Vintage Machines spanning over 100 years of Mid-Canterbury

The Plains Railway and Historical Museum is home to a collection of machinery that spans Mid-Canterburys history, select a section by clicking on one of the buttons below to view further details about the items that fall into that collection.

Our Locomotive Collection

Our locomotive collection spans from the tiny Dubs 'A' 64 of 1873 to the massive 'Ja' 1260 of 1952.

A 64 - Dubs & Co.

'A' 64 was built in 1873 by Dubs & Co, Glasgow, Scotland. It is a 0-4-0T and was one of the first 3" 6' (1067mm) guaged locomotives to operate in New Zealand. Commentators of the time described these locomotives as 'a mere mite, a veritable toy locomotive' and 'a most absurd-looking dwarf'. However, this small light-weight (11ton) locomotive performed remarkably well in branch line and shunting services. 'A' 64 worked with the railways department up until 1890, when it was written off from the railways department and sold to the Canterbury Frozen Meat Co. Ltd. Fairfield, and placed in service as their shunter. The 'A' served the plant well, and was finally withdrawn from service with C.F.M. in 1960.

'A' 64 was donated to the Ashburton Steam and Model Engineers Club and was placed in display in the Tinwald Domain. The Ashburton Railway and Preservation Society was then formed to restore the 'A' to working order for use on their newly formed Plains Railway, utilising a small section of the former Mt Somers branch. The 'A' is still owned by the Ashburton Steam and Model Engineers Club and is leased to the AR&PS Plains Railway. The 'A' has been in regular service at The Plains ever since. For many years it continued to proudly display the letters 'C.F.M.' on its side water tanks, which had had their rounded ends removed while in service with Canterbury Frozen Meats.

In recent years the 'A' has been re-painted into a pleasent green livery with yellow lining out, the letters 'C.F.M.' have dissappeared from the tank sides, and the rounded end water tanks have been re-instated, a cowcatcher has also been fitted to the front of the locomotive. The A does still have a rear coal bunker, which is affixed to the back of the cab. This feature is unique amongst the preserved 'A' class locomotives as it was not as feature on the 'A' class when it was built, it is instead an addition made at some point during its life-time at C.F.M.. It is likely that this bunker was fitted at the same time the orginal round-ended water tanks were removed, due to - in orginial condition - the coal being carried in a compartment at the cab-end of the water tanks.

Dubs 'A' 64 carries the builders number of 651, making it New Zealands second oldest operational steam locomotive after The Ocean Beach Railways 'A' 67, builders number 647.

Ja 1260 - Hillside Workshops

'Ja' 1260 was built at Hillside Railway Workshops, Dunedin for the New Zealand Government Railways in 1952. The Ja class was virtually identical to the J class, built by the North British Locomotive works. The main difference was the use of roller bearings on the rods and axles. The 'J' and 'Ja' classs were referred to as the 'Greyhounds' of the New Zealand Railways locomotive fleet. These engines, with drivers measuring a mere 4' 6" - not even up to international 'Freight' type engines - were capable of 70mph and higher - unofficially of course. Many a tale is told of a late running South Island Limited arriving to Christchurch in time to have a meal before catching the train to the ferry, thanks largely to the power and speed of these 110ton 4-8-2's. The grate area of the 'Ja' class is a hand-fired 39sq feet. The "Ja" class in operational order carries 6 tons of coal, and 4000 gallons of water.

'Ja' 1260 spent the majority of its working life based in Dunedin, working between Oamaru in the north, and Invercargill in the south. 'Ja' 1260 was one of the last steam locomotives to withdrawn from Railways Department service, and has a claim to fame as the last steam locomotive to haul a night express out of Dunedin in 1971. It was also the last steam locomotive in service to haul passenger trains out of Christchurch. After its withdrawl 'Ja' 1260 was aquired by The Plains Railway and was towed to Ashburton in April 1972 and stored there until February 1973 when it was towed to The Plains Railway Museums precinct. In the 1980's 'Ja' 1260 ventured to the Weka Pass Railway. The 'Ja' needed some work before being operational on the Weka Pass, having not received much attention since its N.Z.R. days.

The 'Ja' lasted only a year on the Weka Pass before it was returned to The Plains, where it was stripped down for overhaul. However, other projects got priority over the 'Ja' and she sat in the shed wanting attention until 2007. The Plains then focussed all of its attention on the 'Ja' for a return to steam for a starring role in the upcoming Charles Upham film. On the 25th of April 2008 'Ja' 1260's boiler passed inspection, and she officially returned to the Plains Railways running locomotive roster.

K 88 - Rogers Locomotive Works

'K' 88, or Washington, was built in 1877 by Rogers Locomotive Works, Paterson, New Jersey. With the builders number of 2454, it is now one of the oldest operational Rogers built locomotives in the world. The orginal order for 'K' class 2-4-2 locomotives was for two locomotives only, a second order was placed in 1878 for a further 6, once the original two; 'K' 88 Washington, and 'K' 87 Lincoln, had dismissed their titles of mere 'yankee toys'.

Upon arrival from the USA the two 'K' locomotives were pushed into service. 'K' 88 became the first locomotive to ever haul an express train between the fledgling cities of Christchurch and Dunedin, on New Zealands first 'Main Trunk Railway'. Soon the expresses became longer and heavier, and bigger more powerful locomotives were required. By 1885 the 'K' class had been superseeded and was relagated to branch line and secondary work - sometimes seen banking the expresses out of Dunedin. Around the end of the 19th Century, the 'K' locomotives - including 'K' 88 - got a new lease of life hauling tourist trains from Gore to Kingston, on the shore of Lake Wakitipu. This was the original 'Kingston Flyer'. 'K' 88 continued to race across the Waimea Plains hauling tourists to the Lake until the mid 1920's, when she was written off. Scrap metal prices at the time were low, so it was decided to use the old engines as flood protection. 'K' 88 looked to have no future, until the early 1970's. After a discussion on the 'old' Kingston flyer locomotives, it was remembered that some of them had been placed in the Oreti River as flood protection. So, shovels in hand, a group of volunteers set out and exhume a Steam Engine.

In 1974 the 'K' had been uncovered, and was moved to the Plains Railway Musem. On arrival at the museum, after restoration had begun - largely by one man, the late Bob Anderson - it was discovered that this was not just any old 'K', but 'K' 88, the first American Built engine to enter service in New Zealand, and the first locomotive to ever haul an express train between two major cities. In 1982, against all odds, Bob Anderson accomplished his dream, and the Plains Railway drew world-wide attention. In the period up until its boiler failed in 1986, 'K' 88 ran a number of trips on the mainline promoting Monteiths, and also starred in the television mini-series of Hanlon. The boiler 'K' 88 was restored with was first fitted to the locomotive around 1900 and had perished too much to ever be of use again. If 'K' 88 was to ever turn a wheel under her own steam again, a new boiler would be needed.

The 'K 88 Trust' was formed to finance the second restoration of the 'K'. A new boiler was constructed by Lyttleton Engineering, and was transported to The Plains upon completion. The trust also sourced a new workshop/engine shed for the museum, in a former life this building was a supermarket. The 'K' had much work, that couldn't be carried out in the first restoration, done to it during the second restoration. This included the straightening of her bent frames from when she had been rolled into the river.

'K' 88 has been restored with its original 'loud' livery of 1877 and to a mainline standard. Since being restored 'K' 88 has ventured to Dunedin for the Dunedin Station Centenery Celebrations, where it was well recieved. 'K' 88 now sees regular service on the Plains Railway.

RM 50 - Vulcan Foundry

During the war years, New Zealand Railways needed a cheaper mode of Transport for light passenger duties, Ten 29.5 ton railcars were ordered from the 'Vulcan' Foundry. Only 9 of the 10 ever entered service, the 10th was lost when a German Submarine attacked the transportation ship. In New Zealand Railways service this type of railcar became known by its builders name, and so the word 'Vulcan' entered the New Zealand Railways language. The Vulcan railcars are powered by a 6 cylinder Frichs diesel engine developing 250hp, and are capable of runnning in multiple.

In trials on the 25th October 1940 Vulcan Railcar 'RM' 50 set the official New Zealand Railways speed record of 78mp/h, or 125km/h. This record is still standing today, with the railways of the time focusing on a reliable service as opposed to setting speed records, and current operators unable to run trains at such speeds.

The Plains Railway aquired 'RM' 50 in March 1979, when all the Vulcans in service were withdrawn. A further 3 Vulcans were also preserved, and these can be seen in various states under the care of the Canterbury Railway Society based at Ferrymead.

'RM' 50 has seen a large amount of service for the Plains Railway. In the 1990's it held a mainline certificate and was used to run shuttle services between the Ashburton Railway Station and The Plains Museum.

Shunter 458956 - Ruston and Hornsby

'Ruston & Hornsby 486965 was built in 1961 to replace Dubs & Co. 'A' 64 at Canterbury Frozen Meats Fairfeild freezing works.

The locomotive is on loan to The Plains Railway Museum, on the condition it be returned to the now PPCS Fairfeild freezing works if they should ever require it again.

TR - J & F Howard

This locomotive was constructed by J & F Howard company in England and was one of two imported for the PWD (Public Works Department) in approx. 1930. The Howard Company was liquidated in 1931, so this may be one of the last locomotives to be built there, and is numbered by the builders as 936.   

After leaving PWD service this locomotive went on to work the Smithfield Freezing Works in Timaru, before coming to The Plains Railway Museum in 1986.

The sister locomotive to Howard 936 ended its life as a bush locomotive, or 'lokey', in the National Park area of the central North Island.     

TR 119 - A & G Price Ltd

'TR' 119 was built by A & G Price of Thames in 1960, as Price 198. Although being of a similar design to New Zealand Railways 'TR' class diesel shunters, Price 198/'TR' 119 was never in NZR service, and so is not an 'official' member of the 'TR' class. The number '119' was never carried by any NZR 'TR' class locomotive, and so was adopted by Price 198.

The 'TR' was built for Kempthorne Prosser & Co. of Hornby Christchurch for shunting their private sidings. When retired from Kempthorn Prosser & Co, in the 1980's, Price198/'TR' 119 was donated to the Weka Pass Railway, before coming to The Plains Railway Museum in the 1990's.

Members of the Plains Railway restored Price198/'TR' 119 and in 1997 it was the recepient of a FRONZ award for its restoration.

Since being restored in 1997 Price198/'TR' 119 has been the Plains Railways main work-horse, being used for everything from general shunting to works trains.

TR 38 - A & G Price Ltd

'TR' 38 was built by A&G Price Ltd of Thames in 1938, and was one of only two of its type. It was New Zealands first Diesel locomotive. Weighing in at only 6.25 tons, it's 6cylinder Perkins P6 diesel engine develops 56hp and is rated to pull 110tons.

'TR' 38 started its life in the Ways and Works department of the NZR in 1938, and was used in construction and maintenance of the North Island Main Trunk Line between Auckland and Frankton, also seeing use in Otahuhu and Dunedin. 'TR' 38 was first preserved by the Shanty Town Museum near Greymouth on the South Islands West Coast, before moving to The Plains Railway Museum in February 1982.

'TR' 38 was the main shunting locomotive for many years, until the more powerful or more mechanically sound shunters arrived. 'TR' 38 was then relegated to the shed.

In 2008 Plains Railway members re-fitted the cab doors, and gave the locomotive a good wash. The handbrake was also repaired, negating the use of a block of wood as seen in the picture. 'TR' 38 is now sometimes seen on display at the Plains on running days.