2-8-0 Steam Locomotives in New Zealand

Class O (Locobase 4958)

Data from John Garner's New Zealand Steam Locomotives website in Trainweb at [] accessed in January 2002; last accessed 24 June 2025.. See also DeGolyer, Volume 12, p. 146. 54 (works number 7565), 69 (7567) and 31 (7572) were delivered in December 1885. 98 (7566) and 99 (7569) arrived in January 1886, and 100 (7568) followed in February

Like the N-class Prairies shown in Locobase 4959, these substituted for P-class Nasmyth Wilson locomotives (Locobase 1106) that were found to be much too heavy. (On the other hand, the Ps enjoyed long careers for a variety of reasons.)

Baldwin filled the order in an impressively short time after it received the order on 14 January 1885. The two batches were ready for shipment in April.

Transit times from Philadelphia to New Zealand took months, so the first two only began revenue service in 12 December 1885 with the last hauling goods traffic by February 1886.

The specification book includes a report dated 1 January 1886 that reported the Consolidations to be "very free steamers". At the time of its delivery, the second to last locomotive registered weights on the drivers of 56,700 lb (25,719 kg) and total engine weight of 63,924 lb (28,895 kg)

Very similar to the T class of six years earlier, but lengthened to accommodate a larger boiler. John Garner commented on these "small locomotives" that "proved that they were fond of hard work and were a substitute for the overweight Naysmith, Wilson 'P's."

South Island locmotives for several years, the Os moved to the North Island between to provide goods traffic service on the Wairarapa and Napier lines.

Having remained in service for almost 35 years, 31 and 54 fell off the roster in May 1919. The other four followed in May 1922.

Class P (Locobase 1109)

Data from John Garner's comprehensive site at [] ... (October 2002). Works numbers were 272-281 in 1885.

Ten narrow-gauge engines used a boiler similar in size to the V-class Prairies (Locobase 5186). On the level, these "fine, strong engines" handled up to 1,000-ton trains, according to OS Nock (RWC II, pl 132).

Garner's view of the design is less favorable. It was overweight, he comments, and had an unattractive layout in which the pilot truck and cylinders extended forward of the smokebox. (Garner may have reacted to the outside axle box and overhanging springs on the truck.) "Despite all this," he adds, however,"they turned out to be good freight locomotives."

The last P left the roster in 1934.

Class T (Locobase 4957)

Data from [] accessed in January 2002. See also DeGolyer, Volume 9, p. 116. See also Charles Rous-Marten, "New Zealand Railways: Their History, Engines and Work", The Railway Magazine (December 1899), pp. 567+.Works numbers had a break, with 4660-4661 getting 101-102 and 4664-4667 numbered 103-106.

These appear to be the ones mentioned in Westing's reproduction of Paul T. Warner's History of the Baldwin Locomotive Works (1923), facsimile page 75. They were delivered in January (103-104) and February (101-102, 105-106) of 1880.

Charles Rous-Marten's long residence in New Zealand may account for his willingness to give American-built engine their due. His verdict on the Ts said that they had done "thoroughly good work" for twenty years or so and a later expansion on that opinion underscored just how well they met the NZR's needs:

"The T engines proved remarkably capable, and took some enormous loads, while they ascended the long banks of 1 in 50 with a readiness which surprised even those who had been most favourable to their procural. In fact, so handy did they prove that in several instances they were actually employed to take the Dunedin-Christchurch express over its heaviest stage, that between Dunedin and Oamaru, and this somewhat incongruous duty they performed capitally, revealing no deficiency even in the speed capacity demanded, which was, I am bound to confess, very moderate. However, they continue to this day highly serviceable after 20 years hard labour."

101 and 104 were retired in March 1922; the others were scrapped in March 1938.