NZR DC class
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NZR DC class | |
DC 4254 in service for Veolia, Auckland. |
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Power type | Diesel-electric |
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Builder | Clyde Engineering, Australia; Hutt Workshops, New Zealand |
Build date | 1978-1981 |
UIC classification | A1A-A1A |
Gauge | 1067mm |
Wheel diameter | 1.250 m |
Wheelbase | 13.550 m between bogies 2.580 m between axles in each bogie |
Length | 14.1 m |
Width | 3.013 m |
Height | 4.296 m |
Total weight | 82t |
Top speed | 90 - 100 km/h |
Power output | 1230 kW (1650 HP) |
Tractive effort | 140 kN |
Career | New Zealand Railways, Tranz Rail, TasRail, Toll Rail |
Number in class | 85 |
Number | TMS numbers: 4006 - 4951 Early numbers: 1551 - 1599 |
First run | 1978 |
Disposition | 62 in service, 8 withdrawn |
The NZR DC class locomotive is the most common class of locomotive currently in operation on the New Zealand rail network. Primarily employed to haul freight trains operated by Toll Rail, the class is also used for long-distance passenger trains operated by Tranz Scenic and suburban passenger trains operated by Tranz Metro in Wellington and Veolia in Auckland.
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[edit] History
They started life as members of the since-withdrawn DA diesel-electric locomotive class, built by General Motors Canada. Between 1978 and 1983 the locomotives were rebuilt to EMD G22AR specifications as the DC class, with a new cab and new diesel engines. Five were reconstructed at Hutt Workshops near Wellington, the other 80 at Clyde Engineering Australia. Only three (out of five) of the Hutt rebuilt locomotives are in service as at March 2008.
In December 1998, DC 4588 was shipped to Tasmania for use on the then Tranz Rail related company TasRail. The locomotive was originally leased by TasRail, but has since been sold to that firm.
[edit] Technical Details
Each DC locomotive has a General Motors 12-645C V12 diesel engine and four traction motors, allowing the locomotive to haul a train at a maximum speed of 100 km/h. The locomotive is 14 metres long and weighs 82 tonnes.
The DC locomotives are numbered 4006 to 4951. Most are painted in the "Bumble-Bee" livery, with some in "MAXX Blue" or other liveries.
[edit] DCP Subclass
A subclass of the DC class, the DCP class, was established to differenciate the locomotives designed for passenger service from those designed for freight service. The DCPs were designed for Tranz Scenic's long-distance passenger trains including the Overlander, the TranzCoastal and the TranzAlpine. Some were also used by Tranz Metro for its Wairarapa services. The 'P' in DCP stands for Passenger, thus it was normally only used on Passenger services.
Toll later decided to drop the DCP prefix, and instead use the standard DC prefix for all locomotives in this class. For example all locomotives, except for one, leased to Veolia's for their suburban passenger train service has the DC prefix. Many services operated by TranzScenic's long-distance services are operated by locomotives with a DC prefix with some DCP locomotives still in service. Dropping the DCP prefix will make it easier for Toll to manage their fleet by allocating all locomotives from a common pool.
[edit] List of locomotives in this class
Most of these locomotives are used by Toll Rail for their freight services. 1 locomotive (DC 4588) has been sold to TasRail. In-service dates are noted for the time the locomotives were rebuilt.
However approximately 14 locomotives have been leased to Veolia via the Auckland Regional Council subsidiary ARTA) for their locomotive-hauled carriage trains. The Auckland suburban network run by Veolia uses DC class locomotives owned by Toll NZ, operating in push-pull mode with sets of 3-4 SA cars and an SD driving car (all ex British Rail Mark 2 carriages rebuilt for suburban service) owned by ARTA.
TMS number | In service | Current livery | Current status | Notes | |
4006 | March 1978 | n/a | Scrapped | n/a | |
4012 | March 1978 | Tranz Rail black (Bumble-Bee) | In Service (?) | photo | |
4029 | April 1978 | International Orange | In Service (?) | n/a | |
4035 | April 1978 | MAXX Blue | In Service (ARTA) | photo | |
4041 | May 1978 | Tranz Rail blue (Cato Blue) | In Service (?) | photo | |
4058 | July 1978 | Bumble-Bee | In Service (?) | photo | |
4064 | July 1978 | n/a | In Service (?) | photo | |
4070 | August 1978 | International Orange | In Service (?) | photo | |
4087 | Unknown | Scrapped | |||
4093 | September 1978 | MAXX Blue | In Service (ARTA) | photo | |
4104 | October 1978 | International Orange | n/a | photo | |
4110 | September 1978 | Tranz Rail blue | n/a | photo | |
4127 | Scrapped | ||||
4133 | Unknown | International Orange | In Service | photo | |
4156 | October 1978 | Bumble-Bee | n/a | photo | |
4162 | Unknown | Out of service, stored Hutt | |||
4179 | Unknown | Scrapped | |||
4185 | December 1978 | Bumble-Bee | n/a | photo | |
4191 | Blue/Grey | photo | |||
4202 | April 1979 | Blue/Grey | Withdrawn, October 1999 | photo | |
4219 | Unknown | Blue/Grey | n/a | photo | |
4225 | Unknown | Red/Grey | photo | ||
4231 | April 1979 | Blue/Grey | photo | ||
4248 | March 1979 | MAXX Blue | In Service (ARTA) | photo | |
4254 | February 1979 | MAXX Blue | In Service (ARTA) | photo | |
4260 | May 1979 | International Orange | n/a | photo | |
4277 | May 1979 | International Orange | In Service | photo | |
4283 | May 1979 | Tranz Rail blue | n/a | photo | |
4300 | Unknown | Tranz Rail black (Bumble-Bee) | n/a | photo | |
4317 | July 1979 | Tranz Rail black (Bumble-Bee) | n/a | photo | |
4323 | Unknown | Tranz Rail black (Bumble-Bee) | n/a | photo | |
4346 | September 1979 | Tranz Rail blue | n/a | photo | |
4352 | August 1979 | Tranz Rail blue | n/a | photo | |
4369 | October 1979 | MAXX Blue | In Service (ARTA) | photo | |
4375 | September 1979 | MAXX Blue | In Service (ARTA) | photo | |
4381 | September 1979 | MAXX Blue | In Service (ARTA) | photo | |
4398 | October 1979 | Bumble-Bee | n/a | photo | |
4409 | November 1979 | Bumble-Bee | n/a | photo | |
4415 | November 1979 | MAXX Blue | In Service (ARTA) | photo | |
4421 | Unknown | Bumble-Bee | n/a | photo | |
4438 | December 1979 | Bumble-Bee | n/a | photo | |
4444 | Unknown | International Orange | Out of service, stored Hutt | T3 technology test train | |
4450 | Unknown | Bumble-Bee | In Service | ||
4467 | Unknown | Tranz Rail blue | n/a | photo | |
4473 | Unknown | Bumble-Bee | In Service | photo | |
4496 | Unknown | International Orange | Scrapped | ||
4507 | May 1980 | Blue/Grey | n/a | photo | |
4513 | Unknown | ||||
4536 | May 1980 | MAXX Blue | In Service (ARTA) | photo | |
4542 | Unknown | Tranz Rail blue | In Service | photo | |
4559 | Unknown | Blue/Grey | photo | ||
4565 | July 1980 | Bumble-Bee | n/a | photo | |
4571 | July 1980 | photo | |||
4588 | August 1980 | Tranz Rail blue (Cato Blue) | Shipped to Tasmania in 1998 | Sold to TasRail | |
4594 | August 1980 | Toll Rail yellow (Corn cob) | n/a | photo | |
4605 | Unknown | International Orange | photo | ||
4611 | Unknown | Tranz Rail blue (Cato Blue) | photo | ||
4628 | Unknown | Tranz Rail blue (Cato Blue) | photo | ||
4634 | Unknown | ||||
4640 | Unknown | Tranz Rail blue (Cato Blue) | In Service | photo | |
4663 | Unknown | MAXX Blue | In Service (ARTA) | photo | |
4686 | Unknown | Scrapped | |||
4692 | Unknown | Tranz Rail blue (Cato Blue) | photo | ||
4703 | February 1981 | Withdrawn December 1997 | |||
4726 | Unknown | Tranz Rail black (Bumble-Bee) | In Service | photo | |
4732 | Unknown | MAXX Blue | In Service (ARTA) | photo | |
4749 | Unknown | ||||
4755 | September 1981 | Tranz Rail blue (Cato Blue) | In Service | photo | |
4761 | November 1981 | Tranz Rail blue (Cato Blue) | In Service | photo | |
4778 | November 1982 | Withdrawn, December 1997 | |||
4784 | Unknown | Tranz Rail Blue (Cato Blue) | |||
4790 | February 1983 | Tranz Rail black | n/a | photo | |
4801 | Unknown | Toll Rail yellow (Corn cob) | In Service | photo | |
4818 | Unknown | Toll Rail yellow (Corn cob) | In Service | photo | |
4824 | Unknown | ||||
4830 | Unknown | Toll Rail yellow (Corn cob) | In Service | photo | |
4847 | Unknown | Tranz Rail black (Bumble-Bee) | n/a | photo | |
4853 | Unknown | Tranz Rail Black (Bumble-Bee) | In Service | photo | |
4876 | Unknown | International Orange | In Service | photo | |
4916 | August 1980 (Hutt) | MAXX Blue | In Service (ARTA) | photo | |
4922 | Unknown (Hutt) | MAXX Blue | In Service (ARTA) | photo | |
4939 | March 1981 (Hutt) | Out of service, stored Hutt | photo | ||
4945 | August 1981 (Hutt) | MAXX Blue | In Service (ARTA) | photo | |
4951 | Unknown (Hutt) | Out of service, stored Hutt |
[edit] External links
- New Zealand Diesel and Electric Traction - Class DC
- Rail Tasmania information - Class DC
- New Zealand DC Class Locomotives