NZR EA class
Encyclopedia
The NZR Ea class were used by New Zealand Railways
between 1968 and 1997 on the Otira
Arthur's Pass
section of the Midland line
in the South Island
, through the Otira Tunnel
. Following reconditioning, three have been used by KiwiRail
's Tranz Metro
in Wellington to top and tail Metlink suburban passenger trains as an interim measure before new rolling stock arrives.
on Otira Tunnel duties.
locomotives and upgrading the Otira Tunnel
ventilation, the locomotives were withdrawn from service. All five locomotives were transferred to Christchurch, and were initially stored at the Linwood locomotive depot. Shortly after, EO's 45 and 74 were moved to theFerrymead Railway
for storage due to constraints and vandalism at Linwood. The other 3 EO's were moved to Ferrymead for a time, however due to space constraints at Ferrymead they were moved back to Linwood. With vandalism still an issue at Linwood, these three were transferred to Picton
and stored in the locomotive shed there. While at Ferrymead, EO's 74, 45 and 68 were used on a few occasions on Ferrymead's electrical section, and EO39 was given a repaint by enthusiastic members.
in the North Island
for refurbishment for use by Tranz Metro
on Wellington suburban commuter trains as a short-term solution to increase capacity on the Wellington network before the arrival of the FP class EMUs. Two locomotives top and tail
six ex-British Rail Mark 2
carriages owned by the Greater Wellington Regional Council and refurbished at the Hillside Workshops, while the third was kept as a spare. The first such train ran on 8 December 2008. In October 2008 the two remaining EO's at Ferrymead were also moved north to Hutt Workshops, where they have been used as a donor parts source and remain in unrestored condition.
The EO carriage train was typically stabled in Upper Hutt overnight, running an early morning service into Wellington, before running to Plimmerton and back on the Kapiti Line. It was then stabled in Wellington until the afternoon peak, when it would run a service from Wellington to Upper Hutt. A projected afternoon service to Plimmerton never eventuated. In early 2011 the morning Plimmerton run was discontinued, and towards the later half of the year the morning run from Upper Hutt was not typically run, with the train returning to Wellington after the evening trip to Upper Hutt and overnighting there. From September 2011 the train saw very little use in actual service, typically going out on a test run once a fortnight and if that was successful running the evening commuter service, where it would fault. The last time the train managed to carry commuters all the way to Upper Hutt was on 10 October 2011, however mechanical issues sidelined the train again. On the 25 October, after a test run the train hauled passengers from Wellington Station to opposite the Thorndon locomotive sheds where it failed. The train managed to take itself back to Wellington Railway Station
, drop the passengers off and the service was cancelled. Another test run was had on 3 November, but was unsuccessful. During this time EO45 had been parked up at Hutt Shops, leaving the set without a spare loco. EO45 was returned to Wellington on 10 November from Hutt Workshops
, and for a time all three EO's were coupled up together in Wellington's north yard.
On the 28 November, the 3 EO's and the SE carriages were conveyed to Hutt Workshops, no longer required for suburban services. The carriages will be modified for use on Wairarapa suburban trains, however the fate of the EO's is unclear. One possible use for the refurbished units is a return to banking duties and replace the two Wellington-based DBR
diesel locomotives currently employed in this role, although they would be limited to areas with electrification and their reliability would seem to preclude that.
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...
between 1968 and 1997 on the 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...
Arthur's Pass
Arthur'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...
section of the Midland line
Midland Line, New Zealand
The Midland line is a 212 km section of railway between Rolleston and Greymouth in the South Island of New Zealand. The line features five major bridges, five viaducts and 17 tunnels, the longest of which is the Otira tunnel.-Freight services:...
in 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...
, through the Otira Tunnel
Otira Tunnel
The Otira Tunnel is a railway tunnel on the Midland Line in the South Island of New Zealand between Otira and Arthur's Pass. It runs under the Southern Alps from Arthur's Pass to Otira - a length of over . The gradient is mainly 1 in 33, and the Otira end of the tunnel is over lower than the...
. Following reconditioning, three have been used by KiwiRail
KiwiRail
KiwiRail Holdings Limited is the rail operations subsidiary of the New Zealand Railways Corporation, which trades as KiwiRail. Headquartered in Wellington, New Zealand, KiwiRail is the largest rail transport operator in New Zealand. Since July 2010 John Spencer has been the Chairman...
's Tranz Metro
Tranz Metro
Tranz Metro, part of KiwiRail, is the operator of Metlink suburban trains owned by the Greater Wellington Regional Council in the Wellington Region of New Zealand....
in Wellington to top and tail Metlink suburban passenger trains as an interim measure before new rolling stock arrives.
Introduction
The class replaced the Eo class of 1923NZR EO class (1923)
The New Zealand Railways EO class of 1923 were electric locomotives used on the steep Otira to Arthur's Pass section of the Midland Line. They were primarily for pulling trains through the 8.5 km Otira Tunnel to avoid the buildup of steam, smoke and soot....
on Otira Tunnel duties.
Withdrawal
When the OtiraArthur's Pass electrification was decomissioned in 1997 in favor of dieselisation with modified DXNZR 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...
locomotives and upgrading the Otira Tunnel
Otira Tunnel
The Otira Tunnel is a railway tunnel on the Midland Line in the South Island of New Zealand between Otira and Arthur's Pass. It runs under the Southern Alps from Arthur's Pass to Otira - a length of over . The gradient is mainly 1 in 33, and the Otira end of the tunnel is over lower than the...
ventilation, the locomotives were withdrawn from service. All five locomotives were transferred to Christchurch, and were initially stored at the Linwood locomotive depot. Shortly after, EO's 45 and 74 were moved to theFerrymead 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...
for storage due to constraints and vandalism at Linwood. The other 3 EO's were moved to Ferrymead for a time, however due to space constraints at Ferrymead they were moved back to Linwood. With vandalism still an issue at Linwood, these three were transferred to Picton
Picton, New Zealand
Picton is a town in the Marlborough region of New Zealand. It is close to the head of Queen Charlotte Sound near the north-east corner of the South Island. The population was 2928 in the 2006 Census, a decrease of 72 from 2001...
and stored in the locomotive shed there. While at Ferrymead, EO's 74, 45 and 68 were used on a few occasions on Ferrymead's electrical section, and EO39 was given a repaint by enthusiastic members.
Reuse in Wellington
In 2007 the three Picton locomotives were transferred to Hutt WorkshopsHutt 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...
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...
for refurbishment for use by Tranz Metro
Tranz Metro
Tranz Metro, part of KiwiRail, is the operator of Metlink suburban trains owned by the Greater Wellington Regional Council in the Wellington Region of New Zealand....
on Wellington suburban commuter trains as a short-term solution to increase capacity on the Wellington network before the arrival of the FP class EMUs. Two locomotives top and tail
Top and tail
A top-and-tail railway train has locomotives at both ends, for ease of changing direction. This is a British term. It is normal for only the leading locomotive to power the train when in top-and-tail mode, cf push pull operation with both locomotives powering.It is properly distinct from a...
six ex-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 owned by the Greater Wellington Regional Council and refurbished at the Hillside Workshops, while the third was kept as a spare. The first such train ran on 8 December 2008. In October 2008 the two remaining EO's at Ferrymead were also moved north to Hutt Workshops, where they have been used as a donor parts source and remain in unrestored condition.
The EO carriage train was typically stabled in Upper Hutt overnight, running an early morning service into Wellington, before running to Plimmerton and back on the Kapiti Line. It was then stabled in Wellington until the afternoon peak, when it would run a service from Wellington to Upper Hutt. A projected afternoon service to Plimmerton never eventuated. In early 2011 the morning Plimmerton run was discontinued, and towards the later half of the year the morning run from Upper Hutt was not typically run, with the train returning to Wellington after the evening trip to Upper Hutt and overnighting there. From September 2011 the train saw very little use in actual service, typically going out on a test run once a fortnight and if that was successful running the evening commuter service, where it would fault. The last time the train managed to carry commuters all the way to Upper Hutt was on 10 October 2011, however mechanical issues sidelined the train again. On the 25 October, after a test run the train hauled passengers from Wellington Station to opposite the Thorndon locomotive sheds where it failed. The train managed to take itself back to Wellington Railway Station
Wellington Railway Station
Wellington Railway Station is the southern terminus of New Zealand's North Island Main Trunk railway, Wairarapa Line and Johnsonville Line. In terms of number of services and in passenger numbers, it is New Zealand's busiest railway station.-Development:...
, drop the passengers off and the service was cancelled. Another test run was had on 3 November, but was unsuccessful. During this time EO45 had been parked up at Hutt Shops, leaving the set without a spare loco. EO45 was returned to Wellington on 10 November from 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...
, and for a time all three EO's were coupled up together in Wellington's north yard.
On the 28 November, the 3 EO's and the SE carriages were conveyed to Hutt Workshops, no longer required for suburban services. The carriages will be modified for use on Wairarapa suburban trains, however the fate of the EO's is unclear. One possible use for the refurbished units is a return to banking duties and replace the two Wellington-based DBR
NZR DB class
The NZR Db diesel-electric locomotive class was built in 1965-1966. They were a lighter version of the Da class to operate on secondary North Island lines from which the Da was excluded due to its weight. One of the principal lines which the Db dominated was the East Coast Main Trunk to Tauranga...
diesel locomotives currently employed in this role, although they would be limited to areas with electrification and their reliability would seem to preclude that.
Class register
| Original no. | TMS no. | Introduced | Livery | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ea 1 | EO39 | NZGR | Stored, 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... . |
||
| Ea 2 | EO45 | KiwiRail | Wellington suburban service. | ||
| Ea 3 | EO51 | KiwiRail | Wellington suburban service. | ||
| Ea 4 | EO68 | NZGR | Stored, 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... . |
||
| Ea 5 | EO74 | KiwiRail | Wellington suburban service. |