Rolling Stock Formerly Owned By The Railway
A& G Price 198 of 1960, a small 0-4-0DM diesel shunting locomotive, was donated by Kempthorne Prosser Fertiliser to the railway in 1985. The locomotive, designated as Model 8 by Prices, was a small diesel-hydraulic 15-ton shunting locomotive developing 107 hp, similar to the ten Prices '15-tonner' TR 0-4-0DH shunting locomotives sold to NZR in 1955. It had previously worked at the KP Hornby works, where it had displaced ex-NZR 2-4-0T steam locomotive D 140 (now operating at Ferrymead).
Unfortunately, Price 198 was of little use; it only made one run at Waipara in 1985 when it was re-railed on the Waipara triangle (it promptly derailed) before it shunted A 428 into the new shed. It was stored at the back of the Waipara loco depot/workshops until 1995, by which time DSA 276 had arrived and entered into service. With the little locomotive of no use, Weka Pass received approval from Ravensdown Fertiliser (who had taken over Kempthorne Prosser) to sell the locomotive to the Plains Railway at Ashburton, who have since restored it in NZR livery as 'TR 119'. It is not however an NZR loco; NZR never had a TR 119 on its roster, and 198 is externally different to the '15-tonner' TR class as built.
In 1988, the railway purchased the inoperable hulk of DG 783 (TMS DG 2376, EE2287/D366 of 1955) from the New Zealand Railways Corporation. The locomotive, originally built as a mechanically similar DH, had been purchased on withdrawal by the later Roger Redward in 1983 for his proposed 'Southern Rail' museum along with another DG, DG 790 (TMS DG 2451, EE2294/D373 of 1955). In 1988 Redward passed away, and NZRC repossessed the Southern Rail collection in lieu of payment for the lease of NZR land by the group. While DG 2451 was cut up in 1990 by Sims Pacific Metal, the hulk of DG 2376 was sold to Weka Pass for spare parts. When DG 791 was found to have a cracked bogie bolster in the early 1990s, one from the remains of DG 2376 was used to replace the damaged assembly (trains were kept running by the use of DG 772 from the Diesel Traction Group at Ferrymead).
In 2005, rumours began circulating that DG 2376 was on the move again. In reality, the locomotive had been purchased by two enthusiasts and it was moved to Ferrymead that year. Restoration has been slow, but part of the locomotive has been repainted in the 'International Orange' livery, which 2376 seems never to have worn. The damaged leading bogie (containing the cracked bolster from 791) has been removed for repairs and at present the loco is supported by an old goods wagon bogie. It is also believed that the owners wish to fit it with a rebuilt cab from one of ten locomotives rebuilt in 1979/80, and that the finished loco will be based in Wellington.
The group previously also owned a Plasser and Theurer type 04 tamper formerly owned by the NZRC. This was purchased in the 1980s, but it was found to be temperamental, and prone to trouble. While it could operate, parts frequently worked loose or broke; instead of operating on its own, it was often pushed or pulled along with the work train rather than run it on its own. Laid up by the workshops in the late 1980s, another member began to restore it with more reliable operation in mind before his untimely death in 1993. With no-one interested in the tamper, it was stripped for spare parts (for other groups) and the remains scrapped. Since then, it has been easier to hire a Tranz Rail/Toll Rail/KiwiRail tamper and regulator for any maintenance work.
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