# NZR R class

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NZR R class NZR R class on Jervois Quay, Wellington, circa 1900, on the Te Aro Branch.[1] Type and origin Power type Steam Builder Avonside Engine Co., England Build date 1878-79 Specifications Configuration: ​ • Whyte 0-6-4T Gauge 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) Driver dia. 36.5 in (0.927 m) Wheelbase 21 ft 10 in (6.65 m) Adhesive weight 20 long tons (20.3 t; 22.4 short tons) Loco weight 33 long tons (33.5 tonnes; 37.0 short tons) Firebox: ​ • Grate area 11.8 sq ft (1.10 m2) Boiler pressure 160 lbf/in2 (1,103 kPa) Heating surface 556 sq ft (51.7 m2) Cylinders Two, outside Cylinder size 12.25 in × 16 in (311 mm × 406 mm) Performance figures Maximum speed 53 mph (85 km/h) Tractive effort 8,420 lbf (37.45 kN) Career Operators New Zealand Railways Department Number in class 18 Disposition 1 preserved

The **NZR R class** was a class of early [0-6-4T](/source/0-6-4T) [single Fairlie](/source/Fairlie_locomotive) [steam locomotives](/source/Steam_locomotive) operated by [New Zealand](/source/New_Zealand)'s [Railways Department](/source/New_Zealand_Railways_Department) (NZR) between 1879 and 1936.[2]

## Introduction

In the 1870s New Zealand's [railway network](/source/Rail_transport_in_New_Zealand) was a small, fragmented system of light railway lines built in rough country where short, [steep grades](/source/Grade_(slope)) and [tight curves](/source/Minimum_railway_curve_radius) were common. The Fairlie type of [steam locomotive](/source/Steam_locomotive) was well-suited to working in such conditions. In 1872, the first Fairlie locomotives arrived from England, the [E class](/source/NZR_E_class_(1872)). Gradually the number of these double-ended engines (known as Double Fairlies) grew to 10, and came to include the [B class of 1874](/source/NZR_B_class_(1874)). There was still a need for orthodox engines with Fairlie manoeuvrability. The [Avonside Engine Company](/source/Avonside_Engine_Company) of [Bristol](/source/Bristol), England solved the problem by providing both the R and [S](/source/NZR_S_class) classes of Single Fairlie engines; 18 of the former in 1878-79 and 7 of the latter in 1880-81.[3] The R class locomotives were built at Avonside's Bristol factory and then shipped to New Zealand, with all entering service by early March 1880.[4]

The locomotives quickly earned a good reputation for speed and manoeuvrability. On a trial run, [Charles Rous-Marten](/source/Charles_Rous-Marten) timed one as running from [Upper Hutt](/source/Upper_Hutt) to [Wellington](/source/Wellington), a distance of 20 miles, in 32.5 minutes despite a number of short delays amounting to three minutes; one section of two miles was covered at a maximum speed of 53 miles per hour. They were allocated to depots across the country, and during their working life operated almost all types of services from premier passenger trains to [shunting](/source/Shunt_(railway_operations)) tasks. As built, they could carry 716 gallons of water, but to allow them to operate over extended distances, some were later fitted with 900 gallon side tanks. All were reboilered during their lives to raise the boiler pressure from 130 to 160 pounds per square inch.[3]

## Accidents

R 28 overhanging Lyttelton wharf on 23 March 1907.

The locomotives were involved in a number of accidents. On 23 March 1907, R 28 was running the Boat Train to the wharf at [Lyttelton](/source/Lyttelton%2C_New_Zealand) to connect with the Wellington ferry when it ran the stop-block. The driving frame, wheels and engine took a dive into Lyttelton harbour, but because of the design, the rest of the locomotive remained on the wharf.

Reefton Fairlie Engine

## Retirement

The R class were gradually withdrawn from NZR service between 1919 and 1944, when R 29 was retired.[5][6] Three R class locomotives went to the Manawatu County Council for use on the [Sanson Tramway](/source/Sanson_Tramway), two of which were given away free by NZR for use as spares. Another branch of government, the [Public Works Department](/source/New_Zealand_Ministry_of_Works), acquired R 33 in August 1919. Five more were withdrawn in March 1922, and withdrawals continued throughout the 1920s, with only three surviving in NZR ownership into the 1930s. R 271 was retired in March 1936 and dumped at Oamaru at the foreshore. R 29 was on NZR's books until 1944, when sold to the Sanson Tramway. Her last years operating the NZR Stores Branch tram at [Mamaku](/source/Mamaku). R 28 was sold to the Timaru Harbour Board in 1934, an ironic new owner in light of its 1907 wharf accident at Lyttelton. Until 1940, it was for shunting the Timaru wharves. It was later sold to Burkes Creek Colliery, [Reefton](/source/Reefton%2C_New_Zealand) for use on their mining railway. Laid up in 1948, R 28 was later placed in Reefton's town park for static preservation. In 2000 a working group took over care for the locomotive, where it will be moved into the restored Reefton engine shed for ultimate restoration to working order.[4]

## See also

- [NZR E class (1872)](/source/NZR_E_class_(1872))

- [NZR B class (1874)](/source/NZR_B_class_(1874))

- [NZR S class](/source/NZR_S_class)

- [Locomotives of New Zealand](/source/Locomotives_of_New_Zealand)

- [Railway preservation in New Zealand](/source/Railway_preservation_in_New_Zealand)

## References

### Citations

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** ["R Class steam locomotive on Jervois Quay, Wellington, \[1900s\]. Reference Number: 1/2-106887-F"](http://mp.natlib.govt.nz/detail/?id=11772&l=en). [National Library of New Zealand](/source/National_Library_of_New_Zealand). Retrieved 17 March 2019.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEPalmerStewart196547_2-0)** [Palmer & Stewart 1965](#CITEREFPalmerStewart1965), p. 47.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-mcgavin_3-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-mcgavin_3-1) T. A. McGavin, *Steam Locomotives of New Zealand, Part One: 1863 to 1900* (Wellington: New Zealand Railway and Locomotive Society, 1987), 34-5.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-register_4-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-register_4-1) New Zealand Railways Steam Locomotives, ["R Class 0-6-4T Register"](http://www.trainweb.org/nzsteam/r_reg.htm), accessed 9 December 2007.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** Register of New Zealand Railways Steam Locomotives Pg150

1. **[^](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEMahoney1998179_6-0)** [Mahoney 1998](#CITEREFMahoney1998), p. 179.

### Bibliography

- Millar, Sean (2011). *The NZR Steam Locomotive*. Wellington: [New Zealand Railway and Locomotive Society](/source/New_Zealand_Railway_and_Locomotive_Society). [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-908573-89-9](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-908573-89-9).

- Mahoney, Paul (1998). *The era of the bush tram in New Zealand*. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0908876807](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0908876807).

- Palmer, A. N.; Stewart, W. W. (1965). *Cavalcade of New Zealand Locomotives*. Wellington: [A H. & A W. Reed](/source/Reed_Publishing). [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-207-94500-7](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-207-94500-7).

- Stewart, W. W. (1974). *When Steam was King*. Wellington: [A. H. & A. W. Reed Ltd](/source/Reed_Publishing). [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-589-00382-1](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-589-00382-1).

## External links

- New Zealand Railways Steam Locomotives: ["Class R 0-6-4T"](http://www.trainweb.org/nzsteam/r_class.html)

v t e Rail vehicles of New Zealand Diesel locomotives Mainline DA (inc. DAA, DAR) DB (inc. DBR) DC (inc. DCP) DF (English Electric) DF (General Motors) inc. DFT, DFB, DFM DG (inc. DH of 1956) DI DJ DL DM DQ and QR DX (inc. DXB, DXC, DXR) Shunt DE DH of 1978 DS DSA DSB DSC DSG DSH (on order) DSJ TR Electric locomotives 1500 V DC EA (later EO of 1968) EC ED EO of 1923 EW 25 kV AC EF Battery E EB Diesel multiple units ADK/ADB class diesel multiple unit ADL/ADC class diesel multiple unit Electric multiple units 1500 V DC (Wellington) "English Electric" DM (inc. D trailers) "Ganz Mavag" EM (inc. ET trailers) "Matangi" FP (inc. FT trailers) "Tūhono" BEMU (on order) 25 kV AC (Auckland) AM (inc. AMP, AMT, AMA) Railcars RM class 88 seater (also known as Fiats or twinsets) Clayton steam railcar Edison battery-electric railcar Red Terror railcar Midland railcar Leyland experimental petrol railcar McEwan Pratt petrol railcar Model T Ford railcar Sentinel-Cammell steam railcar Silver Fern railcar Standard railcar Thomas Transmission railcar Vulcan railcar Wairarapa railcar Westinghouse railcar Others A 88 Buckhurst petrol carriage Steam locomotives A of 1873 A of 1906 (inc. AD) AA AB B of 1874 B of 1899 BA BB BC C of 1873 C of 1930 D of 1874 D of 1929 E of 1872 & 1875 E of 1906 F FA (inc. FB) G of 1874 G Garratt of 1928 (inc. Pacific rebuild) H J of 1874 J of 1939 JA JB K of 1877 K of 1932 KA KB L LA M N NA NC O OA OB OC P of 1876 P of 1885 Q of 1878 Q of 1901 R S T U UA UB UC UD V W WA WAB WB WD WE WF WG WH WJ WS WW X Y Locomotive hauled carriages 50-foot carriage 56-foot carriage AC class (Grassgrubs) ex-British Rail Mark 2 carriage AK carriage FM class guards van SX carriages Track evaluation, cranes, and maintenance ETM class track evaluation car EL class rail cranes ETM class rail maintenance equipment Locomotives of New Zealand Rail transport in New Zealand Railway preservation in New Zealand.

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [NZR R class](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NZR_R_class) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NZR_R_class?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.