Tr 160

• Locomotive running number: TR160 (TMS TR632)
• Designed by: A&G Price
• Built at: A&G Price, Thames
• Date built: 1958
• Builders number: 182
• Date entered service:
• Date withdrawn: 2002
• Current condition: Oerational

TR160 nearing completion of restoration at Paekakariki May 2017.

• Wheel arrangement: 0-4-0
• Driving wheel dia: 1010mm
• Engine: Gardner 6LX (originally McLaren M6)
• Weight in working order: 20 Ton
• Overall length: 7.0m
• Power: 112Kw (153hp)

History

A recent arrival at Paekakariki is TR160 (TMS TR632).  This is a Price “Model 4” 150hp diesel rail shunting tractor.  Built by A&G Price of Thames in 1958 as a diesel-mechanical unit but has since been converted to diesel-hydraulic. 

Prices built twenty of these units spread over two batches.  Tr160 was from the first batch built between 1958 and 1959(TR157 to Tr161).  The second batch followed in 1959-1962(Tr162-Tr176).  They had very similar specifications to an earlier order of Bagnall supplied locomotives but differed markedly in appearance.  A Westinghouse straight airbrake was fitted for the loco only. 

As built Tr160 had a McLaren 6 cylinder M6 engine of 150hp.  This was linked to a Vulcan-Sinclair fluid coupling and S.C.G. 4 speed gearbox with a David Brown final drive. 

The second batch of these locomotives came delivered with Gardner 6L3 engines, and at a later date, probably during the 1970’s, the McLaren engine in Tr160 was replaced with a Gardner 6LX engine rated at 153hp.  At the same time the gearbox was replaced with a twin disc torque converter.   The David Brown final drive has been retained. 

Tr160 was built for use in the North Island and entered service in October 1958.  It appears to have spent all of its time in the Bay of Plenty and Auckland areas, especially in the forestry areas of Kinleith, Murupara, and Kawerau.  The last allocation was at the Kawerau Car & Wagon Depot until being replaced by a larger Dsc in 2002. 

It has been in storage at Pahiatua since 2004 and was roaded to Paekakariki in November 2015.  After some repairs, rust removal, repaint, documentation and training were completed it is now in regular use at Paekakariki as one of our depot shunters.  It sees use on most days moving our main line locos and carriages around our Paekakariki depot for maintenace or helping assemble a train consist ready for an upcoming NZ train trip.