DERELICTS

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 268, 2 February 1928, Page 11

DERELICTS

I I RAILWAY LOCOMOTIVES i GO ON THEIR LAST JOURNEY

DUMPED AT WESTFIELD Ten old locomotives now lie at Westfield as part of the protective work there against erosion. Recently they made their last journey from the Newmarket yards, rumbling along the rails behind an engine which has usurped their once proud position. These old locomotives had reached their half century. Their day was done, for New Zealand, as far as railways are concerned, has made amazing progress. One of the derelicts, N 27, was the first compound engine to be fitted in New Zealand. In its shining youth it was the pride of the Canterbury Plains, running between Christchurch and Timaru. Later, as progress demanded a heavier locomotive, N 27 was transferred to Hawke’s Bay, there to run until it was transferred to Auckland for work in the railway yards. The driver of N 27 was Mr. George Bowles, who was afterwards appointed locomotive inspector for New Zealand, but has now retired. Most of the 10 derelicts saw service in many parts of New Zealand in the early days of railway history. Their greatest weight was about 50 tons, but to-day the principal locomotives for the main lines range from 90 to 100 tons and the new engines which the Government proposes to import will be nearly twice that weight. Mr. J. F. Mackley, locomotive engineer at Auckland, when he was a student, remembers the sketch outlines of the N 27 type of engine which were drawn by Professor Scott of Canterbury College 35 years ago. Professor Scott, in those days, considered that the type would be suitable for New Zealand for at least 50 years ahead. When Mr. Mackley showed Professor Scott the sketch plans, and recalled his remarks, the Professor said that he had no idea of the rapid growth of New Zealand’s railway system. The old locomotives are of no use to the department because of their low tractive power. All the parts which might be of any use were removed before they were dumped at Westfield and even before that they had beep re-boilered to keep them going. If Auckland were close to a large industrial centre, such as is found in England or America, the boilers of the locomotives would have been cut into slices under a huge guillotine much as the grocer cuts slices of ham, and the parts melted down. After going through various processes those old boilers would have returned to the breakfast table as cutlery and to the farm as pitchforks.