NZR class K (1877)

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NZR class K (1877)
K 88 in the delivery condition
K 88 in the delivery condition
Numbering: 87, 88, 92-97
Number: 8th
Manufacturer: Rogers
Year of construction (s): 1877-1878
Retirement: 1922-1927
Type : 1'B1 'n2
Gauge : 1067 mm ( cape track )
Length over coupling: 13,984 mm
Service mass: 23.67 t
Service mass with tender: 43.18 t
Friction mass: 15.04 t
Wheel set mass : 7.52 t
Driving wheel diameter: 1,219 mm
Cylinder diameter: 304.8 mm
Piston stroke: 504 mm
Boiler overpressure: 89.5 N / cm²
Grate area: 0.82 m²
Evaporation heating surface: 54.7 m²

The New Zealand Government Railways (NZR) class K vehicles were steam locomotives with a tender with a 1'B1 ' wheel arrangement and were among the first locomotives in New Zealand. Two of the eight locomotives have been preserved in working order.

In 1877 two locomotives were purchased from the American manufacturer Rogers (No. 87 and 88), which were intended for express trains on the route between Christchurch and Dunedin , the world's first Cape-gauge main line. One of these two locomotives, the No. 88, called Washington , pulled the opening train on this route together with the Fairlie Josephine locomotive in 1878 .

The locomotives proved their worth, and in 1878 four more locomotives were procured (No. 92–97).

Outwardly, the locomotives correspond to the typical North American locomotives of that time - apart from the wheel arrangement: The relatively rare type 1'B1 'has the advantage over the 2'B, which was widespread at the time, that the fire box and ash box did not have to be squeezed between the drive wheels and therefore could be dimensioned more generously, which is particularly important on narrow gauges such as the Cape Gauge.

As early as the mid-1880s, the class K locomotives were no longer able to cope with the weight of the increasingly heavy trains and were replaced by the more powerful class N (type 1'C1 '). However, they remained in use for lighter services, with some being relocated to the North Island . In the course of their service life, they received driver's cabs made of sheet metal and new Belpaire type boilers (with the flat top of the standing boiler). Retirement began in 1922 and was completed in 1927. Some of the locomotives were sunk in the Oreti River to combat erosion .

In 1932 the class designation K was reassigned to locomotives with the 2'D2 'wheel arrangement (see NZR class K (1932) )

At the beginning of the 1970s, on the occasion of the restoration of the Kingston Flyer , locomotive No. 88, sunk in the Oreti River , was remembered . In 1974 it was recovered and extensively restored until 1982. She got a wooden driver's cab again; however, because of the retained Belpaire kettle, it does not exactly match its original shape.

In 1985 and 1986 two more class K locomotives were salvaged from the river, No. 92 and 94 from the second delivery. No. 92 has also been restored to working order, while No. 94 is currently in the state of salvage.

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