The Whangarei Steam and Model Railway Club Inc. was formed in 1978 for the purpose of acquiring, preserving, and operating vintage steam and diesel trains for the education and enjoyment of club members and the general public, the railway operates on Museum Live Days and special occasions over its own 0.8-kilometer (0.50 mi) main track.[1] The club has in its care two Peckett steam locomotives (one from 1924 and one from 1955), a Union Foundry, one Bagnall diesel loco, a Drewry and a Price diesel shunters.[2][3][4]
Locomotives and Rolling Stock
editLocomotives
edit| Key: | In service | In service, Mainline Certified | Under overhaul/restoration | Stored | Static display | Scrapped |
|---|
| Number | Builder | Builder's number | Year built | Arrived in Whangārei | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bagnall 3132 | W. G. Bagnall | 3132 | 1958 | 2005 | Built for Portland Cement and classified as PC 10. Withdrawn in 1990 and sold to Kamo Engineering for storage. It was then purchased by the club in 2005 and is stored.[2] |
| Drewry 2722 | Drewry | 2722 | 1960 | 2008 | Built for Portland Cement and classified as PC 12. Withdrawn in 1990 and purchased by the club. It has been named "Johnny" in preservation.[2] |
| Peckett 1664 | Peckett & Sons | 1664 | 1924 | 1970 | Built for Wilsons's Portland Cement and classified as WPC 5. Purchased by the club in 1970. Placed on display in a public park until 1987, when it was placed into storage at the railway and is currently awaiting restoration.[2] |
| Peckett 2157 | Peckett & Sons | 2157 | 1955 | 1978 | Built for Wilsons's Portland Cement and classified as WPC 4. Purchased by the club in 1977. Used at Whangārei until being taken out of service for a complete restoration. This was completed in 2006 with a new boiler. It is notable for being the last imported steam locomotive into New Zealand. It has been named "Seymour" in preservation.[2] |
| Price 200 | A & G Price | 200 | 1961 | 2005 | Built for Pacific Steel, Ōtāhuhu in 1961. In 1962 it was sold to NZ Farmers Fertiliser, Whangarei. Used until 2003 when it was placed in storage. In 2005 it was purchased by the club and is operational mainly on work trains.[2] |
| Union 44 | Union Foundry | 44 | 1970 | n/a | Built for Northland Farmers Fertiliser. It was then purchased by the club and is used as a shunter.[2] |
Trams
editWhangarei Steam and Model Railway Club has two 900 mm or 2 ft 11+7⁄16 in gauge former Lisbon trams 520 and 526 acquired by Dave Harre for Heritage Trams for Henderson, Auckland project he was promoting, having previously stored in Aspen, Colorado for another promoted tramway. One of the Lisbon tram bodies was restored by Mr Harre's group prior to the Henderson project (2003-2013) being abandoned and the trams being acquired by the Whangarei Steam Group, which are converting the two trams to 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) gauge and building an operating tramway attraction.[5][6]
References
edit- ^ "Whangarei Steam And Model Railway Club Inc". steamnorth.org.nz. Archived from the original on 25 January 2019. Retrieved 17 May 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f g "New Zealand Rolling Stock Register". www.nzrsr.co.nz. Retrieved 16 May 2021.
- ^ "List of New Zealand railway museums and heritage lines". thegrid.co.nz. 20 February 2014. Archived from the original on 11 March 2018. Retrieved 17 May 2021.
- ^ "FEDERATION OF RAIL ORGANISATIONS NZ: The Journal" (PDF). www.fronz.org.nz. 20 May 2014. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 April 2017. Retrieved 17 May 2021.
- ^ "Electric trams find new home at city's Heritage Park". www.nzherald.co.nz. Retrieved 17 January 2017.
- ^ "Vintage electric tram to run again". www.nzherald.co.nz. Retrieved 23 May 2017.