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T.Y.C.O. Canadiana DXC 5264

(Requested by opaldubereats)

I don't know anything about the TYCO company, but I do know that they released a series of model diesel locomotives in this special 'Canadiana' livery sometime in the mid-1970's. Models that were released in this livery appear to resemble the ALCO Century 430 and Baldwin RF-16 or 'Sharknose'. This was a fictional livery, and - therefore - wasn't carried by any locomotive in real life. I chose Rolling Line's DX model for this re-skin because I think the DX looked enough like the C-430 for me to get away with it. Like with most of my DX re-skins, the number carried by this engine is that of a real-life locomotive. And now for a bit too much information regarding the real DXC 5264.

The locomotive that operates today as DXC 5264 was built in 1975 by General Electric, and was originally numbered as DX 2624. The DX class consisted of 49 locomotives (though one has since been scrapped), and was part of the standard GE U26C family. Although they've been so heavily modified over the course of their lives that they're barely U26C's anymore.

DX 2624 - like all other members of her class - was first painted in the distinctive Clockwork Orange livery. This was a combination of bright orange and yellow, and was never carried by any class other than the DX. Back in the 1970's, the majority of trains in New Zealand were painted medium or dark red. The only notable exceptions at the time were the Silver Fern and Blue Streak railcars.

Our 'protagonist' wasn't all that old when - in 1979 - she was re-numbered as DX 5264. This was a new number assigned to the locomotive under the Traffic Monitoring System, which was introduced at the end of the 1970's. TMS is still in use today. Anyway, a sizeable number of DX's remained in the Clockwork Orange livery into the 1980's. From what I understand, 5264 was one of those engines.

As you will see from the included photographs, 5264 used to have a small two-piece windscreen in the middle of the cab. In the late 1980's, the entire DX class (apart from the now-scrapped 2639) had their double windscreen replaced by a large one-piece design. This was done to allow for the introduction of single-man crewing, which was also being introduced at the end of the 1980's.

In the early 1990's, New Zealand began its experiment with privatised railways. This ended in 2008, but in the meantime the new era of privatisation would bring with it a new blue livery (simply called New Zealand Rail blue and later Tranz Rail blue). DX 5264 was one of the engines that received NZ Rail blue. Prior to the repaint, the locomotive had her giant white numbers on the side replaced with smaller numerals on each side of the cab. At least one other DX - that being 5258 - had this alteration as well.

DX 5264 was repainted in New Zealand Rail blue in 1994. Two years later - in 1996 - she was fitted with the distinctive air-intakes or 'chutes'. These are very noticeable ducts on each side of the locomotive, and they're designed to prevent the driver from suffocating as the locomotive travels through the 8 kilometre long Otira Tunnel, which is on the line from Christchurch to Greymouth. Today the DXC subclass is the only DX variant to carry the 'chutes', and the entire DXC fleet is allocated to the South Island.

DX 5264 has been running in the South Island ever since 1996, more or less. The NZ rail network changed ownership in 2003, when Toll Rail came into being. 5264 did not receive the notoriously ugly Toll Rail livery until February 2005. Around this time, the locomotive was reclassified as a DXB. Other modifications included the replacement of the original curved-edge short hood with a box-shaped design (which is said to resemble that of the DFT class), fitting of a new design of cab, upgraded couplers and the installation of GE's Brightstar adhesion control system. It's fair to say that DXB 5264 looked very different after this overhaul.

The locomotive was one of the many engines that remained in Toll colours for a while after the New Zealand government re-acquired the rail network in July 2008. An agreement was made in which all Toll logos had to be removed from locomotives within three months following re-nationalisation, but DAR 517 defied that rule right up until 2017, when she was sadly scrapped. 5264 was re-classified as a DXC not too long after KiwiRail came into being.

In January 2009, DXC 5264 was one of the engines that helped out in the transfer of DF 1501 from Auckland to Ferrymead Heritage Park in the South Island. After the old English Electric locomotive arrived in Picton - on the ferry from Wellington - she was attached behind 5264 on a regular freight train heading to Christchurch. The DF is now awaiting restoration at the Ferrymead Railway.

As for DXC 5264, she has continued in service past 2009. It wasn't until sometime in late 2013 when she was finally repainted in the KiwiRail livery. And then - in early 2014 - KiwiRail experienced a serious locomotive shortage after the entire DL class (totalling 40 engines at the time) was taken out of service after the discovery of asbestos in the insulation.

The only reason I bring up the 'Great DL Park-up' (as it came to be known) is because DXC 5264 stayed in the North Island for a couple of months to help keep the trains running. During which time - more specifically on April 6th - I saw 5264 heading out of Tauranga on the front of Train 334 to Auckland. Behind the DXC were two DL's and I don't remember how many wagons.

After the DL's had their asbestos removed, 5264 was sent back to her normal home in the South Island. When I was down in Christchurch in November 2018, I ended up seeing 5264 again. On the 11th of November, 5264 and 5391 were the two engines that hauled the Tranz Alpine out of Christchurch on its way to Greymouth.

Today DXC 5264 is still going strong at the grand old age of 45 years. As for how much longer she will remain in service for, I honestly have no idea.