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KiwiRail DSG 3264

This is a very unusual variant on the KiwiRail livery, which is only carried by one locomotive in real-life. That locomotive is TR 908, and this variant of the livery has one yellow bonnet and one red bonnet, instead of one being grey.

TR 908 is one of the nine Hillside TR's, so named because they were built at Hillside Workshops in Dunedin between 1974 and 1977. They were the last batch of TR class shunting tractors to be built. As the term 'shunting tractor' implies, the many different TR designs were built for light shunting duties, often at small stations where the light traffic did not justify the use of a larger engine.

The Hillside TR's were unusual in that they were the only TR design to feature an off-centre cab. All other TR designs have their cab placed at the back of the locomotive.

TR 908 entered service in November 1974, and was originally numbered as TR 186. The engine was re-numbered in 1978, as part of the introduction of the Traffic Monitoring System. She was originally painted in the so-called 'Midland Red' livery, which was replaced by International Orange / Fruit Salad some time in 1983.

I can-not find that much information on the history of TR 908, but what I do know is that she has spent the majority of her life in the North Island. 20 years after receiving International Orange - in 2003 - the locomotive was repainted again. This time she received Tranz Rail black, being one of at least two TR's to do so. From then, the locomotive was sent to be the shunter at Eltham, which is a small town in Taranaki. I believe there is a dairy factory there, and it's now the only remaining small-town yard in New Zealand with its own shunter.

As far as I know, TR 908 spent most of the 2000's based in Eltham. Photographs and footage of this locomotive are extremely hard to come by, but - from what I understand - 908 was transferred to Hutt Workshops for an overhaul in 2011. Around the same time, DC 4070 and two classmates took TR 914 (another Hillside TR) up to Eltham to cover for 908. TR 914 was still in Eltham when I visited the town in October 2016.

Amazingly, TR 908 is still in service with KiwiRail at the time of uploading. I can't say exactly when she received a KiwiRail repaint, because I can't find out the date. What I do know is that she is currently the shunter at a place called Takapau, which is on the line from Palmerston North to Napier.

(And now for some information behind the real DSG 3264, the engine who's number is displayed on this re-skin):

DSG 3264 was built by Toshiba of Japan in 1983, entering service in September of that year. She was the 22nd engine in her 24-strong class to be built, with the last two being 3277 and 3304. As with the rest of her class, the first livery 3264 carried was the now-classic International Orange. Curiously the DSG's never carried pre-TMS road numbers (e.g. DH 905 became DH 2868), as the entire class entered service after the introduction of the Traffic Monitoring System.

The DSG's were designed for - and are still used on - light/heavy shunting duties as well as short trip workings on the mainline. They can be found in both the North and South Islands of New Zealand. In the case of 3264, she has spent the majority of her life allocated to Ahuriri depot in Napier.

3264 was only 16 years old when - in 1997 - she got her first repaint. Her new livery was Tranz Rail blue, and around the same time of the repaint she was fitted with shunter's refuges. These are big steps/frame extensions at both ends of the locomotive, and they allow the driver to stand outside the cab but still drive the locomotive with a remote control. At least four shunter classes have received shunter's refuges - the DH, DSC, DSG and DSJ.

The locomotive remained in Tranz Rail blue into the 21st century, and even through the short-lived Toll Rail era. In fact, DSG 3046 was the only member of her class to ever receive the Toll Rail livery. 3264 remained in her now 'work-stained' and tatty TR blue for a few more years after KiwiRail launched in July 2008.

It wasn't until February 2012 when DSG 3264 was repainted in the KiwiRail livery, and returned to Hawkes Bay. More recently - in January of 2016 and 2017 - I was able to see 3264 in Napier, once again running the shunt down to Hastings.

Today DSG 3264 is still in operation after a service life of 37 years. As far as I know, she is still based in Napier. But the last time I was there - in February 2019 - 3277 was hauling the Hastings to Napier shunt in place of 3264.