EARLY LOCOMOTIVES.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIII, Issue 201, 25 August 1932, Page 9

EARLY LOCOMOTIVES.

PHASE OF RAILWAY HISTORY.

SOME FIRST VENTURES.

CONSTRUCTION IN DOMINION,

Of late, much controversy has raged round the railway system in the Dominion, whether it would pay if this were done, where it would lose less if that were done, so that people have become just a little weary of hearing of trains and their ways. The dry official view of figuree and money is only one side, though. The railways in New Zealand have a history, and as far as locomotives are concerned, no one knows more about that story than Mr. A. A. Boult, of the Locomotive Department. "Whilst it is true that the great majority of locomotives have been constructed in the South Island, the North Island hae not been without its more or less modest attempts, and, apart from rebuilds, one locomotive was fully built in the Newmarket workshops," he said to an interviewer. "The building of over 100 locomotives by Messrs. A. and G. Price, of Thames, is, of course, another matter. "The very firet locomotive which, as far as I know, was built in New Zealand, was the historic "Weka," constructed by Conyers,. Davidson and Company, in Dunedin in the 'seventies. This was a email six-wheel coupled tank engine, and was a very modest specimen of Stephenson's art. After some years of work in the Srith Island was transferred to Wekangton and sold to the Wellington and Manawatu Railway Company. From there it went to the Sanson-Carnarvon Tramway, thence to the Mangawhero Sawmilling Company, and present evidence points to the fact that it is lying dismantled at Karioi, on the Main Trunk. A second engine, built by the same firm, was the 'Kiwi,' which disappeared from the Government railwaye long eince. I have no idea where it went.

First Locomotive. "The first locomotive to the credit ( of the New Zealand Railways was the 'Prairie' type —2-6-2 wheel arrangement tank locomotive W 102, built in 1889. For its day and generation this engine could not be regarded as-a particularly modest attempt, as ite tractive effort, with 1701b pressure, is nearly 75 per cent of the modern Ab class. Along with a sister engine 5 , W 238, it was transferred to Wellington for service between that city and the Summit, its small driving wheels and fairly high power being specially suited for heavy grades. The two were subsequently transferred to Greymouth, where they are still in active service. "The next engines built were of the Wa class, also 2-6-2 tank type, that ie, two leading bogie, six driving and two trailing bogie wheels. These were closely similar to the W class, but had somewhat larger diameter driving wheels and, consequently, a lower tractive effort at an equal steam pressure. Eleven of them were built at different times, and of these five were constructed at Addington and six at Hillside (Dunedin). The majority of them eventually found their way to the Gisborne section. "About the time the Wa class was being built, a programme of rebuilding engines was put in hand, and sC number of the F and L class small tank engines were done at Newmarket, Petone, Addington and Hillside. In the course of reconstruction these engines were made larger and more powerful, but still remained comparatively small. They are now mostly scrapped. At the same time three L class were built new at Petone and one Fa (No. 276) at Newmarket. Also six Fa class were built at Addington. One Remarkable Engine. "Another Addington venture in the 'nineties was the U class, a ten-wheel or 4-6-0 tender type passenger locomotive. With a 54in driving wheel and a tractive effort approximately 60 per cent of the modern Ab, these engines promised well for express work, but were eclipsed by the Baldwin Ub class imported in 1598.' The next venture in the South Island was the B twelve-wheel or 4-8-0 tender type. These comparatively heavy goods and mixed train locomotives were a big advance on previous efforts, and are still giving good service.

"I had almost forgotten to mention one somewhat remarkable locomotive which was built at Petone, E 66. Thif was an eight-cylinder articulated compound locomotive, and was built for the Eimutaka incline. Never a success and very unpopular with the engine men, it had a short career before being scrapped. All other, engines built have given good results. "Thus it will be seen that, although the great bulk of Government locomotive. I building has been confined to the South Island, some modest attempts have been made in the North, and the 30 K class now under construction at the new Hutt workshops will put the latter island right 'on the map.' Another almost forgotten private venture was the building of two or three small tank locomotives in Wellington by Messrs. E. W. Mills and Company for the Foxton tramway. "It should be noted that, with the single exception of the imported Garratt locomotives, the largest and most powerful locomotives in the Dominion have been, or are being, produced in our workshops. They are the X, Wab, Ab and new K classes. Messrs. A. and G. Price have also constructed the Wab and Ab classes."