Our Fleet

Since the 1970’s Steam Incorporated has saved a large collection of locomotives and passenger carriages. Included are seven steam engines and four main line diesel engines. Many after award wining restorations are certified for main line running, some are actively being restored.

Locomotive and Rolling Stock Index

The steam locomotive collection spans half a century of New Zealand steam engine development. Along with six ex NZR steam locomotives also based at Paekakariki is an ex Rhodesian Railways Garratt locomotive.

Ab608 “Passchendaele” 4-6-2 coal fired steam locomotive. Built at the Christchurch Addington Railway workshops in 1915. Prototype Ab class locomotive. On long term lease from NZ Railway and Locomotive Society. Restoration completed in 2014. Currently certified for operation on the main line.

J1234 4-8-2 coal fired steam locomotive. Built by North British Locomotive Company, Scotland in 1939. Stored, awaiting second restoration after a long term lease to the Glenbrook Vintage Railway.

Ja1271 4-8-2 coal fired steam locomotive. Built at the Dunedin Hillside Railway Workshops in 1956. One of last steam locomotives built for NZR. Main line operational. Regularly used on our New Zealand train trips.

K917 4-8-4 oil fired steam locomotive. Built at the Hutt Railway Workshops in 1935. Tender from K928. Stored incomplete.

Ka945 4-8-4 oil fired steam locomotive. Built at the Hutt Railway Workshops in 1939. Saved for preservation by Sir Len Southward. Good progress is being made on its second restoration.

Wf386 2-6-4T coal fired steam locomotive. Built at the Christchurch Addington Railway Workshops in 1905. Components(many overhauled) stored awaiting rebuild.

Garratt 398 4-6-4+4-6-4 coal fired steam locomotive. Built by Beyer Peacock, Manchester, England in 1950 for Rhodesian Railways. NRZ class 15th and named “Isidumuka”. Imported into New Zealand in 2011. Stored undercover.

The diesel collection includes three versions of the “Da” class that were the main diesel motive power in the North Island at the end of the steam era. in addition three smaller shunting locomotives are used for duties around the depot and yard.

Da1410 A1A-A1A diesel electric locomotive. Phase I Da. EMD G-12 model. 1425hp. Built by General Motors, Ontario, Canada in 1955. Second restoration recently completed after a long term lease to the Glenbrook Vintage Railway.  Now certified for operation on the main line.

Da1431 A1A-A1A diesel electric locomotive. Phase II Da. EMD G-12 model. 1425hp. Built by Clyde Engineering, NSW, Australia in 1957. Main line operational. Often seen hauling our rail trips NZ.

Da1471 A1A-A1A diesel electric locomotive. Phase III Da. EMD G-12 model. 1425hp. Built by General Motors, Ontario, Canada in 1963. Currently undergoing extensive rebuild.

Dc4375  A1A-A1A diesel electric locomotive. Rebuit from a Da to an EMD G22AR G-12 model. 1650hp. Rebuilt by Clyde Engineering in South Australia. Restoration at Paekakariki making good progress.

The rolling stock in our extensive carriage collection all have some historical or structural significance and fall into three broad groups. Those built during the early years of the 1900's, which are the wooden panelled cars with the open balcony ends, those built during the late 1920's and early 1930's which were the next advancement being steel panelled cars without the balconies and with enclosed vestibule ends . The third group are the more advanced 56'stock being slightly younger at only eighty years old.

When originally restored, all of Steam Inc's carriages were painted in a Chocolate brown livery with yellow lining in order to differentiate them from the standard NZR red vehicles. It was found that the brown tended to fade to a somewhat shabby looking sand colour and required constant re-painting to keep them good looking. By the early 1990's NZR, and later Tranz Rail, had changed the colour schemes of their vehicles and the Society decided that it was time to re-paint the cars in as near to the original "Midland Lake" red as could be obtained with standard modern paints. In more recent years they have been repainted to represent the later Carnation Red and Post Office red liveries.  Today our red cars are painted "International Red".

The society can thus reproduce (complete with an appropriate steam or diesel locomotive) a typical main line train that ran on the New Zealand railway system during the 1920 to 1970 period.

The society has a number of other vehicles, such as guards and luggage vans, the oil tank wagons that are used as storage/support vehicles for Ka945, several petroleum tank wagons that are being converted to auxiliary water tenders for the steam locomotives, a large steam crane and a variety of 4-wheel and bogie freight vehicles. These vehicles are either undergoing or awaiting restoration or are used solely within the Steam Incorporated yard. The Society has also, in more recent years, become the custodian of several freight wagons and track repair vehicles that are part of the  Rail Heritage Trust of New Zealand collection.

 Download recent listing of Steam Incorporated Carriage Fleet.

 Download recent listing of Steam Incorporated main line locomotives