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New Zealand Rail DSG 3018

Here is a reskin based on four members of the DSC class. Or rather, a livery carried by four DSC's. These were 2652, 2665, 2680 and 2693. This livery is basically the same as the standard NZ Rail red, albeit with yellow and black stripes on each end. The number carried by this re-skin is that of a real-life DSG.

DSG 3018 was built by Toshiba of Japan in 1981, entering service in March of that year. She was the 2nd of the 24-strong DSG class to enter service, with the first being 3005. The DSG's were designed for - and are still used on - light to heaving shunting duties, which also includes the occasional short trip out on the mainline.

As they arrived after the introduction of the TMS numbering system, the DSG class never received the pre-TMS era road numbers. Originally the entire class was painted in a variant of the International Orange livery, otherwise known as Fruit Salad. This was gradually phased out in the 1990s, with DSG 3018 being repainted into Tranz Rail blue in 1994. She would stay in this livery for the next 16 years.

Not long after being repainted for the first time, DSG 3018 was also fitted with shunter's refuges. These are an important safety feature, which allow for safe operation of the locomotive while the driver is outside the cab. In this form of operation the driver controls the locomotive by means of a remote control system. Personally I think the DSC, DSG and DSJ shunters look better with the shunter's refuges fitted.

Anyway, 3018 survived right through the Toll Rail era (2003 to 2008) without being repainted into Toll Rail colours. In fact, DSG 3046 was the only member of her class to receive said livery. 3018 was repainted into the KiwiRail livery in April 2010, just under two years after the NZ government re-nationalised the rail network.

Having spent the majority of her life working in the South Island, DSG 3018 is now based at the Te Rapa depot in Hamilton. Still going strong at the ripe old age of 39, she is used mainly to shunt wagons in the yard, but - on rare occasions in the past - has ventured out to the Fonterra plants at Hautapu and Waitoa. Normally this job is carried out solely by the DC class.