Wellington and Manawatu Railway Trust
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| WMR No.9 | |
| Power type | Steam |
|---|---|
| Builder | Baldwin Locomotive Works |
| Build date | 1891 |
| Configuration | 2-6-2 |
| Gauge | 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) |
| Wheel diameter | 4' 1" |
| Total weight | 31.8 t |
| Fuel type | Coal |
| Boiler pressure | 140 lbf/in² (962 kPa) |
| Top speed | 103.6 km/h (64.4 mph)[1] |
| Power output | 437hp |
| Tractive effort | 10,260 lbs |
| Career | Wellington and Manawatu Railway, New Zealand Government Railways |
| Number | WMR No.9 later NZR N 453 |
| Retired | 31st of March, 1928 |
| Current owner | Wellington and Manawatu Railway Trust |
| Disposition | Restoration Started |
The Wellington and Manawatu Railway Trust is a railway charitable trust based in Wellington, New Zealand. It possesses the only recovered remains of a locomotive that operated on the Wellington and Manawatu Railway (No. 9, later N 453 under government ownership), and it aims to restore the engine to full operational condition so that it may haul heritage trains on New Zealand's national rail network. It also owns a 4-wheel wagon of WMR parentage, believed to be that of an L or M class wagon and is currently at the Silver Stream Railway in the Hutt Valley. The Trust also owned a refrigerated freight wagon that is akin to a type used on the WMR, although it was not a genuine item of WMR rolling stock itself; plans were afoot to use it as a parts supply wagon and in time a service vehicle, but a number of difficulties made the project unviable.
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[edit] Recovery of an engine
Many old locomotives have been restored in New Zealand, but none have WMR heritage, and no other organisations possess any unrestored parts of ex-WMR locomotives, making the Wellington and Manawatu Railway Trust unique amongst the world railway preservation movement. In 2003, it recovered the remnants of No. 9 from where it had been dumped near Arthur's Pass along the Midland Line and recovery of parts is still ongiong. The Trust has signed an agreement with Steam Incorporated which has seen No. 9 transported to Steam Incorporated's Paekakariki depot where it will be restored, and the agreement includes a provision for No. 9 to work on the national rail network.
[edit] No. 9 Returns Home
No. 9 was built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works of Philadelphia in 1891, and was based at Paekakariki until 1916 when it was shipped to the South Island. In 1923, it was withdrawn from service and tipped into the Bealey River on the Midland Line to check erosion. No. 9's remains were salvaged between 2003 and 2006 and were stored at McLean's Island in Christchurch. On 26 February 2007, WMR No. 9 was loaded onto a truck for the return journey home. After travelling through the night, WMR No.9 arrived at her home depot of Paekakariki on 27 February 2007 after a 91 year absence.
[edit] Precedent
The WMR Trust's goals are not without precedent. In 1974, the remains of K 88 were recovered from the Oreti River in Southland and the locomotive was fully restored to operational condition on the Plains Vintage Railway in 1981. Further locomotives have been similarly recovered and restored, notably K 92, and P 107 is currently being rebuilt into a working locomotive. The WMR Trust wish to replicate these achievements with No. 9. There is also a desire to do the same with No. 10, should it ever be found. No. 10 set a world speed record for the 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) narrow gauge and is thus considered the most notable WMR locomotive, but despite efforts to locate where it was dumped, neither the WMR Trust nor any other enthusiasts have yet located any remnants of the locomotive despite considerable attempts to do so.
