Glossary of New Zealand railway terms

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This is a list of jargon commonly used by railfans and railway employees in New Zealand.

Contents

B

Blue Rattlers
ADK class on the Auckland suburban network
Blue Streaks
Three NZR RM class 88 seater railcars renovated for a fast service between Hamilton and Auckland [1] [2]
Tranz Rail Bumble-Bee livery NZR DX class coal.JPG
Tranz Rail Bumble-Bee livery
Bumble-Bee
Yellow and black Tranz Rail livery. Introduced on DC 4323 in 2001 after the Makihi collision, and officially named 'Hi-Viz'. Originally all locos were to have the Tranz Rail winged logo, but most carried 'TR' block letters on the long hood and several locos did not carry any branding (No Name). Bumble-bee livery was a term promoted by the past editor of NZ Railfan magazine.
Bobtails
A nickname mostly used for the WW class but according to Nelson section crew the WF class was also called such name. [3]
Bush tramway
New Zealand term for an Industrial tramway. [4]

C

Carvan
Passenger carriage with a guard's compartment at one end, classes AF (wooden body) and AL (steel body). Originally built to relieve a shortage of guard's vans and used on rural branch lines in place of a separate carriage and guard's van, the later AL carvans were used in suburban service only.
Tranz Rail Cato Blue livery, seen on these two DC class locomotives Tranz alpine.jpg
Tranz Rail Cato Blue livery, seen on these two DC class locomotives
Clockwork Orange
1970s orange and yellow livery used on DX class [5]
DAR 517 in Corn-cob livery Tollnz DAR.jpg
DAR 517 in Corn-cob livery
Corn-cob
Toll Rail yellow and aquamarine livery [6]
Cyclops
A restored Wellington EMU set including DM 556 [7]

D

Drewry
A NZR RM class 88 seater railcar [8] [ unreliable source? ]
Dora the Explorer

(frequently referred to as just 'Dora')

Northern Explorer

E

'En and chicken
N and M class steam locomotives coupled together. 'En, an abbreviation of 'hen', refers to the larger N class locomotive, and chicken refers to its underpowered M class assistant. [9]

F

Fiat
A NZR RM class 88 seater railcar [1]
Flying Tomato
A simplified version of the Fruit Salad livery, with the grey replaced with red. Applied to members of the DC, DF, DSC, and TR class locomotives in the 1980s as a cheaper alternative to the full Fruit Salad livery.
Fruit Salad
NZR red and grey livery with yellow highlights, also known as International Orange [6]
Foamer
A railfan—particularly one whose enthusiasm appears excessive [10]

G

Grass Grub
A 88 seater railcar converted to carriages for locomotive haulage, from their green livery [2]
Gull Roost
The Onerahi Branch's 323-metre-long bridge across the harbour in Whangārei, because of the large number of gulls that roosted there. The branch closed in 1933 and the bridge no longer exists. [11]

H

The Hill
The Johnsonville Line out of Wellington, or the steep section of the North Auckland Line between Newmarket and Remuera in Auckland. See Over the hill.[ citation needed ]
Hot water bottle
A FS class steam heating van used to warm the carriages of passenger trains following the withdrawal of steam traction in 1968 (North Island) and 1971 (South Island) [5]
Hot water boy
A member of a heritage railway, or a number of heritage railways, who only volunteers on days where engines are in steam. Will go out of their way to try and fire and drive the locomotive, and when successful will boast and be photographed beside the engine.[ citation needed ]
Highsider
The L, LA, LB, and LC wagons—so called for their high metal (LA, LC) or wooden (L, LB) sides

I

An NZR locomotive in International Orange livery EF30163+Overlander NearWaiouru 22March2003 JChristianson.jpg
An NZR locomotive in International Orange livery
International Orange
The NZR livery of yellow, orange-red and grey, more popularly known as Fruit Salad [12]

J

Jigger
A track inspection vehicle [13]

K

KB country
The section of the Midland Line between Springfield and Arthur's Pass famous for the use of KB class steam locomotives between 1939 and 1968 [14]
Kingston Flyer
Heritage passenger train instituted in 1972 using steam locomotives AB 778 and AB 795, originally between Lumsden and Kingston and later truncated to the 14 km (8.7 mi) between Fairlight and Kingston

L

Longest xylophone in the world
Former road and rail bridge on the now-closed portion of the Ross Branch south of Hokitika—named for the loud rattling its planks made [15]
Lowsiders
The M, MA, MB, MC, and MCC wagons, so called for their low sides. These wagons had lower sides than the L-series 'highsider' wagons, and were often used for loads that could not fit into a highsider or did not warrant the use of one.
Lokey
Locomotive on a bush tramway. Abbreviation of the term 'locomotive', but shortened by bush workers and adopted by railway enthusiasts.

M

Matangi
FT/FT class electric multiple unit used on the Wellington suburban network, chosen in 2008 in a public competition run by the Greater Wellington Regional Council, and comes from the Māori word matangi, meaning wind or breeze (in reference to Wellington's windy reputation)
Auckland's MAXX Blue livery DC4369atNewmarket.jpg
Auckland's MAXX Blue livery
MAXX Blue
Livery on Auckland rolling stock operated by Transdev Auckland [ citation needed ]
Midland Red
Livery used in the 1920s and 1990s on passenger carriages, DM/D class electric multiple units and some other rolling stock. It was first trialled on the carriages of the Parnassus Express, the predecessor of the Picton Express. Its name derives from the London, Midland and Scottish Railway, from whom the colour was originally sourced. [16]

N

No Name
Several Tranz Rail locomotives received the 'Bumble Bee' paint scheme without any signwriting on the long hood. Mostly applied to members of the DC and DX classes.

O

Old reds
DM/D class electric multiple units in their traditional red livery [17]
Over the hill
The southern approach to Auckland from the North Island Main Trunk Railway at Westfield via the North Auckland Line and Newmarket Line. See The Hill.[ citation needed ]

P

Pearson's Dream
E 66, nicknamed after its designer, G. A. Pearson, as it did not fulfill his ambitions [18]
Pie Cart
1. Ford Model T railcars RM 4 and RM 5
2. Overhead inspection vehicle PW 2
The Pig
DXR class locomotive 8007 and 8022[ citation needed ]
The Phoenix
The DM 216 set, stored at Hutt Workshops out of service prior to its return to service in late 2008 or early 2009
Pig Dog
DAR 517 [ citation needed ]
Pimple face
New cabs fitted to ten of the DG class locomotives starting with DG 761 (TMS DG 2111) in late 1979 and ending in 1980
Popsicle
1970s orange and yellow DX class livery[ citation needed ]
Pullet
M class—named for their lack of pulling power in comparison to other classes [9]

R

The racetrack
The Main South Line near Rakaia, where steam-hauled passenger express trains attained high speeds [19]
Red Terror
A Leyland Cub car converted to run on rails for inspection use by the Railways Department General Manager Garnet Mackley in 1933. It was converted for uses associated with electrified lines in 1941, and after spending a few years in the Hutt Valley, it was transferred to Otira and remained there until the Otira Tunnel was de-electrified in 1997. It is now owned by the Ferrymead Railway. [20]
Roadsider
A Z-class bogie van, so called as they could be unloaded (supposedly) onto the roadside. Often used for parcels traffic, especially by Railfreight, and as luggage vans on express passenger trains, for which they were fitted with x-25330 'Timken' bogies to run at 80 km/h (50 mph).

S

The Sergeant
ED electric locomotive 101, so called because of the three stripes on the body [21]
Super Ganz
The refurbished Ganz Mavag EMU EM 1373

T

Tin Hare
A Wairarapa railcar [22]
Tonka Toy
The preserved TR class locomotive [23]
Tropical
1970s orange and yellow livery; used on the DX class [24]
The Twins
DBR class Wellington-based locomotives 1200 and 1267, commonly paired for purposes such as banking south of Paekākāriki. Because of this nickname, paired DBRs in Auckland are occasionally referred to as "non-identical twins", depending on their liveries. [25]
Thoroughbred
A NZR JA class locomotive, in reference to their high speed and smooth ride, typical of thoroughbred race horses [26]
Trams
The EO class (1923) used in the Otira Tunnel; a term carried over to the 1967 Toshiba replacements, the EA class locomotive. [27]
Twinset
A NZR RM class 88 seater railcar [1]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rail transport in New Zealand</span>

Rail transport in New Zealand is an integral part of New Zealand's transport network, with a nationwide network of 4,375.5 km (2,718.8 mi) of track linking most major cities in the North and South Islands, connected by inter-island rail and road ferries. Rail transport in New Zealand has a particular focus on bulk freight exports and imports, with 19 million net tonnes moved by rail annually, accounting for more than half of rail revenue.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NZR RM class (Silver Fern)</span>

The NZR RM class Silver Fern was a class of rail motor in New Zealand. The three air-conditioned and sound-proofed 723-kW 96-seater diesel-electric twin-set railcars were built by Kawasaki under contract with Nissho Iwai of Japan. New Zealand Railways (NZR) classified the railcars as RM (Rail Motor), the same as other railcars, using the Silver Ferns (a national symbol of New Zealand) because of their exterior was made of corrugated stainless steel, like the premier night sleeper train that also ran on the Wellington-Auckland (North Island Main Trunk) route, the Silver Star. The Silver Ferns replaced the three successful Blue Streak railcars on the service.

Locomotives of New Zealand is a complete list of all locomotive classes that operate or have operated in New Zealand's railway network. It does not include locomotives used on bush tramways.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NZR RM class (Clayton)</span>

The NZR RM class Clayton steam rail motor was a unique railcar that was operated by New Zealand Railways (NZR) for New Zealand's national rail network and one of only two steam railcars to operate in New Zealand - the other being 1925's RM class Sentinel-Cammell.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NZR RM class (Edison battery-electric)</span>

The NZR RM class Edison battery-electric railcar was a railcar that ran in Canterbury, New Zealand for eight years. It was built for New Zealand Railways (NZR) as a prototype for battery-electric railcars. While the railcar, classified "RM 6", was considered the first successful railcar in New Zealand, it was later destroyed in a fire, and battery-electric traction for railcars was not developed further in New Zealand. Two other classes of battery-electric locomotives were introduced about the same time as RM 6, the E class of 1922 and the EB class of 1925.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Zealand Railways Department</span> Government agency (1880–1982)

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 corporatised on 1 April 1982 into the New Zealand Railways Corporation. Originally, railway construction and operation took place under the auspices of the former provincial governments and some private railways, before all of the provincial operations came under the central Public Works Department. The role of operating the rail network was subsequently separated from that of the network's construction. From 1895 to 1993 there was a responsible Minister, the Minister of Railways. He was often also the Minister of Public Works.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NZR RM class (88 seater)</span>

The NZR RM class 88-seaters were a class of railcar used in New Zealand. New Zealand Government Railways (NZR) classified them as RM (Rail Motor), the notation used for all railcars, numbering the 35 sets from RM100 to RM134. They were the most numerous railcars in NZR service. Their purchase and introduction saw the demise of steam-hauled provincial passenger trains and mixed trains, and was part of a deliberate effort to modernise NZR passenger services at a time of increasing competition from private motor vehicles. Being diesel powered and lighter the railcars were less expensive to operate and able to maintain quicker timetables, although became plagued with mechanical and electrical problems, with a number of the class eventually being turned into depowered locomotive-hauled carriages and reclassified as the AC class "Grassgrubs".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Zealand DC class locomotive</span>

The New Zealand DC class locomotive is a type of diesel-electric mainline locomotive on the New Zealand rail network, operated by KiwiRail on freight trains, and formerly on long-distance passenger trains. The class was rebuilt from the DA class in the late 1970s and early 1980s, mainly in Australia. After the DA class, they were the most numerous class of diesel locomotive on New Zealand's railway network and remained numerically dominant until the mid-2010s when withdrawals began.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Zealand DX class locomotive</span> Class of 49 New Zealand diesel locomotives

The New Zealand DX class locomotive is a type of 49 Co-Co diesel-electric locomotives that currently operate on New Zealand's national railway network. All locomotives are owned by KiwiRail.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Zealand DB class locomotive</span>

The New Zealand DB class and DBR class locomotive is a type of diesel-electric locomotive built for service on New Zealand's rail network. They were built by General Motors Diesel (GMD) of Canada as a narrow-gauge version of the EMD G8 model, with seventeen locomotives constructed. Ten of these were later rebuilt into the DBR class.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Zealand DE class locomotive</span>

The New Zealand DE class was a class of fifteen diesel-electric shunting locomotives, introduced by the New Zealand Railways (NZR) with an intention to replace steam locomotives on shunting duties with diesel power. The class was physically similar to the Tasmanian Government Railways X class, which was also of English Electric design.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NZR RM class (Wairarapa)</span>

The NZR RM class Wairarapa railcar was a class of railcars on New Zealand's national rail network. They entered service in 1936 and were classified RM like all other classes of railcars in New Zealand; they came to be known as the "Wairarapa" class as they were designed to operate over the famous Rimutaka Incline to the Wairarapa region on the Wairarapa Line. They also acquired the nickname of "tin hares" in New Zealand railfan jargon. The first two to be introduced re-used the numbers RM 4 and RM 5 that had previously been used by the withdrawn experimental Model T Ford railcars. The class consisted of six passenger railcars and one passenger-freight railcar. It is often described incorrectly as a class of six railcars.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NZR RM class</span> Classification given to railcars

The RM class was the classification used by the New Zealand Railways Department (NZR) and its successors gave to most railcars and railbuses that have operated on New Zealand's national rail network. "RM" stands for Rail Motor which was the common name at the turn of the 20th century for what became known in New Zealand as railcars. As many types of railcars are operated, class names have been given to each railcar type to differentiate them from others.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NZR RM class (Sentinel-Cammell)</span>

The NZR RM class Sentinel-Cammell was a steam-powered railcar operated by the New Zealand Railways Department (NZR). It was the only one of its type to operate in New Zealand, and one of only two steam railcars trialled in the country; the other was the Clayton steam railcar.

The Picton Express was a passenger express train operated by the New Zealand Railways Department (NZR) between Christchurch and Picton. It ran from December 1945 until February 1956, and was thus the shortest-lived provincial express in New Zealand. Following the end of railcar services in 1976, a new carriage train between Christchurch and Picton began, under the same name as the earlier service, until it was replaced in 1988 by the Coastal Pacific Express.

<i>New Plymouth Express</i> Historic rail route in New Zealand

The New Plymouth Express was a passenger express train operated by the New Zealand Railways Department (NZR) between Wellington and New Plymouth. It ran from 1886 until 1955 and was sometimes known as the New Plymouth Mail due to the Railway Travelling Post Office carriages included in its consist. The Express was notable amongst NZR's provincial expresses as being both the first and, until the commencement of the Gisborne Express in 1942, the longest in distance travelled.

The New Plymouth Night Express was a passenger express train operated by the New Zealand Railways Department (NZR) that ran between Auckland and New Plymouth. It ran in various forms from 1933 until 1983, though the Express designation was lost in 1956 and later incarnations did not operate at night and terminated in Taumarunui rather than Auckland. The New Plymouth Night Express should not be confused with the New Plymouth Express that operated between New Plymouth and Wellington.

The Wairarapa Mail was a passenger train operated by the New Zealand Railways Department (NZR) between Wellington and Woodville, continuing on to Palmerston North as a mixed train. It ran from 1909 until 1948 and its route included the famous and arduous Rimutaka Incline.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steam Incorporated</span>

Steam Incorporated, often abbreviated to Steam Inc., is a railway heritage and preservation society based at the Paekākāriki railway station, Paekākāriki at the southern end of the Kāpiti Coast, approximately 50 minutes north of Wellington on the west coast of New Zealand's North Island. Unlike some societies who operate on preserved sections of closed branch lines, Steam Incorporated owns a depot beside one of the country's most important railway lines, the North Island Main Trunk railway, and restores heritage locomotives and rolling stock for use on excursions on the regular national rail network.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Zealand EA class locomotive</span>

The New Zealand EA class of electric locomotives were used on the New Zealand rail network 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 were used by KiwiRail's Tranz Metro in Wellington from 2008 to 2011 to top and tail Metlink suburban passenger trains as an interim measure before new rolling stock arrived. Four of the five locomotives were scrapped in 2013 with one being set aside for preservation.

References

  1. 1 2 3 David Jones, Where Railcars Roamed: The Railcars Which Have Served New Zealand Railways (Wellington: Wellington Tramway Museum, 1997), 22.
  2. 1 2 Heath & Stott 1993, p. 34.
  3. ↑ Palmer & Stewart 1965, p. 82.
  4. ↑ Churchman & Hurst 2001, p. 88.
  5. 1 2 Churchman & Hurst 2001, p. 58.
  6. 1 2 Timotheus Frank, "Canterbury Railscene", accessed 26 May 2008.
  7. ↑ "Awards Honour Efforts to Protect our Cultural and Natural Heritage". Department of Conservation. 10 August 2006. Archived from the original on 14 October 2008. Retrieved 2 October 2016.
  8. ↑ Millar, Sean (2001). From A to Y Avoiding I: 125 Years of Railway Motive Power Classification in New Zealand. New Zealand. p. 35.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  9. 1 2 Churchman & Hurst 2001, p. 144.
  10. ↑ Marcus Lush, "The Grand Finale", Off the Rails: A Love Story (New Zealand: Television New Zealand and Jam TV, 2005), DVD.
  11. ↑ Churchman & Hurst 2001, p. 100.
  12. ↑ Churchman & Hurst 2001, p. 70.
  13. ↑ Churchman & Hurst 2001, p. 22.
  14. ↑ Churchman & Hurst 2001, p. 189.
  15. ↑ Churchman & Hurst 2001, p. 193.
  16. ↑ Mahoney, J. D. (1982). Kings of the Iron Road: Steam Passenger Trains of New Zealand. Palmerston North: Dunmore Press. p. 105.
  17. ↑ Heath; Stott. Classic Railcars, Electric and Diesel Locomotives. p. 20.
  18. ↑ W. N. Cameron, Rimutaka Incline: Extracts from "A Line of Railway" (Wellington: New Zealand Railway and Locomotive Society, 1992), 83.
  19. ↑ Churchman & Hurst 2001, p. 179.
  20. ↑ Jones, Where Railcars Roamed, 13.
  21. ↑ Geoffrey B. Churchman The Story of the Wellington to Johnsonville Railway (Industrial Publishing Ltd, Wellington, 1988) ISBN   0-9597832-1-0
  22. ↑ Jones, Where Railcars Roamed, 14.
  23. ↑ "TR 534". Crusader.FoTopic.net.[ permanent dead link ]
  24. ↑ Tony Hurst, Farewell to Steam: Four Decades of Change on New Zealand Railways (Auckland: HarperCollins, 1995), 81.
  25. ↑ New Zealand Railfan, December 2010
  26. ↑ Ian Johnstone, Hugh Macdonald, David Sims (1998). Total Steam: Great New Zealand Railway Journeys (VHS). Auckland: Memory Lane Productions. OCLC   155459064.
  27. ↑ Tibbles, Ian (2015). A West Coast Engineman. Wellington: New Zealand Railway and Locomotive Society. p. 190. ISBN   978-0-908573-90-5.

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