough for them and they could not operate into Wellington via the NIMT until these tunnels were enlarged in 1967.
yards and reclassified Daa. Between 1977 and 1983 85 DAs were rebuilt as the new DC class, most by Clyde Engineering
of Australia
and five by NZR at the Hutt Workshops
. Of the locomotives not converted, the last was withdrawn in 1989 and six were preserved, while a seventh, Da 1448, was sold to Tasman Pulp and Paper. The Tasman locomotive was bought back by Tranz Rail
(the successor to NZR) in 1998 and reclassified DAR, as the front hood had been rebuilt (to provide better visibility), and renumbered 517.
in Wellington
. 1410 is currently on lease to the Railway Enthusiasts Society
, 1401 is preserved by the Feilding and District Steam Rail Society
, and 1429 is preserved by a private individual in Auckland. 1471, formerly preserved by Steam Incorporated, is now stored by KiwiRail at Hutt Workshops
near Wellington. From time to time, Tranz Rail and its successors Toll Rail and KiwiRail have leased these locomotives to complement their own fleets due to maintenance requirements or periods of high freight volumes.
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...
Da diesel-electric mainline locomotive class ran on the 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...
railway system
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...
between 1955 and 1989. With 146 locomotives, it was the most numerous class to operate in New Zealand, just five more than the AB class
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...
steam locomotive.
The class were A1A-A1A versions of the Electro-Motive Diesel G12
EMD G12
The EMD G12 was a class of locomotive built by GM-EMD, and its Canadian affiliate General Motors Diesel. In addition, Australian licensee Clyde Engineering built ten locomotives for New Zealand in 1957, five for Hong Kong, 23 for Queensland, 14 for Western Australia and seven for BHP. Australian...
model, altered slightly to fit New Zealand's rail system, and New Zealand's small loading gauge
Loading gauge
A loading gauge defines the maximum height and width for railway vehicles and their loads to ensure safe passage through bridges, tunnels and other structures...
. They were introduced between 1955 and 1967, and were the first class of diesel locomotives to seriously displace steam traction.
Between 1978 and 1983, 85 were rebuilt as the DC class
NZR DC class
The NZR DC class locomotive is the most common class of locomotive currently in operation on the New Zealand rail network. Primarily employed to haul freight trains operated by KiwiRail, the class is also used for long-distance passenger trains operated by Tranz Scenic and suburban passenger trains...
, of which many are still in use. All but one of the remainder were withdrawn by 1989, with six preserved. The last locomotive was refitted for shunting duties, becoming DAR 517.
Operation
The Da class was built to operate main-line passenger and freight trains, and some services on secondary lines. They had a wheel arrangement of A1A-A1A under the UIC classificationUIC classification
The UIC classification of locomotive axle arrangements describes the wheel arrangement of locomotives, multiple units and trams. It is set out in the International Union of Railways "Leaflet 650 - Standard designation of axle arrangement on locomotives and multiple-unit sets". It is used in much...
system, generated 1425 hp (1060 kW), and ran at up to 100 km/h. Although they were not the first class of main-line diesel locomotives to operate in New Zealand (this was the DF of 1954), they were the first class to displace the steam locomotives that dominated NZR until the 1950s. They were well suited to hauling freight and passenger trains, and operated the "Scenic Daylight
Scenic Daylight
The Scenic Daylight was a short-lived daytime express train in New Zealand that operated between Auckland and Wellington along the North Island Main Trunk Railway...
" service between 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 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...
. When they arrived in New Zealand the tunnels south of Paekakariki
Paekakariki
Paekakariki is a town in the Kapiti Coast District in the south-western North Island of New Zealand. It is 22 km north of Porirua and 45 km north-east of Wellington, the nation's capital city....
on the North Island Main Trunk Railway (NIMT) were not large enough for them and they could not operate into Wellington via the NIMT until these tunnels were enlarged in 1967.
Rebuilds and withdrawal
In 1970, six Da class were converted to shunt the Te RapaTe Rapa
Te Rapa is a mixed light industrial, large scale retail and semi-rural suburb to the northwest of central Hamilton, New Zealand.Stretching in a long, thin north-south axis, Te Rapa is home to a large number of factories including Te Rapa Dairy Factory, one of the largest of its kind in the world...
yards and reclassified Daa. Between 1977 and 1983 85 DAs were rebuilt as the new DC class, most by Clyde Engineering
Clyde Engineering
Clyde Engineering was the name of part of the business now known as Downer EDI Rail. Clyde Engineering were involved in the construction of railway locomotives and rolling stock, as well as larger scale engineering projects on behalf of the governments of Australia...
of 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...
and five by NZR at the Hutt Workshops
Hutt Workshops
The Hutt Railway Workshops is a major railway engineering facility in the Lower Hutt suburb of Gracefield in the Wellington region of New Zealand’s North Island...
. Of the locomotives not converted, the last was withdrawn in 1989 and six were preserved, while a seventh, Da 1448, was sold to Tasman Pulp and Paper. The Tasman locomotive was bought back by 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 :...
(the successor to NZR) in 1998 and reclassified DAR, as the front hood had been rebuilt (to provide better visibility), and renumbered 517.
Preservation
Six DA locomotives have been preserved. The class leader, Da 1400, is on static display at MOTAT in Auckland, while Da 1410 and 1431 have been preserved by Steam IncorporatedSteam 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...
in 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...
. 1410 is currently on lease to the 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:...
, 1401 is preserved by the Feilding and District Steam Rail Society
Feilding and District Steam Rail Society
The Feilding and District Steam Rail Society, also known as Feilding Steam Rail, is a railway preservation society located in Feilding in the Manawatu region of New Zealand...
, and 1429 is preserved by a private individual in Auckland. 1471, formerly preserved by Steam Incorporated, is now stored by KiwiRail at Hutt Workshops
Hutt Workshops
The Hutt Railway Workshops is a major railway engineering facility in the Lower Hutt suburb of Gracefield in the Wellington region of New Zealand’s North Island...
near Wellington. From time to time, Tranz Rail and its successors Toll Rail and KiwiRail have leased these locomotives to complement their own fleets due to maintenance requirements or periods of high freight volumes.
Class register
| Original no. | TMS no. | Introduced | Withdrawn | Livery | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1400 | 11 | Preserved, on display at MOTAT. Was Daa 1400 | |||
| 1401 | 28 | Preserved, in operation at Feilding and District Steam Rail Society Feilding and District Steam Rail Society The Feilding and District Steam Rail Society, also known as Feilding Steam Rail, is a railway preservation society located in Feilding in the Manawatu region of New Zealand... . Was Daa 1401 |
|||
| 1402 | 34 | Scrapped. Was Daa 1402 | |||
| 1403 | 40 | Scrapped. Was Daa 1403 | |||
| 1404 | 57 | Scrapped. Was Daa 1404 | |||
| 1405 | Scrapped. | ||||
| 1406 | 63 | Scrapped. Was Daa 1406 | |||
| 1407 | 86 | Scrapped. | |||
| 1408 | 92 | Scrapped. | |||
| 1409 | 103 | Scrapped. | |||
| 1410 | 126 | Preserved, 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... . |
|||
| 1411 | 132 | Scrapped. | |||
| 1412 | 149 | Scrapped. | |||
| 1413 | 155 | Scrapped. | |||
| 1414 | 161 | Scrapped. | |||
| 1415 | 178 | Scrapped. | |||
| 1416 | 184 | Scrapped. | |||
| 1417 | 190 | Scrapped. | |||
| 1418 | 201 | Scrapped. | |||
| 1419 | 218 | Scrapped. | |||
| 1420 | 224 | Scrapped. | |||
| 1421 | 230 | Scrapped. | |||
| 1422 | 247 | Scrapped. | |||
| 1423 | 253 | Scrapped. | |||
| 1424 | 276 | Scrapped. | |||
| 1425 | 282 | Scrapped. | |||
| 1426 | Scrapped. Head-on collision with Dx 2639 NZR DX class The NZR DX class is a class of 49 Co-Co diesel-electric locomotives that currently operates on New Zealand's national railway network.Built by General Electric in Erie, Pennsylvania, United States, they were introduced to New Zealand between 1972 and 1976. The class is based on the General Electric... between Parnell and Newmarket. |
||||
| 1427 | 299 | Scrapped. | |||
| 1428 | 316 | Scrapped. | |||
| 1429 | 322 | Preserved. | |||
| 1430 | 339 | Scrapped. | |||
| 1431 | 345 | Preserved, Steam Incorporated. Mainline registered. Former Sesqui 1990 Sesqui 1990 Sesqui 1990 was a festival that was staged in February 1990 in the city of Wellington, New Zealand. A spectacular commercial and administrative failure, the Sesqui event has subsequently become an icon of corporate mismanagement within New Zealand popular culture.- History :Billed by promoters as... colours. |
|||
| 1432 | 351 | Scrapped. | |||
| 1433 | 368 | Scrapped. | |||
| 1434 | 374 | Scrapped. | |||
| 1435 | 380 | Scrapped. | |||
| 1436 | Scrapped. Written off after an accident at Matapihi, Tauranga. | ||||
| 1437 | 408 | Scrapped. | |||
| 1438 | 414 | Scrapped. | |||
| 1439 | 420 | Scrapped. | |||
| 1440 | 437 | Scrapped. | |||
| 1441 | Rebuilt as DC 4421 | ||||
| 1442 | 443 | Scrapped. | |||
| 1443 | 466 | Scrapped. | |||
| 1444 | 472 | Scrapped. | |||
| 1445 | 489 | Scrapped. | |||
| 1446 | 495 | Rebuilt as DC 4513 | |||
| 1447 | 506 | Scrapped. | |||
| 1448 | 512 | Toll Rail | To Tasman Forestry. Rebuilt as DAR517. Stored at Hutt Workshops | ||
| 1449 | 529 | Scrapped. | |||
| 1450 | 535 | Scrapped. | |||
| 1451 | 541 | Scrapped. | |||
| 1452 | 558 | Scrapped. | |||
| 1453 | 564 | Rebuilt as DC 4916 | |||
| 1454 | 570 | Scrapped. | |||
| 1455 | Rebuilt as DC 4254 | ||||
| 1456 | 587 | Rebuilt as DC 4945 | |||
| 1457 | 593 | Rebuilt as DC 4939 | |||
| 1458 | Rebuilt as DC 4450 | ||||
| 1459 | 604 | Rebuilt as DC 4951 | |||
| 1460 | 610 | Scrapped. | |||
| 1461 | 627 | Scrapped. | |||
| 1462 | 633 | Scrapped. | |||
| 1463 | 656 | Scrapped. | |||
| 1464 | 662 | Rebuilt as DC 4565 | |||
| 1465 | 679 | Rebuilt as DC 4686 | |||
| 1466 | 685 | Rebuilt as DC 4640 | |||
| 1467 | 691 | Scrapped. | |||
| 1468 | 702 | Scrapped. | |||
| 1469 | 719 | Rebuilt as DC 4761. | |||
| 1470 | Rebuilt as DC 4317. | ||||
| 1471 | 725 | Stored out of service Hutt Workshops Hutt Workshops The Hutt Railway Workshops is a major railway engineering facility in the Lower Hutt suburb of Gracefield in the Wellington region of New Zealand’s North Island... . |
|||
| 1472 | 731 | Rebuilt as DC 4703 | |||
| 1473 | 748 | Scrapped. | |||
| 1474 | 754 | Rebuilt as DC 4634 | |||
| 1475 | 760 | Rebuilt as DC 4847 | |||
| 1476 | 777 | Rebuilt as DC 4784 | |||
| 1477 | 783 | Rebuilt as DC 4657 | |||
| 1478 | Rebuilt as DC 4162 | ||||
| 1479 | 800 | Rebuilt as DC 4922 | |||
| 1480 | 817 | Rebuilt as DC 4692 | |||
| 1481 | 823 | Rebuilt as DC 4818 | |||
| 1482 | 846 | Rebuilt as DC 4790 | |||
| 1483 | Rebuilt as DC 4277 | ||||
| 1484 | 852 | Rebuilt as DC 4801 | |||
| 1485 | 869 | Rebuilt as DC 4853 | |||
| 1486 | 875 | Rebuilt as DC 4824 | |||
| 1487 | 881 | Rebuilt as DC 4778 | |||
| 1488 | 898 | Rebuilt as DC 4663 | |||
| 1489 | 909 | Rebuilt as DC 4588 | |||
| 1490 | Rebuilt as DC 4323 | ||||
| 1491 | 915 | Rebuilt as DC 4628 | |||
| 1492 | 921 | Rebuilt as DC 4876 | |||
| 1493 | Rebuilt as DC 4283 | ||||
| 1494 | 938 | Rebuilt as DC 4726 | |||
| 1495 | 944 | Rebuilt as DC 4749 | |||
| 1496 | 950 | Rebuilt as DC 4755 | |||
| 1497 | Rebuilt as DC 4473 | ||||
| 1498 | 967 | Rebuilt as DC 4611 | |||
| 1499 | 973 | Rebuilt as DC 4732 | |||
| 1500 | Rebuilt as DC 4185 | ||||
| 1501 | Rebuilt as DC 4035 | ||||
| 1502 | Rebuilt as DC 4248 | ||||
| 1503 | Rebuilt as DC 4438 | ||||
| 1504 | Rebuilt as DC 4058 | ||||
| 1505 | Rebuilt as DC 4536 | ||||
| 1506 | Rebuilt as DC 4225 | ||||
| 1507 | Rebuilt as DC 4041 | ||||
| 1508 | Rebuilt as DC 4191 | ||||
| 1509 | Rebuilt as DC 4110 | ||||
| 1510 | Rebuilt as DC 4369 | ||||
| 1511 | Rebuilt as DC 4179 | ||||
| 1512 | Rebuilt as DC 4064 | ||||
| 1513 | Rebuilt as DC 4156 | ||||
| 1514 | Rebuilt as DC 4070 | ||||
| 1515 | Rebuilt as DC 4087 | ||||
| 1516 | 996 | Rebuilt as DC 4830 | |||
| 1517 | Scrapped. | ||||
| 1518 | Rebuilt as DC 4300 | ||||
| 1519 | Rebuilt as DC 4133 | ||||
| 1520 | Rebuilt as DC 4104 | ||||
| 1521 | Rebuilt as DC 4127 | ||||
| 1522 | Rebuilt as DC 4571 | ||||
| 1523 | Rebuilt as DC 4093 | ||||
| 1524 | Rebuilt as DC 4605 | ||||
| 1525 | Rebuilt as DC 4006 | ||||
| 1526 | Rebuilt as DC 4444 | ||||
| 1527 | Rebuilt as DC 4219 | ||||
| 1528 | Rebuilt as DC 4352 | ||||
| 1529 | Rebuilt as DC 4231 | ||||
| 1530 | Rebuilt as DC 4415 | ||||
| 1531 | Rebuilt as DC 4260 | ||||
| 1532 | Rebuilt as DC 4012 | ||||
| 1533 | Rebuilt as DC 4029 | ||||
| 1534 | Rebuilt as DC 4496 | ||||
| 1535 | Rebuilt as DC 4202 | ||||
| 1536 | Rebuilt as DC 4346 | ||||
| 1537 | Rebuilt as DC 4542 | ||||
| 1538 | Rebuilt as DC 4594 | ||||
| 1539 | Rebuilt as DC 4559 | ||||
| 1540 | Rebuilt as DC 4375 | ||||
| 1541 | Rebuilt as DC 4467 | ||||
| 1542 | Rebuilt as DC 4398 | ||||
| 1543 | Rebuilt as DC 4409 | ||||
| 1544 | Rebuilt as DC 4381 | ||||
| 1545 | Rebuilt as DC 4507 |