One of the most important projects that the Ferrymead
Railway has undertaken is the restoration of a Ferrymead Railway 'Heritage Train'. This
train is made up entirely of rolling stock from the 1800s and will be run on special
occasions.
Locomotive
D140
The Heritage Train is pulled by D140. D140 was
built in Christchurch by Scott Bros. Ltd., in 1887, D140 was one of a class of 32
locomotives used for all types of service on the New Zealand Railways. These small
locomotives were finally retired in 1927, but saw a second life on the colliery and
industrial lines of New Zealand. Many of them continued in service until the 1960s and
indeed our locomotive was used by Kempthorne Prosser and Co. at their Hornby Fertiliser
Works in Christchurch (now Ravensdown) until 1961.
It was initially given to the Society of Model
and Experimental Engineers and for a number of years stood on their property at Addington.
In 1967 this group donated it to Ferrymead, and it was moved on site that year.
The smallest (ex-NZR) steam locomotive at
Ferrymead, it weighs a mere 17 tons. D140 has been under restoration on and off ever since
arriving and is undergoing final restoration with completion in September 2003.
Carriage D 26
D26
D26 is a composite First Class/Second Class passenger carriage built in England in 1875
and assembled in New Zealand at the old Madras Street Workshops that were located near the
Christchurch railway station.
D26 carries 16 passengers, 8 in the First Class compartment and 8 in the Second Class
compartment. First Class features leather seats while Second Class passengers sit on wood
seats. It is also equiped with hand brakes only.
D26 was used on the South Island Main Line and was taken out of service in 1916.
Canterbury Railway Society won the 2003 Federation of Railway Organisations of New
Zealand Rolling Stock Restoration Award for work on D26.
Wagon Lb 4803
Lb4803
Goods on the Ferrymead Railway Heritage Train are carried in the goods wagon Lb4803.
This is a pre-1900 four wheel wagon that was on the South island Main Line to carry
general merchandise like sacks of seeds and wool and lumber. Distributed load is 6.5 tons.
Lb4903 has a wooden underframe and wood sides and is fitted with coil springs.
It also has opening doors on either side. As with carriage D26, Lb4803 has only hand
brakes.
Guard's Vans F78 and 79
F78 and 79
F78 and F79 are early Guards Vans, specifically "brake vans with automated
brakes". They were assembled by New Zealand Railways at Christchurch in 1884 on 20
foot steel chassis manufactured by the Midland Railway Carriage and Wagon Co of
Shrewsbury, England. They worked until being taken out of service in 1941.
Canterbury Railway Society won the 2002 Federation of Rail Organisations of New Zealand
Rolling Stock Restoration Award for work on F79.
The Ferrymead Railway Heritage Train wascommissioned and returned to service during a
celebration of 140 years or railways in New Zealand over Labour Weekend, 25-27 October
2003.
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