Due to a locomotive shortage due to the planned replacement of AN TasrailsEnglish Electric locomotive fleet, Tranz Rail shipped DC 4588 to Tasmania on a one-year lease. The locomotive left Wellington on 8 December 1998 on the Arktis Dream, and arrived in Bell Bay, Tasmania on 15 December 1998. The locomotives were later sold to Tasrail.[1] Due to the DC being in a non standard nature, low tractive effort and having a small fuel capacity,[2] the loco was restricted to the Bell Bay Line, until Easter 1999 where it has since ventured out on the Western and Melba Lines,[3] while still operating in Tranz Rails Cato Blue livery, but with the "Tranz Rail" lettering replaced with "Tasrail" lettering.[4]
DC 4588 was placed into storage in October 2002 after suffering an engine problem.[5] Rebuilding commenced on the locomotive in 2005 at East Tamar Workshops.[6] The rebuilding included lowering the short-hood, replacing the big front cab window with two smaller ones, and a front cab door on the non-assistants side.[7] By 2008, the rebuilding had stopped and was again placed into long-term storage,[8] until being scrapped in 2011.[9]
