NZR D class (1929)

The NZR D class of 1929 comprised one 0-4-0 tank locomotive that was built for the New Zealand Railways Department by the Clayton Wagons Ltd in Lincoln, England.

History

D 1 was purchased for railcar-type service, but it was not successful. It had a White-Forster type boiler designed for a working pressure of, had four vertical cylinders housed in the rear of the cab and was high geared. At a normal engine speed of 400 rpm, the unit was calculated to develop. The engine drove a central transverse jackshaft through reduction gearing, the drive from the jackshaft being transmitted to the wheels through conventional side rods.

In service

On arrival in New Zealand, D 1 was found to be more than 25 per cent heavier than the specified maximum of and, after trials in Wellington was allocated for use as a shunting engine at the Otahuhu Workshops in 1931. It never proved satisfactory and was written off in 1936 and scrapped. Its boiler was later installed at the Wellington car yards to supply heating steam to passenger carriages between duties.