Introduction
The DJ class were purchased with a modernisation loan and were the class that enabled the withdrawal of the remaining steam locomotives in the South Island (where they worked most of their lives) where they joined the existing DG/DH class locomotives. The original order for 55 locomotives later extended to 64. DJs hauled the Southerner passenger train from its inception in December 1970, until June 1990, when the DX class took over working this service, although, on one further and final occasion in February 1991, a DJ was used on a Southerner, from Invercargill to Dunedin only. When working in multiple with the DGs, DJs were usually the preferred lead loco due to better cab conditions and visibility.
The diesel engines were overrated and unreliable at the beginning and many modifications were necessary. The DJ's unusual Bo-Bo-Bo wheel arrangement and 10.66 tonne axle loading were features suited to branch line service but their introduction, whilst introducing greater economies over steam locomotion, did not prolong the life of many branches, although it did allow the South Island major lines to remain in a state of relatively weak track and bridges for longer than might have been the case otherwise. They were also the first locos in New Zealand to have AC/DC transmission.
The electrical equipment was good, compared to the comparatively poor service obtained from the engines. In later years the engines had a shorter life between overhauls than other classes, making the locomotives more expensive to operate and reducing their lifespan. They were used on all lines in the South Island including some where DG/DH locomotives were not allowed to run. For a number of years, DJ and DG locomotives were commonly operated in multiple on freight trains. The class also were able to operate in multiple unit with some of the General Motors DF class that were introduced in 1979. One notable working on the West Coast was the banking of heavy freight trains over the Reefton Saddle where the pair of locomotives at the head was supplemented by another pair attached to the rear. The DJs were still working coal trains on the West Coast as late as 1989 when track damage caused by the heavier DC class locomotives was being repaired.
Read more about this topic: NZR DJ Class
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