New Zealand DI class locomotive

Last updated

New Zealand DI Class
Di 1102 at Waipara.jpg
Preserved locomotive DI 1102 in Waipara in 2018.
Type and origin
Power typeDiesel-Electric
Builder English Electric
Rocklea works, Queensland, Australia
Build date1966
Specifications
Configuration:
​
 •  UIC Co-Co
Gauge 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
Wheel diameter3 ft 1+1⁄2 in (0.953 m)
Minimum curve 330 ft (100.584 m)
Wheelbase 33 ft 6 in (10.211 m) total, 11 ft 6 in (3.505 m) bogie
Length42 ft (12.802 m) over headstocks
Width8 ft 6 in (2.591 m)
Height11 ft 8+1⁄2 in (3.569 m)
Axle load 10+1⁄2 long tons (10.7 t; 11.8 short tons)
Loco weight63 long tons (64.0 t; 70.6 short tons)
Fuel typeDiesel
Fuel capacity500 imp gal (600 US gal; 2,300 L)
Prime mover English Electric 6CSRKT Mk II
RPM range450 - 850 rpm
Engine typefour stroke, four valves per cylinder
Aspirationturbocharged, intercooled
Generator EE827/9A
Traction motors Six EE540/1A
Cylinders 6 Inline
Cylinder size 10 in × 12 in (254 mm × 305 mm)
MU working 110V, ten notch
Loco brake Air, dynamic
Train brakes Air
Performance figures
Maximum speed60 miles per hour (97 km/h)
Power output1,012 hp (750 kW) gross, 928 hp (690 kW) net
Tractive effort 29,500 lbf (131.2 kN) at 9 mph (10 km/h)
Career
Number in class5
Numbers1100 - 1104 (original)
1808 - 1843 (TMS)
LocaleAll of New Zealand
First runApril 1966
Last runMay 1989
Disposition4 scrapped
1 preserved

The New Zealand DI class locomotive [nb 1] was a class of diesel-electric locomotive in New Zealand. They were built by English Electric at their plant in Rocklea, Queensland in Australia. [1] The class is very similar to the Queensland Railways 1620 class locomotives. [2] [3] [4] At the time of their introduction, the class was seen as an alternative to the DB class for use on lightly laid secondary and branch lines, more so in the South Island. The World Bank financed introduction of the Japanese built DJ class in 1968, which ensured that no further DI class locomotives were purchased by New Zealand Railways. [3]

Contents

History

The QR 1620 class, produced after the D class, were very similar to the New Zealand locomotives. QR Locomotive 1650 Redbank - panoramio.jpg
The QR 1620 class, produced after the D class, were very similar to the New Zealand locomotives.

The DI class were an evolution of the Queensland Railways 1600 class built by English Electric at their Rocklea, Queensland plant. The DI class featured an American-style high front hood. Queensland Railways (QR) took an interest in the NZR design and were impressed by the characteristics of the locomotives. Like NZR, QR was in the process of phasing out steam locomotives, and like NZR required a diesel locomotive able to operate on lightly laid branch lines. QR placed an order with English Electric for locomotives that would be based on the features of the DI class, which would become Queensland Railways 1620 class. [5]

Service

Three members of the class originally operated in the South Island, mainly on the Main North Line between Christchurch and Picton, while the other two members started life in the upper North Island. [3] In May 1969, all members were transferred to work in the Bay of Plenty area on the lightly laid track there. [3]

After the Kaimai Tunnel opened in 1978, all five members were transferred to the South Island for service in the Dunedin area. The class performed sterling service on the hilly Dunedin - Palmerston section of the Main South Line, and were also used to haul the Makareao branchline stone trains to Makareao due to their full adhesion Co-Co wheelset arrangement. [3] Members of the class occasionally made trips to Invercargill and were sometimes used on the Otago Central Line. [3]

Renumbering

In 1979, the computerised Traffic Monitoring System (TMS) was introduced, and the locomotives were renumbered as 1808, 1844, 1820, 1837 and 1843 respectively. [4]

South Island

They remained in Dunedin until 1984 - 1986, when they went north to Wellington and Napier mainly being used for shunting duties. [3] The locomotives were also used on revenue and special passenger services over the years of their operation. [3]

Disposal

Withdrawals

The first withdrawn from service was DI 1837 in January 1986 due to a fractured piston that had caused major engine damage, moving to Hutt Workshops late February 1987 for storage. [3] 1808 and 1814 were then laid up in April 1988. DI 1843 was withdrawn in May 1988 after a collision with a milk tanker truck in a level crossing accident near Ōtaki. 1808 was subsequently returned to service to replace 1843, until it suffered a major main generator failure in April 1989. [3] The remaining member of the class in service, 1820, was withdrawn in May 1989. [3] DIs 1814, 1837 and 1843 were scrapped at Hutt Workshops in March 1989, while 1808 was stripped of useful components in May 1991 by the Diesel Traction Group for spares for 1820. [3]

Preservation

DTG fleet at Ferrymead, D 1102 (DI1820) is on the left. Three out of five. The DTG fleet of classic English Electric locos lined up during shunting. (50685508046).jpg
DTG fleet at Ferrymead, D 1102 (DI1820) is on the left.

DI1820 was purchased by the Diesel Traction Group in 1989, and transferred to their base at the Ferrymead Heritage Park in September 1992. [3] [6] The locomotive was restored from 2009 to 2018, and has since been renumbered back to DI 1102. [7] It was mainline certified in September 2018. [8] [9] [10]

Related Research Articles

<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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Zealand EF class locomotive</span> Class of 22 electric locomotives

The New Zealand EF class locomotive is a class of 25 kV 50 Hz AC electric locomotives that operate on the North Island Main Trunk (NIMT) between Palmerston North and Te Rapa in New Zealand. Built by Brush Traction in Loughborough, England between 1986 and 1988 to run on the new electrified central section of the NIMT, at 3,000 kilowatts (4,000 hp), they are the most powerful locomotives to operate in New Zealand.

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">New Zealand DJ class locomotive</span>

The New Zealand DJ class locomotive is a type of diesel-electric locomotive in service on the New Zealand rail network. The class were built by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and introduced from 1968 to 1969 for the New Zealand Railways Department (NZR) with a modernisation loan from the World Bank to replace steam locomotives in the South Island, where all of the class members worked most of their lives. Nine of the locomotives remain in use, mainly with Dunedin Railways.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Zealand DQ and QR class locomotives</span> Class of diesel locomotives

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.

<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">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 DA class locomotive</span>

The New Zealand DA class locomotive were a class of diesel-electric mainline locomotives operated on the New Zealand railway system between 1955 and 1989. Consisting of 146 locomotives, it was the most numerous class to ever operate in New Zealand, with five more than the AB class steam locomotive.

<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 DG and DH class locomotive</span>

The New Zealand DG and DH class were classes of forty-two diesel-electric locomotives operated on New Zealand's rail network between 1955 and 1983.

<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.

NZR D<sup>F</sup> class (1954)

The New Zealand DF class locomotive of 1954 was the first class of mainline diesel-electric locomotives built for New Zealand's national railway network, built by English Electric. It should not be confused with General Motors Electro-Motive Division DF class of 1979.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Zealand DF class locomotive (1979)</span>

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Zealand DSC class locomotive</span> Heavy shunting locomotive

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).

<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.

The Diesel Traction Group (DTG) is the Christchurch-based operator of a fleet of ex-New Zealand Railways Department diesel-electric locomotives. The fleet represents a full collection of New Zealand locomotive classes built by the English Electric Company and is a historically significant collection of early New Zealand diesel traction. All of the DTG's locomotives are owned by individual members through the sale of shareholdings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Queensland Railways 1620 class</span>

The 1620 class was a class of diesel locomotives built by English Electric, Rocklea for Queensland Railways between 1967 and 1969.

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.

References

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Following the introduction of TMS in 1979, the class classification was capitalised, whereas previously the second letter was a smaller capital letter, that is DI

Citations

  1. ↑ Diesels for NZ Railways Network March 1965 page 3
  2. ↑ Australian-built Diesel Locomotives for NZR Railway Transportation May 1966 page 6
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 "Railfan". Vol. 6, no. 4. Triple M Publications. September 2000. ISSN   1173-2229.
  4. 1 2 The 1620 Class Diesel-electric Locomotives Sunshine Express issue 588 September 2019 page 92
  5. ↑ "Queensland Railways 1620 class". CGL Models. Retrieved 11 May 2022.
  6. ↑ Diesel group celebrates milestone with load test Narrow Gauge World issue 127 January 2018 page 15
  7. ↑ "Railfan". Vol. 24, no. 3. Triple M Publications. June 2018. ISSN   1173-2229.
  8. ↑ "Our Operating Partners". Diesel Traction Group. Retrieved 20 July 2018.
  9. ↑ "Diesel Locomotives". New Zealand Rolling Stock Register. Retrieved 20 July 2018.
  10. ↑ New Zealand diesel preservation progress The Railway Magazine issue 1422 September 2019 page 97

Bibliography

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.