NZR DB class
| NZR DB class (later DBR class) | |
| Power type | Diesel-electric |
|---|---|
| Builder | General Motors (Canada) DBR: Clyde Engineering (Australia) |
| Build date | 1965 (DB) 1980 (DBR) |
| UIC classification | A1A-A1A |
| Gauge | 1067mm |
| Length | 14m |
| Total weight | 69t |
| Prime mover | GM 8-567C; V8 |
| Top speed | 90 km/h |
| Power output | 705 kW (950 HP) |
| Tractive effort | 117 kN |
| Career | New Zealand Railways, Tranz Rail (DBR), Toll Rail (DBR) |
| Number in class | 17 |
| Number | TMS numbers: 1018 - 1174 Early numbers: 1000 - 1016 |
| First run | 1965 - 1966 DBR class introduced 1980 - 1982 |
| Last run | 1989 (DB class) |
| Disposition | All DB class scrapped; 10 rebuilt as DBR class |
The NZR DB class was a group of diesel-electric locomotive built in 1965-1966 to operate on New Zealand's national railway network. They were designed as a lighter version of the DA class to operate on secondary North Island lines from which the DA was excluded due to its weight. One of the principal lines which the DB class dominated was the line to Tauranga via Paeroa, until the Kaimai Tunnel was opened in 1978. The DB class was built by General Motors of Canada, had a wheel arrangement of A1A-A1A under the UIC classification system, could generate 705 hp (950 kW) of power, and travel at speeds up to 90 km/h.
Seventeen DB class locomotives were built in total, and between 1980 and 1982, ten were rebuilt as the DBR class. The reconstruction improved visibility for the driver and enhanced the locomotives' engines, prolonging their lives. Withdrawal of the unconverted DB locomotives began in 1986 while the DBRs continue to operate, mainly on New Zealand's few remaining branch lines. The DB class rarely ventured to the South Island, and even then only for servicing and overhauls, but with the phasing out of the DJ class, some DBRs have been relocated to the South Island.
Currently (c.2006 on), two DBR's, 1199 and 1254, are in MAXX blue livery and are used by Veolia (Auckland) on each end of a four-car suburban local set.
