Steam Incorporated

Steam Incorporated, often abbreviated to Steam Inc., is a railway heritage and preservation society based at the Paekakariki Railway Station, Paekakariki at the southern end of the Kapiti Coast, approximately 50 minutes north of Wellington on the west coast of New Zealand's North Island. Unlike some societies who operate on preserved sections of closed branch lines (e.g. the Kingston Flyer on the Kingston Branch or the Pleasant Point Museum and Railway on the Fairlie Branch), Steam Incorporated own a depot ("The Engine Shed") beside one of the country's most important railway lines, the North Island Main Trunk Railway, and restores heritage locomotives and rolling stock for use on excursions on the regular national rail network.

History of the depot

Paekakariki's close association with the railway began in 1886 when the Wellington and Manawatu Railway Company's line from Wellington to Longburn opened. Paekakariki Railway Station was a large station despite the settlement's small size, as it was ideally located as a locomotive changeover point - powerful engines were required to tackle the difficult grades between Wellington and Paekakariki, while lighter and more nimble ones were better suited to the gentle grades and straight track through the Kapiti Coast and Horowhenua to Manawatu. The New Zealand Railways Department (NZR) took over the Wellington and Manawatu Railway in December 1908, but Paekakariki's status as an important depot remained unchanged. In 1940, the line from Wellington to Paekakariki was electrified and Paekakariki's depot was altered: it became the changeover point from electric to steam motive power, or electric to diesel from the 1950s onwards. Paekakariki also was an important goods transfer point between the Railways and its "Rail Air" service that operated out of Paraparaumu across Cook Strait, before the Rail ferries. A large goods shed was constructed at Paekakariki by U.S. Marines stationed in the area for use with the Rail Air service during World War II. In the late 1960s with steam power coming to an end, the locomotive depot in Paekakariki was closed and the diesel locomotives which replaced steam were based out of Wellington instead. The main engine shed was demolished along with a number of other buildings, but the Rail Air Shed, two signal boxes, amenities building and a turntable remained when Steam Incorporated acquired the site. New sheds were constructed to replace those demolished, and the Rail Air Shed & amenities buildings were acquired when it became available. While initially leasing a portion of the site, Steam Incorporated now owns the whole former depot site including the 70ft turntable however the railways retain a right of access to the turntable.

Steam Incorporated

As steam started to disappear from the NZR network, a group of enthusiasts united to preserve steam locomotives with the express intention of running them on the NZR main line network. At the time, all locomotives that had been preserved were solely for use on heritage railways or for static display, and as the NZR sold locomotives on the proviso that they would never again run on the NZR network, it was a radical concept. However Steam Incorporated was formed and locomotives were purchased by the society or for the society by members.

List of Locomotives

Key: In Service In Service, Main Line Certified Under Overhaul/Restoration Stored Static Display Scrapped
Number Builder Builder's Number Year Built Arrived at Steam Inc Notes
AB 608 NZR Addington Workshops 163 1915 1993 First AB built. Owned by the NZR&LS, previously statically displayed at Ferrymead. Leased to Steam Incorporated, 1993. Main line certified.
DA 1410 General Motors A800 1955 1988 Transferred back to Paekakariki from the Glenbrook Vintage Railway in June 2015. Awaiting an overhaul.
DA 1431 General Motors 57-135 1957 1988 Painted in unique livery for NZ Sesquicentennial, 1990. Main line certified.
DA 1471 General Motors A2017 1963 2012 Formerly part of the NZ Rail Heritage Collection. Leased to Steam Inc in 2004 but returned in 2007; brought outright in 2012 after storage at Hutt Workshops. Currently under restoration.
DS 202 Drewry 2526 1955 1985 Used as the Paekakariki yard shunter.
J 1234 North British Locomotive Co. 24557 1939 1974 Restored for main line use 1992. Formerly leased to the Glenbrook Vintage Railway. Transferred back to Steam Inc in June 2015. Awaiting an overhaul.
JA 1271 NZR Hillside Workshops 394 1956 1978 Acquired as stripped hulk. Comprehensively restored to working order in 1997. Currently main line certified.
K 917 NZR Hutt Workshops 294 1934 2001 Used as a static boiler supply at Hutt Workshops prior to preservation. Stored as an incomplete hulk with the tender from K 928, originally brought as a spare boiler for KA 945.
KA 945 NZR Hutt Workshops 328 1939 1975 First KA built. Purchased by Len Southward, loaned and later donated to Steam Inc. Restored to operating condition in 1985, withdrawn in 1995. Work has started on 945 to return it to working order.
Ohai Railway Board NO 2 Mitsubishi 1476 1967 1992 Used as the yard shunter at Paekakariki. Owned by Richard Gibbard.
WF 386 NZR Addington Workshops 66 1905 1978 Previously statically displayed at Taumarunui. Previously owned by Taumarunui District Council, some overhaul work was carried out but overhauled stopped due to lack of interest. WF 386 is currently stored in the carriage shed at Paekakariki.

In addition:

Rolling stock

Steam Incorporated owns one of New Zealand's largest fleets of heritage passenger carriages certified for mainline operation on the regular national network. Originally painted in a unique chocolate brown livery with yellow lining to differentiate them from carriages in service on regular trains, the paint was found to fade and look shabby, and when Tranz Rail, NZR's successor, repainted their carriages in a blue livery in the early 1990s, Steam Incorporated reverted to the "Midland Red" paint scheme that had been used for most passenger carriages in New Zealand since the 1920s. Steam Incorporated own a variety of carriage types, such as five wide-bodied AA class 50 ft wooden passenger carriages with balcony ends. In 2008, these carriages were painted in "Pullman Green" for use in the North Island Main Trunk Railway centenary celebrations. In addition, Steam Inc. have a number of 50-foot and 56-foot steel-clad passenger carriages, one of which has been converted for use as a buffet/souvenir car. The active fleet stands at 11 fully restored and main line certified carriages, with several under restoration (2) or stored (4).

Along with carriages, the society owns a number of guards vans and former goods wagons, some of which are certified for main line operation as locomotive service wagons.

Key: In Service In Service, Main Line Certified Under Overhaul/Restoration Stored Static Display Scrapped
Number TMS Number Builder Year built Carriage type Arrived at Steam Incorporated Notes
AA 1030 A 4012 (in Preservation) NZR Petone 1908 50' wooden body, wide-body mainline carriage October 1977 Obtained as a derelict from Hutt Workshops. Restored and entered Steam Inc. service in 1981. [1]
AA 1071 A 4029 (in Preservation) NZR Petone 1909 50' wooden body, wide-body mainline carriage 1976 Withdrawn from NZR service in Auckland. Returned to service in 1977 as the first Steam Inc. carriage to be restored. [2]
AA 1073 A 4035 (in Preservation) NZR Petone 1909 50' wooden body, wide-body mainline carriage 1976 Withdrawn from NZR service in Auckland. Returned to service 1979, car still has original style pressed steel internal ceiling.
AA 1265 A 4070 (in Preservation) NZR Petone 1912 50' wooden body, wide-body mainline carriage 1977 Obtained as a derelict from Hutt Workshops. Restored and entered Steam Inc. service in 1981.
AA 1267 A 4087 (in Preservation) NZR Petone 1912 50' wooden body, wide-body mainline carriage 1976 Obtained from Rotten Row at Marton, first carriage acquired by Steam Inc. Restored and entered Steam Inc. service in 1980. Still has original style pressed steel internal ceiling; first Steam Inc. car to be painted in red livery.
AA 1618 A56006 NZR Petone 1927 56' steel-panelled mainline carriage October 1982 One of the first batch of five 56-foot long carriages, originally built as a sleeping car. Restored as buffet and souvenir car by Steam Inc., entered service in 1984.
AA 1757 A 50215 NZR Otahuhu 1932 50' steel-panelled wide-body mainline carriage 1983 Entered Steam Inc. service in 1984. Withdrawn in 1994 for a comprehensive overhaul, overhaul restarted in 2005 and re-entered service in 2009.
AA 1769 A 50274 NZR Otahuhu 1932 50' steel-panelled wide-body mainline carriage June 1981 Built by NZR as a First Class car but later had Second Class seats installed with generous leg room. Entered Steam Inc. service in 1984.
AA 1783 A 50290 NZR Otahuhu 1933 50' steel-panelled wide-body mainline carriage June 1983 Entered Steam Inc. service in 1984, withdrawn in 2002 for a comprehensive overhaul. Overhaul begun 2012.
A 1859 A 56916 NZR Otahuhu 1938 56' steel-panelled mainline carriage 1984 Last 56-foot First Class car in original Main Trunk condition. Equipped with pressure ventilation. Purchased by Keith Magnussen in 1983, later donated to Steam Incorporated. Stored awaiting restoration [3]
A 1870 A 56105 NZR Otahuhu 1937 56' steel-panelled mainline carriage May 2010 Surplus ex-Auckland suburban service in 1996. Sold to Waitara Railway Preservation Society, stored at Brixton until 2010 when sold to Steam Incorporated. Stored.
AL 1917 AL 56066 NZR Otahuhu 1939 56' steel-panelled mainline car-van 1996 Converted to carvan at Otahuhu for suburban work in 1982, withdrawn in 1996. Sold to Steam Incorporated, former luggage compartment modified to provide space for loco support crew. [4]
A 1942 A 56453 NZR Otahuhu 1939 56' steel-panelled mainline carriage 1996 Surplus ex-Auckland suburban service in 1996. Under restoration, will be fitted with a South Island First Class-style Coupe compartment.
A 1943 A 56461 NZR Otahuhu 1939 56' steel-panelled mainline carriage May 2010 Surplus ex-Auckland Suburban trains 1996. Sold to Gisborne City Vintage Railway, later on-sold to Waitara Railway Preservation Society. Sold to Steam Incorporated in 2010. Currently in storage.
A 1953 A 56544 NZR Otahuhu 1939 56' steel-panelled mainline carriage 2008 Ex-Auckland charter fleet. Overhaul completed in 2012, entered Steam Inc. service in 2013.
A 1989 A 56769 NZR Otahuhu 1943 56' steel-panelled mainline carriage 1996 Surplus ex-Auckland suburban service 1996. Restoration completed in 2002 and entered Steam Inc. service in 2003.
A 2011 AB 3534 NZR Otahuhu 1939 56' steel-panelled mainline carriage 2008 Built as Vice Regal staff carriage A 2011. Later re-built as an AB buffet car for Endeavour service, later modified with reduced counter and additional seating. Withdrawn in 2007 and stored at Hutt Shops. Purchased by Steam Inc. in 2008, and stored awaiting restoration.
F 524 F 1164 NZR Otahuhu 1930 50' wooden body guards van 1986 Entered Steam Inc. service in 1988, withdrawn 1993. Currently used as a photographic display vehicle.
F 609 F 2391 NZR Otahuhu 1944 56' steel panelled guards van 1990? Used on Southerner & Endeavour trains, then briefly used as a Way & Works vehicle. Stored awaiting future restoration.
- FM 1254 Daewoo Heavy Industries, Korea 1981 50' steel modular guards van 2008 Withdrawn by NZR in 1988. Sold to a private owner in 1989, and stored at the Mainline Steam Trust Parnell until 2008. Restored and entered Steam Inc. service in 2009. Last guards van in revenue freight use in Auckland area, still fitted with original interior.[5]
Locomotives Ja 1271 and Ab 608 pulling historic carriages on Steam Inc's 2015 "Double Thunder" excursion

Excursions

Steam Incorporated has operated or participated in excursions to almost all parts of the national railway network that has been open since the late 1970s. As one of the first organisations to operate a private carriage fleet, excursions have been run since 1978. During the early years of the society's existence, NZR would not permit heritage operators to use their own locomotives on the national network, thus limiting the society's locomotive activities to the area of The Engine Shed. Since 1985 however, this policy has been abandoned and Steam Incorporated have run the majority of their excursions using society owned Steam and Diesel locomotives. Popular excursions have been through the central North Island, annual "Art Deco" expresses to Napier, to the centennial celebrations at Dunedin Railway Station in 2006, and to the centennial celebrations at Feilding in 2008. Some excursions are operated solely by Steam Incorporated crews with the society's own equipment (with the locomotive driver and fireman supplied by Kiwirail), while others have been in conjunction with other New Zealand preservation societies and their locomotives, such as the "double drivers" excursions featuring two KA class locomotives.

Some of the more notable involvements Steam Incorporated have had were in 1993 when KA 945 and Steam Inc carriages toured for 3 weeks around New Zealand on the "Crunchie Train", and in 2008 when Steam Incorporated operated the Parliamentary Special NIMT Centennial train on behalf of Ontrack, using primarily Steam Incorporated carriages and a mix of Steam Inc. and other mainline certified locomotives.

References

  1. http://www.steaminc.org.nz/content/Rolling_Stock/AA1030.htm
  2. http://www.steaminc.org.nz/content/Rolling_Stock/AA1071.htm
  3. http://www.steaminc.org.nz/content/Rolling_Stock/A1859.htm
  4. http://www.steaminc.org.nz/content/Rolling_Stock/AL1917.htm
  5. http://www.steaminc.org.nz/content/Rolling_Stock/FM1254.htm

External links

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