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KiwiRail Red DSG 3155 (revised)

This is an unusual variant of the KiwiRail livery. The only grey in the livery is on the top of the bonnet and the cab roof. In real life only one locomotive carries this version of the livery, and that's TR 920.

Due to Rolling Line's current lack of a Hillside TR model, I decided to see how a DSG would look carrying this unusual livery.

TR 920 was built in 1976 at New Zealand Rail's workshops in Dunedin, otherwise known as Hillside Workshops. The engine was originally numbered as TR 188, being renumbered in 1978. The renumbering was part of the introduction of the new Traffic Monitoring System. TR 920 was used primarily in the North Island, like a few other Hillside TR's.

Curiously 920 was one of the few shunting locomotives to receive the Flying Tomato livery. This was an unusual variant of the International Orange livery, which had a red cabside and roof instead of grey. Unfortunately I have not been able to find out much information on what the locomotive did during the 2000's.

In 2011, TR 920 was repainted into this unusual one-off variant of the KiwiRail livery. Today KiwiRail still use Hillside TR's in the small yards at Marton and Eltham. This means they can sometimes be seen at Palmerston North depot.

As for DSG 3155, she was built in 1982 by the Japanese company Toshiba. She entered arrive in New Zealand in May 1982, entering service soon after. Very little information is available on this locomotive's history, but I am under the impression that she spent all of her life in the North Island. 3155 was originally painted in the classic International Orange livery, like the other 23 members of the DSG class.

In 1997, DSG 3155 was repainted in the Tranz Rail blue livery. At the same time, she was fitted with shunters' refuges. These are short frame extensions at both ends of the locomotive, which allow the driver to remotely control the locomotive while standing outside the cab. 13 years later - in August 2010 - the locomotive was repainted in the KiwiRail livery.

Today DSG 3155 is still in service with KiwiRail. As far as I know, she is normally the shunter at the Kinlieth paper mill, but occasionally ventures over to Mount Maunganui for maintenance. On the day of uploading, the shunter at Kinlieth was DSG 3033.