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Goldfields Railway DSG 3196

(This is the last of the engines in my planned Goldfields series. This one is specifically based on the red livery carried by DSA 551, which is the only ex-NZR locomotive on the Goldfields Railway).

DSA 551 was built by the Hunslet Engine Company of Leeds in 1954, and was originally numbered as DSA 253. The class was designed for light shunting duties across New Zealand, and the DSA's were actually a collection of about 4 different designs each built by a separate company.

Our DSA first entered service in November 1951, and was painted in the New Zealand Railways 'Midland Red' livery. The only pre-TMS era photograph I've found of this engine is black-and-white, unfortunately. 253 continued running with this number until 1978, when she was re-numbered as DSA 551. Soon after, she was re-painted in the 'International Orange' livery, otherwise known as Fruit Salad.

DSA 551 wasn't getting any younger as the years went by, and she was retired from NZR service in 1985. Thankfully she was preserved - in a way - being sent to Kingston soon after retirement. There she would be used to shunt the coaches for the famous Kingston Flyer, which was traditionally hauled by two AB class 4-6-2 steam locomotives. The DSA remained in Kingston until 2001, when she was returned to normal service with Tranz Rail. Around the same time, she was repainted in a variant of Tranz Rail blue.

Her time with Tranz Rail was short-lived, as sometime in the early 2000's she was sold to Ravensdown Fertiliser, who used the locomotive as a shunter at their Awatoto plant. Awatoto is a very short distance south of Napier, and is a waypoint on the line from Napier to Palmerston North. During her time in Awatoto, DSA 551 ended up getting covered in fertiliser dust, which I can't imagine is very pleasant for a locomotive.

The DSA continuned in service in Awatoto until 2014, when she was sold to a private owner based in Napier. But very soon after, the locomotive was transferred to the Goldfields Railway in Waihi for preservation.

Upon arrival in Waihi, it didn't take long for the Goldfields volunteers to set about restoring the DSA for operation on the line. Restoration was certainly no 5-minute job, as the fertiliser dust had got just about everywhere. The locomotive was actually stripped right down to the frames and built back up again. For some reason it was decided to paint her in a very bright red and yellow livery.

DSA 551 finally returned to service in June 2019, and I got to see her for myself in November of that year. It wasn't until early January 2020 when she was finally given certification to take passenger trains. The DSA is larger and more powerful than the normal Goldfields motive power - two Baguley-Drewry 0-4-0 diesels. Therefore, she is able to haul longer trains and take more passengers. Curiously the DSA is facing the opposite way to the Baguley-Drewry engines. Those two have the front-ends facing Paeroa, while DSA 551 is turned round so she faces Tauranga.

(And now for some information behind the locomotive who's number is on this re-skin - DSG 3196).

DSG 3196 is the 16th engine in a class of 24. She was built in 1982 by Toshiba of Japan, entering service in June of that year. As with all other DSG's, 3196 was first outshopped in the International Orange livery. The DSG class was designed for - and is still used on - light/heavy shunting duties and occasional trip workings out on the mainline. An example of the latter - though not necessarily on the mainline - is the New Plymouth port shunt, which runs from Smart Road yard to Port Taranaki.

3196 received her first noteable alteration in November 1991, when she was sent to Hutt Workshops for a repaint in New Zealand rail blue. This was very similar to International Orange, but with dark blue in place of red. In 1997, the engine was sent to Hutt again. This time it was for a repaint in Tranz Rail blue and the installation of shunter's refuges. These are short frame extensions at both ends of the locomotive, complete with big steps on each side. Shunter's refuges allow the driver to stand outside the cab and continue to drive the locomotive by means of a remote control.

3196 continued to give many years of reliable service after 1997. She has been allocated to the North Island for most of her life, and I ended up seeing her numerous times throughout 2010. This was two years after the state-owned KiwiRail was formed. It wasn't until 2012 when DSG 3196 was repainted in KiwiRail colours. Much to my delight, she returned to Mount Maunganui again after the repaint.