New Zealand DC class locomotive

New Zealand DC class
DC 4254 in service for ARTA (now Auckland Transport) at Papakura in 2006.
Type and origin Power type Diesel-electric Builder General Motors Canada (original builder) Clyde Engineering, Australia (re-builder, 80 units) NZR Hutt Workshops, Lower Hutt, New Zealand (re-builder, 5 units) Build date 1961 – 1967 (as DA class) 1978 – 1981 (rebuilt as DC class)
Specifications Configuration: ​  • UIC A1A-A1A Gauge 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) Wheel diameter 1.25 metres (4 ft 1 in) Length 14.10 metres (46 ft 3 in) Width 2.72 metres (8 ft 11 in) Height 3.76 metres (12 ft 4 in) Adhesive weight 60.0 tonnes (59.1 long tons; 66.1 short tons) Loco weight 82.0 tonnes (80.7 long tons; 90.4 short tons) Fuel type Diesel Prime mover EMD 12-645C or EMD 12-645E RPM range 900 rpm Engine type V12 Diesel engine Aspiration Normally aspirated (Roots blower) Cylinders 12 Cylinder size ? x ?
Performance figures Maximum speed 100 km/h (62 mph) Power output 1,062 kW (1,424 hp) (645C) 1,230 kW (1,650 hp) (645E) Tractive effort 140 kN (31,000 lbf)
Career Number in class 85 Numbers DC 4006 – 4951 (TMS) DC 1551 – 1599 (original) First run 1978 Disposition 33 in service 38 withdrawn 14 scrapped including 1 sold to TasRail

The New Zealand DC class is a class of diesel-electric mainline locomotive on the New Zealand rail network, operated by KiwiRail primarily on freight trains, but also on long-distance KiwiRail Scenic passenger trains. The class was rebuilt from the DA class in the late 1970s and early 1980s, mainly in Australia. After the DA class they were the most numerous class of diesel locomotive on New Zealand's railway network, and remained numerically dominant until the mid-2010s when withdrawals began.

History

The TranzAlpine, hauled by two DC class locomotives skirting the Waimakariri River

DCs 4876 and 4726 approaching Waipara with a freight train in April 2016.

The locomotives started life as D^A class, built by General Motors Canada between 1955 and 1967. Between 1978 and 1983, 85 of the later-build D^As were rebuilt as EMD model G22AR, designated as the DC class, with upgraded engines, new cabs and low short hoods of a style similar to the DX class introduced earlier in the 1970s and the DF class being introduced at the time. Five were rebuilt at the Hutt Workshops near Wellington and the other 80 at Clyde Engineering in Australia.

Technical details

Each locomotive has a General Motors 12-645C or 12-645E V12 diesel engine (the same as originally fitted to the DF class) and four traction motors, with an authorised maximum speed of 100 km/h. They are 14 metres long, has a height of 3756 mm (12 ft 4in) and weighs 82 tonnes. They can be readily identified as they are considerably shorter than the DF and DX classes and have their paired headlights arranged horizontally, rather than vertically on the DFs.

The five 49-series Hutt-built DCs originally retained the 12-567 engine, before later receiving the 12-645.

In service

History

The class was initially employed in the North Island, mainly on freight trains but also hauling either carriage trains or depowered 88-seater railcars.

Changes came during the 1980s; the deregulation of land transport saw rail freight volumes decline and the opening of the NIMT electrification saw the locomotive fleet reallocated. These factors saw the withdrawal between 1985 and 1989 of the DJ class and remaining DA class, with the DC class also seeing regular service in the lower South Island as a result.

Auckland Transport service

For several years the class were employed on suburban carriage trains in Auckland. Since 2003 the operation has been run under a service contract by Transdev Auckland and its predecessors, through firstly the former Auckland Regional Transport Authority (ARTA) and now through the Auckland Council subsidiary Auckland Transport.

Until July 2015 up to 20 DC/DCP locomotives – along with three DFB/T units – were leased to Auckland Transport, operating in push-pull mode with Auckland Transport's ex-BR Mark 2 SA/SD cars. Originally the DC units were configured with a set of 3 SA cars and a SD driving car, but with an increase in rail patronage some longer trains were provided on the Southern and Eastern lines with the addition of a fourth SA car. 17 DC locomotives were painted in MAXX blue livery, with four other units that saw regular service with AT – DC 4104, DC 4260, DC 4346 and DCP 4818 – in KiwiRail livery, along with DC 4594 which was Toll-livered at the time. All locomotives in service with Auckland Transport were fitted with controls for the carriage doors, and later received Electronic Train Protection (ETP) equipment. One of the MAXX painted locomotives, DC 4732, was heavily damaged when it derailed at Westfield as an empty service on 2 March 2014.

Following the availability of sufficient numbers of the AM class EMUs to operate the Auckland network the majority of the diesel locomotives have been returned to KiwiRail, with a number of them being stored at Hutt Workshops.

Current

The class continues to be a major workhorse, operating either as single units or in multiple with other DC units or locomotives from the DBR, DFT, DX or the new DL classes.

The class is occasionally used on KiwiRail Scenics South Island Coastal Pacific, and was used on the North Islands Northern Explorer until being replaced by a DFB/T, DXB or occasionally a DXC unit and on the South Islands on the TranzAlpine until being replaced by two DXC units. A pair of units are also occasionally employed to haul the Capital Connection service.

The Northern Explorer's predecessor, the Overlander, was usually hauled on the northern and southern sections of the North Island Main Trunk by a DC locomotive, and was often used across the central section as well if an EF locomotive was unavailable.

Tranz Metro

The DC class previously hauled Wairarapa Connection services between Masterton and Wellington. The locomotives were allocated on a daily basis, rather than being permanently assigned as is the case in Auckland. In July 2015, the DFB class replaced the DC class hauling the service.

Numbering

Initially the class was numbered sequentially from D^C 1551 (the D^A class having ended at 1545, the D^F class started at 1651). In 1980 the computerised Traffic Management System (TMS) was introduced and the class was renumbered with a four-digit number commencing with '4', with the last digit a check number. The 49 Clyde-built units were renumbered in sequence with D^C 1551 becoming DC 4006 and D^C 1599 becoming DC 4536, though only the first 31 (up to D^C 1581) had entered service by that time. The remaining Clyde builds received TMS numbers through to 4876 as they entered the rebuilding, while D^C 1582–1589 entered service with their original 15xx series numbers on the headlight number boards and the later 40xx TMS numbers on the long hood.

Initially the Hutt-built units retained their DA-sequence TMS numbers, as the Railways considered them to be DA locomotives as they retained the 12-567 engine. Eventually this decision was changed and they became DC 4916-DC 4951, with 4882 and 4899 not used to keep them in a separate number sub-series.

Livery

The class were delivered in the International Orange or "Fruit Salad" livery – orange/red, grey, and yellow with large white numbers on the long hood – which was the standard livery for NZ Railways until the late 1980s. The class has since collectively worn almost every other single livery introduced since then, although some examples still wear the original Fruit Salad livery in service today. Liveries worn by the class are:

• International Orange (Fruit Salad) - The livery as introduced. DC 4409 is notable as having received a large touch-up of its paint job in this scheme in 2012.
• Flying Tomato - A variation of Fruit Salad, where orange was substituted for the grey. Some locomotives which received this paint scheme were later painted back in Fruit Salad. No DCs still wear this livery.
• NZ Rail Blue - The DC class were the first to debut this livery in 1991, with the orange replaced by a mid-blue and either "NZ Rail" or "New Zealand Rail" on the long hood with numbers painted on the cab sides. Later in the Tranz Rail era, some locomotives received Cato Blue sticker patches over the long hood lettering with the Tranz Rail logo attached.
• Cato Blue - A variation of NZ Rail Blue upon the launch of "Tranz Rail" in late 1995, where a sky-blue colour (Cato Blue) replaced the mid-blue and the Tranz Rail "winged" logo was placed on the long hood. Later the rights to Cato Blue were sold to Tranz Scenic 2001, and a number of their DCPs received repaints in the livery but with the Tranz Scenic logo in place of the Tranz Rail logo.
• Bumble Bee - DC 4323 was the first locomotive to wear this livery, which consisted of the long hood being black, with the hood end, short hood and cab painted yellow. The first two DCs wore the Tranz Rail winged logo on the long hood Later locomotives instead had block "TR" letters in yellow on the long hood.
• MAXX Blue - A variation of Bumble Bee with dark blue on the long hood (with MAXX logo displayed), although with black long hood top and without the extended yellow rear area on the long hood. DC 4444 had a variation where large numerals similar to the Fruit Salad livery were displayed on the long hood in the place of the MAXX logo, and nothing on the cab sides. The livery was for locomotives leased to ARTA to operate suburban services in Auckland.
• Toll Green (Corncob) - A variation of Bumble Bee where Toll Green was substituted for the black, a lemon yellow replaced the former yellow colour used and the Toll Logo displayed on the long hood in addition to Toll logos on each end of the loco with three green whisker stripes. Later after Toll sold their stake in the railways in 2008, KiwiRail patch stickers were placed over the Toll logos.
• KiwiRail Phase 1 (KiwiFruit) - The first introduced KiwiRail livery, with DC 4260 being the only example to receive it.
• KiwiRail Phase 2 (KiwiRail Bold) - The revised livery, which is now the most common livery on the class.

In addition, DC 4093 wore a special one-off "Kiwi Lager" livery to go with the Kiwi Lager Ski train, and DC 4346 was one of two locomotives to wear a brown with yellow ends "Tasman Forestry" livery.

DCP subclass

The DCP sub-class was established in 2002 to differentiate locomotives owned by Tranz Scenic 2001 Ltd from those owned by Tranz Rail Ltd. The DCP classification was retained on these locomotives after the purchase of Tranz Scenic 2001 by Toll NZ, and continues to be used by KiwiRail. Further units since received the classification, though it then referred to those DC locomotives that were fitted with bogie retention wire ropes to stop the bogies falling off in derailments, rather than locomotives dedicated to passenger workings. The practice of reclassifying has now been abandoned by KiwiRail, though most DCs, including all those used on Auckland commuter services, have received the bogie ropes.

Upgrades

DC Micro

In May, 1988, trials were carried out using GE's BrightStar control system on DC 4588 and DC 4939, which were unsuccessful. In November 1988, DC 4588 was fitted with the locally developed DC Micro wheelslip system, similar to the system then used on Massey Ferguson tractors. The system substantially enhanced traction on the bogies, maximising traction potential. DC 4939 followed in December 1988 and was also a success. Over the next 10 years, 64 DC locomotives had DC Micro fitted.

Locolog and Tranzlog

Locolog was an event recorder system similar to a black box on aircraft. It was trialed successfully in 1986 on DC 4070 and DC 4778 before being fitted to all other main-line locomotives. It has since been supplanted by the locally produced Tranzlog system, with both systems having provided significant material to assist in accident investigations.

Fire suppression

In 2014, six of the class were fitted with fire suppression to run passenger services through the 8.8-kilometre (5.5 mi) Rimutaka Tunnel on the Wairarapa Line due to a change in requirements resulting from the Commission of Inquiry in the Pike River Mine disaster. This is being removed from these locomotives in mid-2015 and being reinstalled into DFB class locomotives which are taking over the haulage of these services.

Withdrawals

As of November 2016, 52 units have been withdrawn from service. Ten units were withdrawn as a result of accidents, while a further 38 units were withdrawn on account of being surplus to requirements or poor mechanical condition. One unit, DC 4496, was taken out of service for an experimental rebuild that was later cancelled.

39 of the withdrawn units are in outside storage, with the remainder scrapped. The final withdrawn locomotive, DC 4588, was shipped to Tasmania (along with QR class locomotives) in December 1998 for use on TasRail, then part-owned by Tranz Rail and its parent Wisconsin Central through the Australian Transport Network. The locomotive was purchased outright by TasRail after an initial period used lease, but was placed into storage in October 2002 after suffering an engine problem. In 2005 rebuilding commenced for reinstatement, but the rebuild fell threw and the loco was sold for scrap in 2011 at East Tamar Workshops.

Future

In February 2015 KiwiRail issued a Request for Quotation (RFQ) via the Government Electronic Tendering Service (GETS). The RFQ requests pricing for the disposal of a tranche of DC class locomotives, with further tranches of locomotives being released from the fleet over the next two years.

In July 2015 KiwiRail confirmed it had reached agreement with Progress Rail for the disposal of 12 DC locomotives - DCs 4029, 4070, 4133, 4225, 4231, 4352, 4398, 4507, 4542, 4640, 4732, and 4784 - with usable parts likely to be salvaged and the hulks scrapped.

Class register

TMS number	Original number	Rebuilt from (DA)	Introduced	Withdrawn	Current livery	Allocated	Notes
DC 4006	Dc 1551	Da 1525	March 1978	August 1999			Withdrawn and scrapped after accident at Westmere (north of Wanganui). Scrapped at Hutt Workshops in March 2003.
DC 4012	Dc 1552	Da 1532	March 1978		KiwiRail	South Island	Appeared in Railfreight television commercial as DC 1552
DC 4029	DC 1553	DA 1533	April 1978	February 2014	International Orange		Stored at Hutt Workshops.
DC 4035	DC 1554	DA 1501	April 1978	July 2015	MAXX Blue		Named Jo. Stored at Hutt Workshops.
DC 4041	DC 1555	DA 1507	May 1978		KiwiRail	North Island
DC 4058	DC 1556	DA 1504	July 1978		KiwiRail	North Island
DC 4064	DC 1557	DA 1512	July 1978	October 2014	International Orange		Stored at Hutt Workshops.
DC 4070	DC 1558	DA 1514	August 1978	August 2014	International Orange		Stored at Hutt Workshops.
DC 4087	DC 1559	DA 1515	August 1978	July 1992			Derailed at Ngaruawahia in June 1992. Scrapped at Hutt Workshops in March 2003.
DC 4093	DC 1560	DA 1523	September 1978	July 2015	MAXX Blue		Former KiwiLager livery 1987 – 1992. Stored at Hutt Workshops.
DC 4104	DC 1561	DA 1520	October 1978	March 2016	KiwiRail		Second DC to receive KiwiRail livery. First to receive Phase 2. Stored at Hutt Workshops.
DC 4110	DC 1562	DA 1509	September 1978	April 2015	Tranz Rail Blue		Stored at Hutt Workshops.
DC 4127	DC 1563	DA 1521	December 1978	November 1999			Scrapped at Hutt Workshops in February 2008.
DC 4133	DC 1564	DA 1519	October 1978	June 2014	International Orange		Stored at Hutt Workshops.
DC 4156	DC 1565	DA 1513	October 1978		KiwiRail	North Island
DC 4162	DC 1566	DA 1478	November 1978	May 2001			Scrapped at Hutt Workshops in February 2008.
DC 4179	DC 1567	DA 1511	December 1978	March 2003			Scrapped at Hutt Workshops in March 2003.
DC 4185	DC 1568	DA 1500	December 1978	June 2016	Tranz Rail Black ("Bumble-Bee")		Stored at Hutt Workshops.
DC 4191	DC 1569	DA 1508	December 1978	May 2016	KiwiRail		Stored at Hutt Workshops.
DC 4202	DC 1570	DA 1535	April 1979	November 1999			Written off after head-on collision at Waipahi, Otago on 20 October 1999. Withdrawn, November 1999. Scrapped on site a few days later.
DC 4219	DC 1571	DA 1527	February 1979	April 2016	Tranz Rail Blue		Stored at Hutt Workshops.
DC 4225	DC 1572	DA 1506	February 1979	May 2014	International Orange		Stored at Hutt Workshops.
DC 4231	DC 1573	DA 1529	April 1979	February 2014	Tranz Rail Blue		Nicknamed Chop Suey. Stored at Hutt Workshops.
DC 4248	DC 1574	DA 1502	March 1979	November 2015	MAXX Blue		Stored at Hutt Workshops.
DC 4254	DC 1575	DA 1455	February 1979	October 2016	MAXX Blue		Named Elena. Stored at Hutt Workshops.
DC 4260	DC 1576	DA 1531	May 1979		KiwiRail Phase 1		First DC to receive KiwiRail livery. Only DC to receive Phase 1.
DCP 4277	DC 1577	DA 1483	May 1979	May 2015	International Orange		Stored at Hutt Workshops.
DC 4283	DC 1578	DA 1493	May 1979	December 2014	Tranz Rail Blue		Stored at Hutt Workshops.
DC 4300	DC 1579	DA 1518	June 1979	September 2016	Tranz Rail Black ("Bumble-Bee")		Stored at Hutt Workshops.
DC 4317	DC 1580	DA 1470	July 1979	August 2015	Tranz Rail Black ("Bumble-Bee")		Stored at Hutt Workshops.
DC 4323	DC 1581	DA 1490	May 1979		KiwiRail	North Island	First DC to receive Black ("Bumble-Bee") livery.
DC 4346	DC 1582	DA 1536	September 1979		KiwiRail	South Island	Tasman Forestry livery 1991 – 1994.
DC 4352	DC 1583	DA 1528	August 1979	June 2014	Tranz Rail Blue		Stored at Hutt Workshops.
DC 4369	DC 1584	DA 1510	October 1979	July 2015	MAXX Blue		Stored at Hutt Workshops.
DC 4375	DC 1585	DA 1540	September 1979	July 2015	MAXX Blue		Named Catherine. Stored at Hutt Workshops.
DC 4381	DC 1586	DA 1544	August 1979	April 2015	MAXX Blue		Named The Fat Girl. Stored in Westfield.
DC 4398	DC 1587	DA 1542	October 1979	July 2014	Tranz Rail Black ("Bumble-Bee")		Stored at Hutt Workshops as a source of parts.
DC 4409	DC 1588	DA 1543	September 1979		International Orange	South Island
DC 4415	DC 1589	DA 1530	September 1979	July 2015	MAXX Blue		Named Gwendoline. Stored at Hutt Workshops.
DC 4421	DC 1590	DA 1441	October 1979		Tranz Rail Black ("Bumble-Bee")	South Island	Has a KiwiRail sticker on the nose and tail, and a different font for cabside numbers
DC 4438	DC 1591	DA 1503	November 1979	July 2015	Tranz Rail Black ("Bumble-Bee")		Stored at Hillside Workshops.
DC 4444	DC 1592	DA 1526	November 1979		KiwiRail	North Island	Former technology test train, Named Elena T. Repainted in the KiwiRail phase 2 livery from non-standard livery.
DCP 4450	DC 1593	DA 1458	December 1979	October 2015	KiwiRail		Stored at Hutt Workshops.
DC 4467	DC 1594	DA 1541	December 1979		KiwiRail	North Island
DC 4473	DC 1595	DA 1497	March 1980	October 2015	Tranz Rail Black ("Bumble-Bee")		Stored at Hillside Workshops.
DC 4496	DC 1596	DA 1534	March 1980	November 1999			Under-frame was scrapped at Hutt Workshops in April 2007.
DC 4507	DC 1597	DA 1545	April 1980	January 2013	Tranz Rail Blue		Damaged in level crossing accident at Woodville in November 2012. Stored at Hutt Workshops.
DCP 4513	DC 1598	DA 1446	April 1980		KiwiRail	South Island
DC 4536	DC 1599	DA 1505	July 1980	June 2015	MAXX Blue		Stored at Hutt Workshops.
DC 4542		DA 1537	July 1980	October 2013	Tranz Rail Blue		Stored at Hutt Workshops.
DCP 4559		DA 1539	May 1980		KiwiRail	South Island
DC 4565		DA 1464	July 1980		Tranz Rail Black ("Bumble-Bee")	North Island
DC 4571		DA 1522	July 1980		KiwiRail	North Island
DC 4588		DA 1489	August 1980	December 1998			Shipped to Tasmania in December 1998, later sold to TasRail. Scrapped at East Tamar Workshops in 2011.
DC 4594		DA 1538	September 1980		KiwiRail	North Island
DCP 4605		DA 1524	September 1980		KiwiRail	North Island
DCP 4611		DA 1498	September 1980		KiwiRail	North Island
DCP 4628		DA 1491	November 1980		KiwiRail	South Island
DCP 4634		DA 1474	December 1980		KiwiRail	North Island
DC 4640		DA 1466	December 1980	August 2013	Tranz Rail Blue		Stored at Hutt Workshops.
DC 4657		DA 1477	December 1980	July 2002			Scrapped a few days after following heavy damage sustained in fatal derailment at Te Wera in July 2002.
DCP 4663		DA 1488	December 1980		MAXX Blue	North Island
DC 4686		DA 1465	December 1980	January 2002			Scrapped in November 2006 after derailing into the Rangitata River due to a washout on 4 January 2002.
DC 4692		DA 1480	March 1981		KiwiRail	North Island	Named Dora. First locomotive to haul the Northern Explorer Scenic train.
DC 4703		DA 1472	February 1981	March 1992			Withdrawn after derailment at Hornby in March 1992. Scrapped at Hutt Workshops in December 1997.
DC 4726		DA 1494	April 1981		KiwiRail	South Island
DC 4732		DA 1499	March 1981	February 2015	MAXX Blue		Stored at Hutt Workshops following a derailment at Westfield on 2 March 2014.
DC 4749		DA 1495	March 1981	July 2000			Derailed at Edgecumbe on 2 March 1987 by an earthquake. Derailed at Te Maunga in July 2000 due to train control error, resulting in the train entering junction turn at excessive speed. Scrapped at Hutt Workshops in April 2003.
DCP 4755		DA 1496	February 1981		Tranz Rail Blue	South Island
DCP 4761		DA 1469	November 1981		KiwiRail	South Island
DC 4778		DA 1487	November 1982	March 1992			Withdrawn after derailment at Hornby in March 1992. Scrapped at Hutt Workshops in December 1997.
DC 4784		DA 1476	December 1982	June 2014	Tranz Rail Blue		Stored at Hutt Workshops.
DCP 4790		DA 1482	February 1983		KiwiRail	North Island	Named Yogi Bear. Appeared in the Movie Yogi Bear in Fruit Salad Livery.
DCP 4801		DA 1484	March 1983		KiwiRail	South Island
DCP 4818		DA 1481	April 1983	July 2015	KiwiRail		Stored at Hutt Workshops.
DC 4824		DA 1486	June 1983	January 2001			Written-off after level crossing collision while hauling the Southerner 8 January 2001. Scrapped at Hutt Workshops in March 2003.
DCP 4830		DA 1516	July 1983	February 2015	Toll Rail ("Corn Cob")		Withdrawn due to catching fire. Stored at Hutt Workshops.
DC 4847		DA 1475	August 1983		Tranz Rail Black ("Bumble-Bee")	South Island
DC 4853		DA 1485	September 1983		Tranz Rail Black ("Bumble-Bee")	South Island
DC 4876		DA 1492	November 1983		International Orange	South Island
DC 4916		DA 1453	August 1980		MAXX Blue	North Island
DC 4922		DA 1479	December 1980	August 2015	MAXX Blue		Stored at Hutt Workshops.
DC 4939		DA 1457	March 1981		MAXX Blue	North Island
DCP 4945		DA 1456	August 1981	November 2015	MAXX Blue		Stored at Hutt Workshops.
DC 4951		DA 1459	December 1981		MAXX Blue	North Island

In popular culture

• In the 1981 film Goodbye Pork Pie, DC 1582 (later DC 4346) hauls a down (westbound) Midland Line freight train including the box wagon in which Gerry, John, and the yellow Mini were hiding.
• In the penulimate scene of the 1982 film Smash Palace, DC 4202 hauls an up (northbound) North Island Main Trunk freight train, which appears to be about to crash into a Model T Ford containing Al Shaw and policeman Ray Foley, but at the last second the train enters the crossing loop, missing them.
• DC 4790 made two appearances in Yogi Bear: The Movie.

External links

• New Zealand Diesel and Electric Traction – Class DC
• Rail Tasmania information – Class DC
• New Zealand DC Class Locomotives
• NZR Rolling Stock Lists - DC class
• NZR Rolling Stock Lists - DCP class