Wellington and Manawatu Railway Trust
| WMR No.9 | |
| Power type | Steam |
|---|---|
| Builder | Baldwin Locomotive Works |
| Build date | 1891 |
| Configuration | 2-6-2 |
| Gauge | 3 ft 6 in (1067 mm) |
| Wheel diameter | 4' 1" |
| Total weight | 31.8 t |
| Fuel type | Coal |
| Boiler pressure | 140 lbf/in² (962 kPa) |
| Top speed | 103.6 km/h (64.4 mph)[1] |
| Power output | 437hp |
| Tractive effort | 10,260 lbs |
| Career | Wellington and Manawatu Railway, New Zealand Government Railways |
| Number | WMR No.9 later NZR N 453 |
| Retired | 31st of March, 1928 |
| Current owner | Wellington and Manawatu Railway Trust |
| Disposition | Awaiting preservation |
The Wellington and Manawatu Railway Trust is a railway preservation society based in Christchurch, New Zealand. It possesses the only recovered remains of a locomotive that operated on the Wellington and Manawatu Railway (No. 9, later N 453 under government ownership), and it aims to restore the engine to full operational condition so that it may haul heritage trains on New Zealand's national rail network. It also owns a 4-wheel wagon of WMR parentage, believed to be that of an L or M class wagon and is currently at the Silver Stream Railway in the Hutt Valley. The Trust also possesses a refrigerated freight wagon that is akin to a type used on the WMR although it is not a genuine item of WMR rolling stock itself; plans were afoot to use it as a parts supply wagon and in time a service vehicle, but these have been shelved after a number of difficulties made the project unviable.
Recovery of an engine
Many old locomotives have been restored in New Zealand, but none have WMR heritage, and no other organisations possess any unrestored parts of ex-WMR locomotives, making the Wellington and Manawatu Railway Trust unique amongst the world railway preservation movement. In 2003, it recovered the remnants of No. 9 from where it had been dumped near Arthur's Pass along the Midland Line and recovery of parts is still ongiong. The Trust has signed an agreement with Steam Incorporated which will see No. 9 transported to Steam Incorporated's Paekakariki depot where it will be restored, and the agreement includes a provision for No. 9 to work on the national rail network.
Precedent
The WMR Trust's goals are not without precedent. In 1974, the remains of K 88 were recovered from the Oreti River in Southland and the locomotive was fully restored to operational condition on the Plains Vintage Railway in 1981. Further locomotives have been similarly recovered and restored, notably K 92, and P 107 is currently being rebuilt into a working locomotive. The WMR Trust wish to replicate these achievements with No. 9. There is also a desire to do the same with No. 10, should it ever be found. No. 10 set a world speed record for the 3 ft 6 in (1067 mm) narrow gauge and is thus considered the most notable WMR locomotive, but despite efforts to locate where it was dumped, neither the WMR Trust nor any other enthusiasts have yet located any remnants of the locomotive despite considerable attempts to do so.
See also
Short history of NZ rail preservation
External link
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