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MAXX Blue Berkshire

(Here's something that is awfully silly, but I wanted to make it just for a bit of fun).

MAXX blue is a New Zealand livery, but from 2004 (when it was launched) to 2015 it was a common sight only in the city of Auckland. Locomotives were painted in this livery and used on commuter services in the big, ugly metropolis, working with heavily rebuilt ex-British Rail Mk2 coaches (SA coaches and SD cab-cars). DC 4444 was the only engine to carry a different variant of MAXX blue, having the numbers on the side of the longhood (in place of the MAXX lettering) and nothing on the cab sides, where the number is usually written.

It should go without saying that no steam locomotive has ever carried this livery in real life, and no steamer ever will. MAXX blue was only ever carried by DBR, DC and DFT class locomotives; all of which are diesels. DBR's 1199 and 1254 never ran in passenger service with the SA coaches. Instead they ran in a top-and-tail formation with a set of six ex-Queensland Rail coaches (the SX set).

In July 2015, the last of the diesel services north of Papakura were taken over by the AM class electric multiple units. After which, nine MAXX-livery DC class locomotives were used with SA coaches on the shuttle services from Papakura to Pukekohe. Some of these DC's were 4248, 4536, 4945 and 4951. In September 2015, the ADL class diesel multiple units took over operation of the Pukekohe service. These had also been used north of Papakura prior to July 2015.

Today the Auckland suburban rail network is operated solely by electric multiple units, apart from the aforementioned Papakura to Pukekohe shuttle.

After being retired from Auckland commuter services, all the locomotives that were still in MAXX blue were returned to freight service with KiwiRail. Since 2015, most of the ex-Auckland DC's have been withdrawn from service and either put in storage or scrapped.

Some of the DC'ss that were used on Auckland commuter services never carried MAXX blue, receiving the KiwiRail livery instead. These were 4104, 4260, 4346 and 4818 (4605 was also used in SA service for a short time, being replaced by 4818). During the Rugby World Cup of 2011, two KiwiRail-painted DFT's (7051 and 7186) were used to provide additional commuter services in Auckland. DC 4594 did spend a few months on Auckland 'subbie' duties in 2010/11, during which time she was still running in the old Toll Rail livery, albeit with KiwiRail stickers. The locomotives that did receive MAXX blue were as follows:

DBR 1199
DBR 1226 (never carried the MAXX logo, only used as a back-up engine)
DBR 1254
DC 4035
DC 4093
DC 4248
DC 4254
DC 4369
DC 4375
DC 4381
DC 4415
DC 4444
DC 4536
DC 4663
DC 4732
DC 4916
DC 4922
DC 4939
DC 4945
DC 4951
DFB 7010
DFT 7104
DFB 7200
DFB 7348 (formerly DFT 7254)

Out of the locomotives listed here, only DC's 4663, 4951 and the four DFB/DFT's are still in service. The DFT quartet are now all in KiwiRail colours, while DC's 4663 and 4951 have simply had the MAXX logo removed. As for the infamous DC 4444, she was repainted in KiwiRail colours and continued in freight service for a few more years. In earyl 2020, DC's 4444 and 4571 were sold to an Australian track maintenance company called Martinus Rail. DBR 1254 has been preserved by the Glenbrook Vintage Railway, while DC's 4248 and 4369 were preserved by Mainline Steam Trust.