Hillside Engineering facts for kids
Hillside Engineering Group is a special part of KiwiRail, the company that runs trains in New Zealand. It is located in Dunedin. Hillside mostly works on KiwiRail's trains, but it also helps out the shipping industry in Dunedin.
In 2012, KiwiRail decided to sell Hillside. They sold part of it to an Australian company called Bradken, and the rest was going to close. However, some staff stayed to do important maintenance work. Then, in October 2019, the New Zealand Government announced it would spend NZ$20 million to bring Hillside Engineering back to life. The goal was to make it a main place for fixing and building train engines and other train parts for KiwiRail.
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A Look Back: Hillside's History
Hillside started as the Hillside Workshops in 1901. It was part of the New Zealand Railways Department. Even before that, smaller workshops were in the same area of South Dunedin since 1875.
The workshops grew a lot in the late 1920s. By 1935, about 800 people worked there, which was a big jump from 365 workers in 1925. At that time, it was the largest train workshop in the South Island. It covered a huge area, about 16 acres (65,000 square meters). By 1945, the number of staff had gone down to 550.
The workshops, located on Hillside Road, were one of the biggest employers in South Dunedin. They were also a very noticeable building. A part of the nearby Carisbrook sports ground, which was taken down in 2012, was even called "The Hillside End" because of the workshops.
Building Train Cars
In 2003, Hillside won a job to fix up several old train cars. These cars were bought from Australia and were originally from Queensland Rail. The project took 14 weeks. After they were fixed, the cars went to Auckland. There, they are used for daily commuter trains, pulled by diesel locomotives.
In 2004, Hillside began rebuilding passenger cars imported from Britain. These cars were taken apart and put back together. They were designed to be used in a "push-pull" setup. This means a train engine could be at one end, and a special control car at the other. This allowed the train to change direction without the engine having to move to the other end. The project to rebuild these cars finished in 2010.
In 2009, KiwiRail announced that Hillside Engineering would build 17 new passenger cars. These cars were for two of the South Island's long-distance trains: the TranzAlpine and the Coastal Pacific. As part of this project, six existing luggage vans were also changed. Two became open-air viewing cars, and four became new luggage vans. In November 2011, the new cars started carrying passengers on the Coastal Pacific.
Sale and Temporary Closure
In November 2012, KiwiRail announced it had sold part of Hillside to an Australian company called Bradken. The rest of the workshop would close. This meant 90 people lost their jobs. Some people felt this was a political choice. However, KiwiRail said there simply wasn't enough work to keep the whole workshop running.
Hillside had also lost a contract to build new train wagons for KiwiRail. It was found that Hillside's offer was not competitive, and they couldn't build the wagons fast enough. KiwiRail said they would give some work to the new owners. Other work would be done at KiwiRail's Hutt workshops, near Wellington.
Hillside's Big Comeback: 2019 Upgrade
Even after the sale, Hillside Engineering's workshops continued to be used. A small team of staff worked there. They did some maintenance on train engines and wagons. This was often overflow work from the KiwiRail Hutt Railway Workshops. They also worked on train parts for the South Island.
On October 30, 2019, the New Zealand Government announced a big plan. They would invest NZ$20 million to bring Hillside workshop back as a major center. It would become a place for heavy engineering and fixing trains. This money would be used to upgrade the two main workshop buildings and fix the machinery.
On May 20, 2021, another announcement came. Hillside Engineering would receive NZ$85 million for new facilities. These facilities would be used to put together about 1,500 train wagons. This was part of the 2021 New Zealand budget. It was also said that about 445 jobs would be created. These jobs would be at Hillside and a new maintenance center in Christchurch. The investment in Hillside would also create 150 construction jobs and 45 permanent KiwiRail jobs, including apprenticeships.
To celebrate this news, the Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern, and other important people visited the factory in May 2021. Some political parties, like the ACT Party, said the money spent on Hillside was a waste. However, the Railways and Maritime Union said the project would be good for both the Otago region and all of New Zealand.
In early 2022, some documents showed that KiwiRail officials had concerns. They thought the NZ$85 million given by the government might not be enough. They estimated it would cost between NZ$305 and 400 million to fully equip the factory. Despite these concerns, the government ministers said the Hillside factory would bring good, high-paying engineering jobs back to Dunedin.
Train Engines Built at Hillside
Hillside built many different types of train engines, also known as locomotives:
- DSC
- C (1930) (12 engines)
- JA (35 engines)
- KB (6 engines)
- L
- WA (6 engines)
- WAB (20 engines)
- WF (16 engines)
- WG (20 engines)
- WW (48 engines)
- TR (9 engines) (These were diesel shunting engines built from 1973–1978)
Hillside also rebuilt or fixed up these types of train engines:
- DG (10 engines)
- G (1928) (6 engines)
- WE (3 engines)
- X (1 engine)
See also
- New Zealand British Rail Mark 2 carriage, train cars rebuilt at Hillside Workshops and Hutt Workshops
- NZR Addington Workshops, in Christchurch
- NZR Hutt Workshops, in Lower Hutt/Wellington
- NZR Newmarket Workshops (later Otahuhu Workshops), in Auckland
- New Zealand Railways Department
