NZR J class (1874)

New Zealand J class

J class steam locomotive, NZR 118, 2-6-0 type. Godber, Albert Percy, 1875-1949: Collection of albums, prints and negatives. Ref: APG-0251-1/2-G. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand.[1]
Type and origin
Power type Steam
Builder Avonside Engine Co. (6),
Neilson & Co. (5),
Robert Stephenson & Co. (5),
Dübs & Co. (4),
Vulcan Foundry (13)
Serial number Avonside 1038–1043;
Dübs 1212–1215;
Neilson 2060–264;
RS 2367–2361;
VF 998–1009, 1076
Build date 1874 (6), 1879 (10), 1883 (12), 1884 (1)
Total produced 33
Specifications
Configuration 2-6-0
UIC classification 1'C
Gauge 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm)
Driver diameter 42 in (1.067 m)
Length 41 ft 0 1⁄2 in (12.51 m)
Weight on drivers 17.5 long tons (17.8 t; 19.6 short tons)
Locomotive weight 21.0 long tons (21.3 t; 23.5 short tons)
Tender weight 17.0 long tons (17.3 t; 19.0 short tons)
Fuel type Coal
Fuel capacity 3.0 long tons (3.0 t; 3.4 short tons)
Water capacity 1,150 imperial gallons (5,200 l; 1,380 US gal)
Boiler pressure 130 psi (0.90 MPa)
Firegrate area 12 sq ft (1.1 m2)
Heating surface:
– Total		 683 sq ft (63.5 m2)
Cylinders Two, outside
Cylinder size 14 in × 20 in (356 mm × 508 mm)
Performance figures
Tractive effort 9,707 lbf (43.18 kN)
Career
Operator(s) New Zealand Government Railways
Class J
Withdrawn 1919–1935
Disposition 1 lost at sea during delivery, 4 rebuilt to WA class, remainder dumped
Not to be confused with NZR J class (1939).

The New Zealand J class were steam locomotives with the wheel arrangement of 2-6-0 that were built in 1874 to operate on the railway network of New Zealand. The J class was the first class of locomotive in New Zealand to have a tender; all previous classes were tank engines.

Operation

The first batch built consisted of six locomotives built by the Avonside Engine Company and they entered service in 1874 in Canterbury. Ten more were built in 1879, with a dozen more from Vulcan Foundry in 1883. However, one was lost at sea while being delivered,[2] and a replacement was built the following year. They spread beyond Canterbury and could also be found working in Auckland, Waikato, and Hawke's Bay. The J class worked well whether it was pulling a long goods train or operating important passenger services in the early days of the Main South Line, but as traffic increased, it was superseded by more powerful locomotives and in 1917-18, four members of the class were converted to 2-6-2 tank engines to perform shunting duties in yards. By 1935, all 32 original J class locomotives had reached the end of their usefulness and were discarded, and none survived to be preserved.

Surviving relics

Although none were preserved, relics of J class locomotives can still be seen to this day at sites where the New Zealand Railways Department dumped withdrawn equipment. A locomotive dump at Oamaru had five J class engines dumped there, Js 15, 82, 83, 116, and 117, although these locomotives have since been sucked out to sea, destroyed by the waves or removed from the seawall py protection works carried out by ONTRACK 2008—2009. This dump was also the location of WA 120, which was one of the J's rebuilt as tank engines. Elsewhere, J 61 was dumped cylinderless at Branxholme; two J class boilers and tenders still exist at the Omoto Locomotive Dump site; and a J class locomotive is known to have been dumped along the Midland Line between Cass and Arthur's Pass, and the remains of which are believed to have been located scattered in a number of locations along the line. Currently the remnants of the Oamaru foreshore J's are stored at Oamaru Steam & Rail, with some parts having been disseminated elsewhere. It is also possible for another J to be recovered and restored to full working order, and although there have long been hopes for this to occur amongst the railfan community, so far no-one has undertaken such an endeavour. Until recently a chassis and cylinders and boiler was recovered by Tony Bacherlor and donated to Feilding steam rail for restoration.

Class Roster

Key: In service Out of service Auckland Transport service Preserved Overhaul/Repair Scrapped
Road number Builder Builders number In service Written off Comments
14 Vulcan Foundry 1076 August 17, 1885 August 21, 1933
15 Vulcan Foundry 1000 December 3, 1883 March 1935 Dumped at the Oamaru locomotive dump.
26 Vulcan Foundry 999 December 4, 1883 January 24, 1930
59 Vulcan Foundry 1002 January 11, 1884 October 1933
61 Vulcan Foundry 1004 January 10, 1884 June 6, 1927 Dumped at the Branxholme locomotive dump on 5 June 1927.
70 Vulcan Foundry 1007 February 29, 1884 January 15, 1929
81 Avonside Engine Co. 1038 May 31, 1875 August 22, 1933
82 Avonside Engine Co. 1040 August 31, 1875 March 9, 1929 Dumped at the Oamaru locomotive dump.
83 Avonside Engine Co. 1039 June 6, 1875 January 1935 Dumped at the Oamaru locomotive dump.
84 Avonside Engine Co. 1042 March 2, 1876 March 11, 1931
85 Avonside Engine Co. 1041 March 6, 1876 March 18, 1930
86 Avonside Engine Co. 1043 March 1, 1876 March 3, 1927
115 Neilson and Co. 2460 October 8, 1880 December 14, 1932
116 Neilson and Co. 2461 July 29, 1880 April 1934 Dumped at the Oamaru locomotive dump.
117 Neilson and Co. 2462 July 2, 1880 July 1934 Dumped at the Oamaru locomotive dump.
118 Neilson and Co. 2643 July 26, 1880 November 24, 1932
119 Neilson and Co. 2464 June 23, 1880 October 1935
120 Robert Stephenson and Co. 2367 June 28, 1880 October 1935 Converted to an WA 120 in September 1917 at Hillside Workshops. Dumped at the Oamaru locomotive dump.
121 Robert Stephenson and Co. 2368 June 28, 1880 October 1935 Dumped at the Oamaru locomotive dump.
122 Robert Stephenson and Co. 2369 June 14, 1880 March 1934
123 Robert Stephenson and Co. 2370 August 18, 1880 September 1935
124 Robert Stephenson and Co. 2371 August 10, 1880 November 24, 1932 Converted to an WA 124 in November 1918 at Newmarket Workshops.
234 Dubs and Co. 1212 September 18, 1879 November 21, 1933 Converted to an WA 234 in November 1918 at Petone Workshops.

References

  1. ↑
  2. ↑ Hudson,, Mike; Atkins, Philip (September 2007). "Locos lost at sea, the all-time definitive record". The Railway Magazine (IPC Media) 153 (1277): pp.14–19. ISSN 0033-8923.
  • Heath, Eric, and Stott, Bob; Classic Steam Locomotives Of New Zealand, Grantham House, 1993
  • Garner, John. "New Zealand Railways Class J". Retrieved 2009-05-03.