Ohai State Coal Mines

In the 1870s coal was discovered in Ohai. This was where the Ohai State Coal Mines and the Ohai Railway Board were formed. The ORB had their own section on the end of the Wairio Branchline hauling coal trains from Ohai to Wairio. In 1990 the ORB was taken over by the New Zealand Railways Corporation, and the line still serves coal trains between Invercargill and Nightcaps.

Locomotives

Locomotives

Key: In service In service, Mainline Certified Under overhaul/restoration Stored Static display Scrapped
Original Class and Number TMS Class and Number ORB Number Names Builder Builder's number Year built In service Withdrawn Notes
C 167 Dubs & Co 801 n/a 1915 1950
DSA 218 DSA 224 Drewry 2416 1953 August 1982 July 1989 Entered New Zealand Railways Department service in December 1953 for shunting duties. It was then renumbered as DSA 224 in 1978. Withdrawn in August 1982 and sold to the Ohai Railway Board for shunting use for coal trains. While it was there it was repainted in their yellow livery. Used until July 1989 when it was sold to the Oamaru Steam and Rail Restoration Society. In November later that year it was placed on lease for Hudswell Clarke built B 10 from the Waitaki NZs (now Alliance Meats) Pukeuri Freezing Works in November the same year. It was formerly swapped in 2000 and repainted in the Midland Red livery. Used there since then until the arrival of DSC 2067 in 2007 and was then rostered as a stand-by locomotive. In 2010 it was taken out of service for repairs, but this never commenced and placed in outside storage. It was purchased by the Ashburton Railway & Preservation Society in January 2014 and was transported to The Plains Vintage Railway & Historical Museum on 4 April 2014. DSA 218 is now under short to mid-term restoration.
DSA 234 DSA 387 Drewry 2432 1953 March 1981 1982 Entered New Zealand Railways Department service in June 1954 for shunting duties. Renumbered as DSA 387 in 1978. Withdrawn in March 1981 and sold to the Ohai Railway Board for shunting use for coal trains. It was later used as a source of parts as it was unoperationable due to running without water in its engine in August 1982 and was replaced by DSA 224. It was sold to the Oamaru Steam and Rail Restoration Society in March 1989. It was then leased for Hudswell Clarke built B 10 from the Waitaki NZs (now Alliance Meats) Pukeuri Freezing Works in October the same year. It was then used as spare parts for DSA 224. Purchased by Oamaru Steam & Rail member Harry Andrew in 1999 and was transported back to Waitaki in the same year. It was restored from 2004 to 2008 with major parts from DS 214. The 'DSA' was recomissioned later in 2008.
DJ 1229 DJ 3303 3 Mitsubishi 1536 1967 1988 1990 Entered service for the New Zealand Railways service in December 1968. Renumbered as DJ 3303 in 1978. Withdrawn in March 1988 and sold to the Ohai Railway Board later that year for uses hauling coal trains from Ohai to Wairio on the Wairio Branchline. Renumbered as ORB 3 and repainted in their yellow livery. Sold back to the NZR in 1990 but was purchased as a motorless and alternatorless hulk by Richard Head and Graeme Moffatt in March in the same year.[1] It was then moved to the Mainline Steam Heritage Trusts Upper Hutt depot in June 1993 and was then purchased outright by Richard Head. In October 2002 it was transferred to their Plimmerton depot.[1] The 'DJ' is currently under restoration to mainline use and is now been repainted in a "Southerner Blue" version of the livery with the long and short hoods painted black, the running boards and top rim of the long hood has been painted light blue with, the front of the short hood and the back of the long hood have been painted with light blue stripes and yellew headstocks at each end. It has been renumbered DJ 1229 in its restoration. Currently undergoing testing at their Plimmerton depot.
Drewry 2248 1 Drewry 2248 1948 1948 1968 Now owned by the Bush Tramway Club and is now under overhaul.
Drewry 2585 2 Drewry 2585 1957 1957 1968 Now owned by the Rotoura Ngongotaha Railway Trust and is and under restoration.
FB 10 NZR Addington Workshops n/a 1876 1919 1940
FB 157 NZR Addington Workshops n/a 1875 1923 1927
FB 251 NZR Addington Workshops n/a 1881 1939 1954
Hawthorn Leslie 3663 Benoni Hawthorn Leslie 3663 1927 1927 1950 Now scrapped, rear bogie is held by the Bush Tramway Club.
Mitsubishi 1475 1 Mitsubishi 1475 1967 1967 1990 Entered service for the Ohai Railway Board in 1967. It was withdrawn in 1992 and stored at Wairio. It was purchased by the Ohai Railway Board Heritage Trust and currently stored in an operational condition.
Mitsubishi 1476 2 Mitsubishi 1476 1967 1967 1990 Owned by Richard Gibbard and operated by Steam Incorporated.
TR 81 TR 309 Drewry 2097 1938 1939 1955 Now owned and operated by the Ocean Beach Railway.
WAB 794 NZR Hillside Workshops 251 1927 1955 1968 Now owned by the New Zealand Railway and Locomotive Society and leased to the Feilding and District Steam Rail Society. Operationable and mainline certified.
X 442 NZR Addington Workshops 97 1909 1944 1968 Now owned by the NZR&LS and on is loan to the F&DSRS. Currently stored.
X 446 NZR Addington Workshops n/a 1909 1946 1959

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Railfan" 1 (3). Triple M Publications. March 1996. ISSN 1173-2229.