Steam & Diesel Engines | Pleasant Point Rail

Ab699 - A & G Price

'Ab' 699 was built by A & G Price, Thames for the New Zealand Government Railways in 1922.

The Ab class was a 4-6-2 Pacific tender steam locomotive that operated on New Zealand Railways from October 1915 to July 1967. The ‘Ab’ class locomotive was the most produced steam locomotive class ever to operate in New Zealand, with 141 locomotives built between 1915 and 1927. 83 were built by the North Briting Locomotive Company in Glasgow, United Kingdom. 38 were built by Addington Railway Workshops in Christchurch, New Zealand, and 20 were built by A & G Price in Thames, New Zealand. In 1925 the average cost to build an ‘Ab’ Class Locomotive was £7,100 (Pound Sterling), which is approximately 1.15 Million New Zealand Dollars in today’s money.

The ‘Ab’ Class was quite a different design from its predecessor, The ‘A’ class locomotive, it had a new design of cab and boiler, which was fitted with a superheater. The ‘Ab’ class locomotive was the first engine able to generate one horsepower for every 100 pounds of weight, the ‘Ab’ class were efficient and versatile, and the engines were easy to maintain and operate. The ‘Ab’ class was more than capable of reaching speeds of 100 km/h or hauling 700-tonne freight trains.

‘Ab’ 699 entered service on 2 August 1922. For the next 36 years, she worked in the North Island. For 12 of those years, 699 was based in Wellington, then to Frankton Junction (in 1935) and Palmerston North from July to September 1955 before moving to Napier.

On 16 August 1958, the engine unit, minus the boiler and tender, was shipped to the South Island. That year, another boiler was fitted at the N.Z.R. Hillside Workshops in Dunedin, and the tender from Ab 775 was added - making Ab 699 a complete engine again.

After commencing work again, the engine was principally based in the Canterbury district, although spells in the Dunedin area were not uncommon. On 22 March 1968, only twenty days after the closure of the Fairlie branch line, 699 was written off by the New Zealand Railways.

The engine was then stored in Ashburton until purchased by the Society in 1970 for $600. After 46 years of service to the Government, Ab 699 had covered 1,341,762 miles. While an attempt was made to ensure one of the two locomotives which pulled the final train on the Fairlie branch line, New Zealand Railways would not release them and stated one of them was still being used for steam heating and the other had bad bearing, they were both later scrapped.

Once it had been towed to Timaru, Ab 699 was restored as a static exhibit in the old Locomotive Depot by a dedicated team of members before being towed out to Pleasant Point on 28 November 1970. The locomotive stood proud in the centre of the town, with a new veranda over it to protect it from the weather. At this time, no one ever believed it would be operating again. To prevent the locomotive from becoming a rusting hulk, members brought out barrels of used oil to put into the boiler to try and preserve it.

Ab 699 was returned to steam on 4 November 1974 and has been a star performer in the township ever since. When not in use or being maintained, Ab 699 is normally on display inside the Keanes Crossing loco shed - a fitting memorial to the Fairlie Branch line and the days of the Fairlie Flyer. Ab 699 is only one of seven of its class remaining from the 141 built.

In 2013, it had come time for ‘Ab’ 699’s 10-year boiler inspection, which meant the entire locomotive had to be stripped. Once stripped, an inspector visually inspects the firebox and boiler for any signs of corrosion or leakage. This also involves an ultrasonic scan to determine the thickness of the boiler's steel shell. However, the job had been unexpectedly delayed, as our Locomotive Engineer Dowell McLeod had family commitments. This meant ‘Ab’ 699 was out of service for longer than expected.

Fortunately on 28th April 2017, ‘Ab’ 699 had passed its water pressure test, which was one step closer to being operational again.

‘Ab’ 699 entered service again in 2018, and when not in use or being maintained, ‘Ab’ 699 is normally on display inside the Keane’s Crossing locomotive shed. A fitting memorial to the Fairlie Branch line and the days of the Fairlie Flyer. ‘Ab’ 699 is only one of seven of its class remaining from the 141 built.

D16 - Nielson and Company

While the D doesn’t look her age, the little 2-4-0 engine was built in 1878 by the Scottish locomotive manufacturers Neilson and Company of Glasgow. It carries its maker's number 2306.

After being shipped to New Zealand, the engine worked in various South Island locations on the New Zealand Railways system, from Christchurch to Bluff, along with stints in Timaru, Oamaru, and Gore. While in those days rail was considered a swift mode of transport, a trip on the D to Christchurch took eight hours. Now, it is a two-hour journey by car. Come 1985, the engine was on the move once more.

A new boiler was fitted in 1913 and it worked for another five years before being sold in September 1918 to the New Zealand Refrigerating Company (later to become Waitaki International Limited) for use as a shunter at that Company’s Pukeuri Freezing Workd (north of Oamaru).

There it remained giving faithful service to its new owners until it was made redundant in the early 1970s and placed on a concrete plinth in the works yard.

The management of Waitaki International Limited donated the D to the Pleasant Point Railway on the condition that it was restored to full working order. Restoration to full working order took just over two years and something in the order of $15,000. The engine was then re-commissioned at Pleasant Point on 13 May 1987.

tr18 - Drewry car co.

‘Tr’ 18 was built for the New Zealand Railways in 1936, by the Drewry Car Company of England, carrying their maker's number ‘2065’.

It entered its service as a shunter at Lyttleton in November 1936 and three months later, was transferred to Rakaia.

‘Tr’ 18 was originally fitted with a petrol engine but this was eventually exchanged for the General Motors 4-cylinder diesel engine it now carries. It served at a number of stations within the Christchurch region during its railway service. Ending up at Methven where it stayed until the Methven branch was closed in 1976.

After being stored for a number of years in Christchurch, ‘Tr’ 18 was purchased by the Pleasant Point Railway for $2,500 and transported by road to Pleasant Point in May 1985. Although purchased in working order and used for a number of years by the Pleasant Point Railway in its more modern colour scheme, it was not until 1992 that ‘Tr’ 18 was fully restored back to its original external condition with air brakes as a new feature.

It is now used for private charter work and shunting rolling stock around the site.

Shunter 387807 - Ruston & Hornsby

The smallest of our fleet, the Ruston was built in 1955 by Ruston and Hornsby Limited in Lincoln, England.

This diminutive engine carries the maker’s number 387807 and derives its power from a 3-cylinder 27hp diesel engine. Ordered for the Public Works Department, this engine was used extensively throughout the North Island with its job with the Department involving it in tunnelling work at Te Rangi. It was disposed of by auction in Wellington in 1975 and purchased by the Pleasant Point Railway for $300.

On arrival at Pleasant Point, restoration work started immediately, the cab being enlarged in the process. It was re-commissioned in December 1976. Since the arrival of ‘Tr’ 18, the Ruston had become the Pleasant Point Railway’s ‘hack’ for use on working bees and shunting.

Despite its size, this small machine can pull a considerable load.