Federation of Rail Organisations of NZ

Transcription

1 57 Federation of Rail Organisations of NZ The Federation of Rail Organisations of New Zealand exists to represent the heritage and tourist rail industry in New Zealand. Major functions of the Federation include negotiating access agreements to the National Rail Network System on behalf of members.

2 58 Auckland Electrification New signalling and an overhead power system are being installed on Auckland s rail network to power Auckland Transport s new electric trains which will run on the network from 2014.

3 59 North South Junction Constructed in the 1880s, North South Junction is a 3.1km section of single track between Pukerua Bay and Paekakariki on the NIMT with five tunnels totalling 920 metres. Increasing rail speed upgrades included lowering 4 tunnels, stabilising slopes, easing curves and signalling. 1400m of new track and approximately 2,000 sleepers were laid. Image by Anthony Phelps

4 60 Developing Auckland s Rail Transport The $600m Government funding in 2006 enabled KiwiRail to duplicate the Western Line from Newmarket to Swanson; improve Newmarket Station and junction; improve the signalling to allow for increased traffic; and link Manukau City to the rail network.

5 61 Wellington Region Rail Programme The joint $550m WRRP between KiwiRail and Greater Wellington Regional Council in 2009 included electrifying and double tracking to Waikanae; improving platforms and station facilities; building train storage and upgrading maintenance facilities; installing 11 new substations; adding passing loops and lowering tunnels; and installing a third main line into the Wellington Station entry.

6 62 AA class The AA class of ten steam locomotives was built by US based Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1914 and entered service in June With a wheel arrangement they were suited to hauling freight services in the North Island. They had their boilers replaced with AB class types in the late 1930s giving the reliable locomotives more life, which was a blessing when they were worked hard through the Second World War. Alexander Turnbull Library

7 63 N class, Photo provided with assistance from Sean Millar, author of The NZR Steam Locomotive. A P Godber photo, A C Bellamy collection. The 12 N class steam locomotives were built in three batches by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1885, 1891, and The N class made an outstanding operational feat on 20 July WMR No. 10 departed Wellington with a special test train, and gradually picked up speed on the flat trackage of the Kapiti Coast and Horowhenua. Between Levin and Shannon it reached km/h, then the world speed record on 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) track.

8 64 WA class, Photo provided with assistance from Sean Millar, author of The NZR Steam Locomotive. A C Bellamy collection. These were the first NZR built locomotives, first at Addington Workshops in Christchurch, then at Hillside Workshops in Dunedin. Initially used to haul main-line trains they were soon tasked with shorter easier assignments in the North Island, particularly around Gisborne, Palmerston North and Wanganui. Some were relocated to Otago, Greymouth and the West Coast. The WA ran slightly lower mileages than the WB, which had lower operating costs. However, the average life of the WA was fifty years, 10 years more than the WB.

9 65 Mobile Flash Butt Welder The Flash Butt Welder is a portable machine used on the rail network to weld together lengths of rail in site. It eliminates much of the manual welding tasks undertaken by a rail worker and is a more cost efficient solution.

10 66 DX class, 1972 present Image from Moving through the Times Forty-nine DX class Co-Co diesel-electric locomotives were built by General Electric in Erie, Pennsylvania, USA and introduced between 1972 and They have been upgraded since introduction and three versions currently exist; DXB, DXC and DXR. Initially confined to the NIMT as their tonne axle-load was too heavy for many bridges on other lines, it hauled the Silver Star and Northerner overnight expresses. Today the DX is the mainstay of the South Island fleet.

11 67 EF class, 1986 present Twenty-two EF class (originally class 30) 25 kv AC electric locomotives operate on the NIMT between Palmerston North and Te Rapa, Hamilton. They were built by Brush Traction in Loughborough, UK between 1986 and 1988 and are now the only electric locomotives in KiwiRail s fleet.

12 68 DA class, The DA class diesel-electric mainline locomotive was introduced between 1955 and 1967 and operated until With 146 locomotives, it was the most numerous class to operate in NZ. The class were A1A-A1A versions of the Electro- Motive Diesel G12 model, with the design altered slightly to run on NZ s 1,067 mm (3ft 6in) gauge. They hauled all manner of freight and passenger services. A number were rebuilt and re-classified as DC class and are still operating today.

13 69 EW class, Photo provided with assistance from Graeme Carter of GT Carter Transport Books Wanganui, NZ. Photo Graeme McClare. The NZR electric EW class was an articulated locomotive used within the Wellington electrified network mostly for passenger services. Built by English Electric and introduced in 1952 they were the first class in NZ with a Bo-Bo-Bo wheel arrangement and were noted for their fast acceleration.

14 70 KA class, Photo provided with assistance from Sean Millar, author of The NZR Steam Locomotive. NZR Photo. A C Bellamy collection. The KA class were mixed traffic steam locomotives built due to increased traffic demands on NZR. Building started in 1939, just prior to WWII. Main construction and assembly took place at Hutt Workshops. Hillside Workshops largely constructed but did not assemble ten of the class and built a further five KA boilers. They became a mainstay in the North Island primarily on the NIMT but also worked to Napier, New Plymouth and Rotorua.

15 71 Q class, J A T Terry collection. Designed by NZR Chief Mechanical Engineer A. L. Beattie and built by Baldwin Locomotive Works, Pennsylvania, USA in 1901, they were the first locomotives in the world to be built with the wheel arrangement, known as a Pacific after the voyage the locomotives made across the Pacific Ocean. The Pacifics went on to become arguably the most famous wheel arrangement in the world. The Q class were extensively used in Otago and Southland.

16 72 AB class, Photo provided with assistance from Sean Millar, author of The NZR Steam Locomotive. NZ Railway & Locomotive Society Archive. The AB class Pacific tender steam locomotive were 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, and the North British Locomotive Company, making it the largest class of steam locomotives in NZ. The locomotives were extremely versatile, used on almost every section of the network, both for freight and passenger trains. The class was easily able to pull an express passenger train at speeds of 100 km/h.