Wellington and Manawatu Railway Trust facts for kids
The Wellington and Manawatu Railway Trust is a special group in Wellington, New Zealand. Their main goal is to bring an old steam train, called No.9, back to life! This train used to belong to the Wellington and Manawatu Railway company and was later known as N 453 when the government owned it. The Trust is working hard to make it run again.
Quick facts for kids WMR No.9 |
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| No. 9 at Paekākāriki, c. 1900. | |
| Power type | Steam |
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| Builder | Baldwin Locomotive Works |
| Build date | 1891 |
| Configuration | 2-6-2 |
| Gauge | 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) |
| Wheel diameter | 4 ft 1 in (1 m) |
| Locomotive weight | 50.8 t (50.0 long tons; 56.0 short tons) |
| Fuel type | Coal |
| Boiler pressure | 140 lbf/in2 (970 kPa) |
| Cylinder size | 15 in × 20 in (381 mm × 508 mm) diameter × stroke |
| Power output | 437 hp (326 kW) |
| Tractive effort | 10,260 lbf (45.6 kN) |
| Retired | 13 November 1926 |
| Current owner | Wellington and Manawatu Railway Trust |
| Disposition | Under Restoration |
Contents
The Trust and Its Mission
The Wellington and Manawatu Railway Trust was created to find and fix up locomotive No. 9. This steam engine was built in 1891 by Baldwin. So far, the Trust has successfully found the locomotive. Now, they are busy working on its restoration.
While No. 9 is their main focus, the Trust also cares about other old items from the Wellington and Manawatu Railway. They want to make sure these historical pieces are safe. The Trust even owns an old four-wheel wagon from the railway. This wagon is currently kept at the Silver Stream Railway in Upper Hutt. No. 9 is the only known steam engine left from the Wellington and Manawatu Railway.
The Story of Locomotive No.9
Locomotive No. 9 was built in 1891 by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in Philadelphia. It was one of two special engines made for the Wellington and Manawatu Railway. No. 9 and its sister engine, No. 10, were very similar to other New Zealand trains. They had a special wheel setup called 2-6-2.
These engines were based at the railway's depot in Paekākāriki. They mostly pulled trains with both people and goods. These trains traveled on the easy part of the track between Paekākāriki and Longburn. In 1892, No. 10 even set a world speed record! It reached 64.4 mph (103.6 km/h) on a narrow track. This showed how powerful these engines were.
Changes Over Time
In 1901, both No. 9 and No. 10 got new air brakes. This was part of the company's plan to add modern brakes to all its trains. Other changes to the engines were small, like replacing their funnels. In December 1908, the New Zealand Government bought the Wellington and Manawatu Railway. No. 9 then became known as N 453. Its old railway signs were removed, and new government railway plates were added.
No. 9 stayed in Paekākāriki until 1916. Then, it was moved to Greymouth in the South Island. There, it pulled mail trains between Greymouth and Otira. Its wooden cab was replaced with a stronger steel one. Kerosene lights were also swapped for brighter acetylene lights.
In the early 1920s, No. 9 started doing different jobs. It was used for shunting (moving trains around) and helping trains up hills in Otira. For these tasks, it got special features like extra sanders and a small cab on its tender (the part that carries coal and water).
No.9's Final Journey
In 1925, No. 9 received a brand new boiler. But even with a new boiler, it was taken out of service in November 1926. The engine was taken apart and pushed into the Bealey River on the Midland Line. This was done to help stop the river from washing away the railway track. We don't know exactly why it was removed from service. However, all useful parts were taken off the engine before it was dumped. Its boiler was even used on another train!
Finding and Recovering No.9
By the end of the 1900s, most old train parts dumped in the Bealey River were gone. They had either been removed or buried. No. 9 was one of the few engines left, but its future was uncertain.
In 2003, the Trust started to recover the pieces of No. 9. It was found where it had been dumped near Arthur's Pass. The first part they found was the main frame and cylinders. These were taken by truck to Christchurch. In 2006, more parts like the tender and wheel frames were found. These were also trucked to be stored with the main frame.
Finally, on February 26, 2007, all the parts were moved to Steam Incorporated in Paekākāriki. This is the same place where No. 9 used to be based! The restoration work began there. It's not likely that any more important parts of No. 9 can be found at the dump site. The original boiler from No. 9 was found at another dump site, but it's too damaged to be used again.
Bringing No.9 Back to Life
In 2006, the Trust made an agreement with Steam Incorporated. Once No. 9 was moved there, the restoration work really started. They first focused on fixing the tender (the part that carries coal and water). After that, they would work on the main engine.
As part of the agreement, No. 9 is being restored to a very high standard. This means it will be able to run on the main national rail network again! The Trust has found many parts for the locomotive. However, they will need a brand new boiler. It's also likely they will have to make new driving wheels. This is because no driving wheels were found with the engine at the dump site. By May 2009, the tender frame and its wheels were completely rebuilt and put back together.
Other Cool Projects
The Wellington and Manawatu Railway Trust also owns an old four-wheel wooden wagon. This wagon is from the same time period as No. 9. It is currently stored at the Silver Stream Railway in Upper Hutt. The Trust plans to restore this wagon too, but they need to figure out exactly what type of wagon it is first.
See also
- Railway preservation in New Zealand
- Wellington and Manawatu Railway
- NZR N class
