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The New Zealand DC class locomotive [nb 1] 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.
The locomotives were introduced as the Phase III units of the DA class, built by General Motors Canada between 1961 and 1967. Between 1978 and 1983, 85 of the later-build DAs were rebuilt.
Because of a backlog of locomotives requiring heavy maintenance, Clyde Engineering were awarded a contract to rebuild 35 DA class as EMD model G22ARs, with upgraded engines, new cabs and low short hoods of a style similar to the DX class introduced earlier in the 1970s and the DF class being introduced at the time. [1] [2] [3] The first few were shipped directly to Port Adelaide, but after the Union Company withdrew its roll-on/roll-off services, most were shipped to Melbourne's Appleton Dock and hauled to Adelaide via the 1,600 mm (5 ft 3 in) Victorian and South Australian lines. [4] [5] [6]
Further contract extensions resulted in a total of 80 being rebuilt by Clyde Engineering. [7] [8] A further five were rebuilt at the Hutt Workshops near Wellington, but retained their existing engines. [9]
Each locomotive has a General Motors 12-645C or 12-645E V12 diesel engine (the same as originally fitted to the DF class) and four traction motors, with an authorised maximum speed of 100 km/h. They are 14 metres long, 3.8 metres high and weigh 82 tonnes. They can be readily identified as they are considerably shorter than the DF and DX classes and have their paired headlights arranged horizontally, rather than vertically on the DFs.
The five 49-series Hutt-built DCs originally retained the 12-567 engine, before later receiving the 12-645.
The class was initially employed in the North Island, mainly on freight trains but also hauling either carriage trains or AC class Grassgrub depowered railcars.
Changes came during the 1980s; the deregulation of land transport saw rail freight volumes decline and the opening of the North Island Main Trunk electrification saw the locomotive fleet reallocated. These factors saw the withdrawal between 1985 and 1989 of the DJ class and remaining DA class, with the DC class also seeing service in the South Island for the first time. The locomotives were also used on export coal trains between the West Coast and Christchurch. [10]
The class were used on KiwiRail Scenic's South Island Coastal Pacific , and was also used on the North Island's Northern Explorer until being replaced by a DFB/T, DXB or occasionally a DXC unit and on the TranzAlpine until being replaced by two DXC locomotives. A DC class locomotive is also occasionally employed to haul the Capital Connection service.
The Northern Explorer's predecessor, the Overlander , was usually hauled on the northern and southern sections of the North Island Main Trunk by a DC class locomotive, and was often used across the central section as well if an EF locomotive was unavailable.
In March 2001, the Rail & Maritime Transport Union threatened to set the maximum speed of the DC class to 50 kilometres per hour due to corrosion found on cab mounts. [11] This causes the cab of a DC to detach from the frame during a derailment, and a driver had fallen through the floor of a unit. [11] An audit was made on all units and found 19 locomotives had maintenance concerns. The concerned units were relegated to trail-only units, and work was made in a short matter of time to repair the cabs. It was understood the concerned units would be fitted with universal cabs, [11] but this never commenced.
In early 2017, concerns were raised by the RMTU surrounding rusty cab structures, cab mounting, and anti-collision posts. [12] Fearing the cabs could have been ripped off in the course of an accident, all (but one) units were banned from leading in the South Island; again confined to trail-only units until they had been inspected. [12] Although units in the North Island were banned from leading trains, they were seen being used on shunts. Work was carried out at both Hutt and Hillside workshops, most were back leading trains within a couple of months. [13]
The DC class were used to haul Wairarapa Connection services between Masterton and Wellington. The locomotives were allocated on a daily basis, rather than being permanently assigned as was the case in Auckland. In July 2015, the DFB class replaced the DC class hauling the service. [14]
DC4588 was shipped to Tasmania (along with QR class locomotives) in December 1998 for use for TasRail, then part-owned by Tranz Rail and its parent Wisconsin Central through the Australian Transport Network. [15] [16] [17] [18] [19] [20] [21] [22] The locomotive was purchased outright by TasRail after an initial period used lease, but was placed into storage in October 2002 after suffering an engine problem. In 2005 rebuilding commenced for reinstatement, but the rebuild fell through and the locomotive was sold for scrap in 2011 at East Tamar Workshops. [23]
In 2020, six DC class locomotives were sold to Martinus Rail for use on construction trains on the Carmichael coal mine railway line from Abbot Point in Queensland, Australia. [24] DCs 4041, 4444, 4571 and 4692 were overhauled and repainted at Hutt Workshops before being shipped to Brisbane, while 4104 and 4634 were purchased for spare parts and scrapped. [25] [26] With the completion of the line, DCs 4444 and 4692 were sold to mine operator Bravus Mining in 2022, for use on work trains. Martinus retained DCs 4041 and 4571. [27] In late 2022, Martinus brought the locomotives it had retained back to New Zealand. [28]
For several years, the DC class were employed on suburban carriage trains in Auckland. From 2003, the operation has been run under a service contract by Transdev Auckland and its predecessors, through firstly the former Auckland Regional Transport Authority (ARTA) and then through the Auckland Council subsidiary Auckland Transport.
Until July 2015, up to 20 DC class and DCP class locomotives, along with three DFB/T class locomotives, were leased to Auckland Transport, operating in push-pull mode with Auckland Transport's ex British Rail Mark 2 SA/SD carriages. Originally the DC locomotives were configured with a set of three SA cars and an SD driving car, but with an increase in rail patronage some longer trains were provided on the Southern and Eastern lines with the addition of a fourth SA car. [29] 17 DC class locomotives were painted in the MAXX blue livery, with four other locomotives that saw regular service with AT – DC 4104, DC 4260, DC 4346 and DCP 4818 – in KiwiRail livery, along with DC 4594 which was Toll-livered at the time. All locomotives in service with Auckland Transport were fitted with controls for the carriage doors and later received Electronic Train Protection (ETP) equipment. One of the MAXX painted locomotives, DC 4732, was heavily damaged when it derailed at Westfield as an empty service on 2 March 2014.
Following the availability of sufficient numbers of the electric AM class EMUs to operate the Auckland network, the diesel locomotives were returned to KiwiRail, with a number of them being stored at Hutt Workshops.
DC4191 and DC4847 were sold for use on Namibia's narrow-gauge railway in 2021. On 19 November 2021 both locomotives were trucked to the Port of Auckland's Bledisloe Wharf for export to South Africa and then on to Namibia. [30]
Although now substantially reduced in numbers, the DC class continues to be a workhorse, operating either as single units or in multiple with other DC units or locomotives from the DFT, DX or DL classes.
Initially the class was numbered sequentially from DC 1551 (the DA class having ended at 1545, the DF class started at 1651). In 1979 the computerised Traffic Monitoring System (TMS) was introduced and the class was renumbered with a four-digit number commencing with '4', with the last digit a check digit. The 49 Clyde-built units were renumbered in sequence with DC 1551 becoming DC4006 and DC 1599 becoming DC4536, though only the first 31 (up to DC 1581) had entered service by that time. The remaining Clyde builds received TMS numbers through to 4876 as they entered the rebuilding, while DC 1582–1589 entered service with their original 15xx series numbers on the headlight number boards and the later 40xx TMS numbers on the long hood. [31]
Initially, the Hutt-built units retained their DA-sequence TMS numbers, as NZR considered them to be DA locomotives as they retained the 12-567 engine. Eventually, this decision was changed and they became DC 4916-DC 4951, with 4882 and 4899 not used to keep them in a separate number sub-series.
The class were delivered in the International Orange or "Fruit Salad" livery – orange/red, grey, and yellow with large white numbers on the long hood – which was the standard livery for New Zealand Railways until the early 1990s. The class has since collectively worn almost every other single livery introduced since then, although some examples still wear the original Fruit Salad livery in service today. Liveries worn by the class are:
In addition, DC4093 wore a special one-off "Kiwi Lager" livery to go with the Kiwi Lager Ski train, and DC4346 was one of two locomotives to wear a brown with yellow ends "Tasman Forestry" livery.
The DCP sub-class was established in 2002 to differentiate locomotives owned by Tranz Scenic 2001 Ltd, which was the long-distance passenger business split from Tranz Rail as part of a restructuring. The classification was to distinguish between DC class locomotives owned by Tranz Scenic and from those owned by Tranz Rail Ltd. The DCP classification was retained on these locomotives after the purchase of Tranz Scenic by Toll NZ in 2004 and continues to be used by KiwiRail. Further units since received the classification, though it then referred to those DC locomotives that were fitted with bogie retention wire ropes to stop the bogies falling off in derailments, rather than locomotives dedicated to passenger workings. The practice of reclassifying has now been abandoned by KiwiRail, though most DCs, including all those previously used on Auckland commuter services, have received the bogie ropes.
In May 1988, trials were carried out using GE's BrightStar control system on DC4588 and DC4939, which were unsuccessful. In November 1988, DC4588 was fitted with the ZTR Control Systems wheel-slip system, from Canada. The system substantially enhanced traction on the bogies, maximising traction potential. DC4628 followed in December 1988 and was also a success. Over the next 10 years, 64 DC class locomotives had ZTR fitted.
Locolog was an event recorder system similar to a black box on aircraft. It was trialled successfully in 1986 on DC4070 and DC4778 before being fitted to all other mainline locomotives. It has since been supplanted by the locally produced Tranzlog system, with both systems having provided significant material to assist in accident investigations.
In 2014, six of the class were fitted with fire suppression to run passenger services through the 8.8-kilometre (5.5 mi) Rimutaka Tunnel on the Wairarapa Line due to a change in requirements resulting from the Commission of Inquiry in the Pike River Mine disaster. [32] [33] [34] This was removed from these locomotives in mid-2015 and reinstalled into the DFB class locomotives which took over the haulage of these services. [35] [36] However, fire suppression has been refitted to several members of the class in order to provide locomotives for passenger charter services and for back-up for The Great Journeys of New Zealand long-distance passenger services. [37] [38] [12]
As of July 2021, 67 units have been withdrawn from service. Units were withdrawn as a result of accidents, or on account of being surplus to requirements or poor mechanical condition. DC4496, was taken out of storage for an experimental rebuild that was later cancelled, and the underframe was scrapped. DC4588, then owned by TasRail, was scrapped in 2011. [23]
Three of the withdrawn units are in storage, six are preserved, and six have been sold overseas. The remainder have been scrapped.
In February 2015, KiwiRail issued a Request for Quotation (RFQ) via the Government Electronic Tendering Service for the disposal of 12 of DC class locomotives, [39] [40] with further tranches of locomotives being released from the fleet over the next two years. In mid-2015, KiwiRail confirmed the 12 DCs were purchased by Progress Rail for their 645 V-12 prime movers, and other usable parts to be salvaged and the hulks scrapped. [41] It was also confirmed the 12 units sold were 4029, 4070, 4133, 4225, 4231, 4352, 4398, 4507, 4542, 4640, 4732, and 4784. [42] All units have been scrapped as of December 2018. [43]
In August 2017, KiwiRail announced it was in discussions with global suppliers including General Electric, Electro-Motive Diesel, Alstom, CRRC and Stadler Rail to construct replacements for the remainder of the class. It is expected the first of the replacements to arrive in 2020/21. [13]
In September 2018, it was announced ten DCs were to be withdrawn following the commissioning of the 15 new DL class, with 15 units to remain in service until 2021/22. [44] In November 2018, KiwiRail issued a second RFQ for the disposal of four more DCs, being 4093, 4248, 4369 and 4818. [45] 4093 was scrapped in January 2019, while the other three were purchased for preservation. [46]
As of September 2021, six class members have been preserved:
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.
The DQ and QR class were a class of diesel locomotives in New Zealand and Tasmania, Australia. Originally built by Clyde Engineering in the 1960s as Queensland Rail 1460 and 1502 class locomotives, they were purchased by Tranz Rail in 1995 to be rebuilt, as a cheaper alternative to buying new locomotives.
The Mainline Steam Heritage Trust is a New Zealand charitable trust devoted to the restoration and operation of historic New Zealand Railways and overseas mainline steam locomotives. Regular day excursions and multi-day tours are operated over rail lines throughout New Zealand. Excursions are operated by the Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch branches.
Bumble-Bee was an informal term, promoted by the editors of NZ Railfan magazine, describing a New Zealand railway locomotive livery found in common usage amongst the railfan community.
This is a list of jargon commonly used by railfans and railway employees in New Zealand.
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.
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.
The New Zealand DF class locomotive of 1979 is a class of 30 Co-Co diesel-electric locomotives built by General Motors Diesel of Canada between 1979 and 1981. Between 1992 and 1997, all the locomotives were rebuilt as the DFT class, a turbocharged version of the DF.
The New Zealand DSC class locomotive is a heavy shunting locomotive used throughout New Zealand. The class was built in seven batches, the first 18 locomotives being built by British Thomson-Houston of the United Kingdom, with the remainder being built by New Zealand Railways (NZR).
The New Zealand TR class locomotive is a type of diesel shunting locomotives built by many different manufacturers. Defined as "shunting tractors" or "rail tractors" by KiwiRail and its predecessors, they are classified "TR" for tractor as a result. Many of these locomotives have been withdrawn, but some are still in service. The first locomotive of this class was built by NZR in 1924. The most powerful were Japanese-built Hitachi TRs, with 138 kW Cummins engines.
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.
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.
The New Zealand British Rail Mark 2 carriages were built by British Rail Engineering Limited for British Rail in the early 1970s. From the mid-1990s, 150 were exported to New Zealand. After being rebuilt, refurbished and re-gauged, they entered service with a variety of operators on New Zealand's railway network. The carriages generally replaced older NZR 56-foot carriages, some of which had been in use for almost 70 years.
The New Zealand DL class of diesel-electric locomotives was manufactured for KiwiRail by CRRC Dalian with engines from MTU. They are the most powerful diesel-electric locomotives in service in New Zealand.
The New Zealand AK class carriage is a class of 17 cars built by Dunedin's Hillside Workshops for KiwiRail's long-distance passenger operation The Great Journeys of New Zealand. Consisting of 11 AK saloon carriages and four AKC café carriages, supplemented by three AKL luggage vans and four AKV open-air viewing/generator vans converted from AG vans, similar to those previously used on the Coastal Pacific and the TranzAlpine. The AK class are the first new carriages to be built in New Zealand since 1943.
Cato Blue is an informal term describing a New Zealand railway locomotive livery found in common usage amongst the railfan community. The livery was first worn on DFT 7160 as a variation of the New Zealand Rail blue livery. With the introduced of Tranz Rail on 18 October 1995, the livery was adopted to replace New Zealand Rails blue livery, which was introduced in 1991. The scheme was known as Cato Blue after its creator, Cato Partners. DFT 7199 was the first locomotive repainted in the livery after Tranz Rail took over the rail system.
Corn-Cob was an informal term, promoted by the editors of NZ Railfan magazine, describing a New Zealand railway locomotive livery found in common usage amongst the railfan community. The livery was introduced on 5 May 2004 when Toll Rail took over the rail system from Tranz Rail and replaced the Bumble-Bee livery. The livery was replaced by the KiwiRail Phase One livery in July 2008. DX 5379 was the first locomotive to wear the livery. The livery represents the colours of Toll Rail and the colours of Australia. When KiwiRail took over the rail system from Toll, the Toll logos on the locomotives were covered or "patched" with the KiwiRail logo.
The DQ class were a class of diesel locomotives in New Zealand and Tasmania. Originally built by Clyde Engineering in the 1960s as Queensland Rails 1460 and 1502 class locomotives. They were purchased by Tranz Rail in 1995 to be rebuilt, as a cheaper alternative to buying new locomotives. Tranz Rail rebuilt 16 locos into the DQ class. Tranz Rail then sold the 12 DQs to AN Tasrail. Only eight out of the twelve DQs are still in service today.
The QR class were a class of diesel locomotives in New Zealand and Tasmania. Originally built by Clyde Engineering between 1965 and 1966 as Queensland Rail's 1460 class locomotives. They were purchased by Tranz Rail in 1995 to be rebuilt, as a cheaper alternative to buying new locomotives. Seven were modified into the QR class. Three were leased to AN Tasrail for one year, but the locos were later sold in 2001. All three have since been scrapped.
The DC class was a class of diesel locomotives in New Zealand and Tasmania. Originally built by General Motors Canada and Clyde Engineering between 1955 and 1967 as New Zealand Government Railways DA class locomotive. Eighty-five DAs were rebuilt as the DC class locomotive. Tranz Rail, a successor of the NZGR, sold DC 4588 to AN Tasrail. It has since been scrapped.