| NZR WD class | |
|---|---|
| Power type | Steam |
| Builder | Baldwin Locomotive Works, Philadelphia, USA |
| Serial number | 18543 – 18554 19259 – 19264 |
| Build date | 1901 |
| Configuration | 2-6-4 T |
| Gauge | 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) Cape gauge |
| Driver diameter | 39.75 in (1.01 m) |
| Wheelbase | 27 ft 7 in (8.41 m) |
| Length | 34 ft 9 in (10.59 m) |
| Weight on drivers | 29.2 long tons (29.7 t) |
| Locomotive weight | 43.7 long tons (44.4 t) |
| Fuel type | Coal |
| Fuel capacity | 2.7 long tons (2.7 t) |
| Water capacity | 900 imp gal (4,100 L) |
| Boiler pressure | 200 psi (1,400 kPa) |
| Firegrate area | 17.7 square feet (1.64 m2) |
| Heating surface: Total |
837 square feet (77.8 m2) |
| Cylinders | Two |
| Cylinder size | 14 in × 20 in (36 cm × 51 cm) |
| Tractive effort | 15,780 lbf (70.2 kN) |
| Number in class | 18 |
| Number | 316 – 327 355 – 360 |
| Locale | All of New Zealand |
| First run | 24 May 1901 |
| Last run | March 1936 (for NZR) 1960 (for private companies) |
| Retired | 1933 – 1960 |
| Preserved | Two (WD's 356 & 357) |
| Current owner | Baldwin Steam Trust, Canterbury Railway Society (1) |
| Disposition | 16 scrapped 2 preserved |
The NZR WD class was a class of tank locomotive built by Baldwin Locomotive Works to operate on New Zealand's national rail network. Essentially a more advanced version of 1898's WB class, the eighteen members of the WD class were ordered in 1901 and most entered service that year, though three were not introduced until the start of 1902. Based in locations all around the country, from Auckland in the north to Dunedin in the south, the WD class were suitable for a variety of trains from freight to suburban passenger services. Withdrawal of the class began with WD 356 in January 1933, with the final three, 327, 359, and 360, written off in March 1936. A number were not actually scrapped or dumped, but were sold to work on private industrial lines. One such locomotive, WD 357, survived long enough to be preserved by the Ferrymead Railway and notably still has its original boiler from 1901. Another WD, 356, has been located and salvaged by the Baldwin Steam Trust from where it was dumped at Konini near Pahiatua. This locomotive is stored at the Rimutaka Incline Railway Heritage Trust's Maymorn Depot, awaiting restoration.[1]