X442's Journey from Ferrymead to Feilding
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X442's Journey from Ferrymead to Feilding |
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X442 was not railed to the Feilding Steam depot, instead X442 was shipped to the North Island from Lyttelton to Wellington. The reason for trucking X442 is because it could not be certified for towing on the Railway system. Trans Car and Pacifica Shipping brought the X from Lyttelton to Feilding.
The X was trucked from Wellington to Feilding on the afternoon of Monday 23rd September 2002. It was hoped to bring the X up in the morning but Land Transport wanted to let the traffic die down. This particular Monday was the first Monday of the School Holidays.
| Ferrymead shunter Tr156 (Bagnall) has just pushed X442 from Ferrymead onto the mainline. DC4876 is waiting clear of the turnout to the left out the picture. Once the Tr has uncoupled and reversed back in Ferrymead, the turnout is changed to allow the DC to couple on and start the slow haul to Lyttelton, Photo by Colin Dash |
| X442 on the Christchurch - Lyttelton Line behind DC4876, on the first leg of the journey from Ferrymead to Feilding. The Ferrymead main line connection is the line on the right of the picture. Photo by Colin Dash |
| Graham Radcliffe snapped this picture while the X was waiting for the ship and truck trailer at Lyttelton. The X had gone through the Lyttelton rail tunnel from Ferrymead by Dc4876. Photo Graham Radcliffe. |
| Transfield staff with the help of the loader at Lyttelton Port Company connect the track to the Transcarr trailer ready for the transfer of X442, Photo by Colin Dash |
| X442 on the Trans car trailer, still connected to the propelling loco and runner wagons. Special track sections were made by Ferrymead Railway and placed on the trailer deck before the loading took place. Photo by Colin Dash |
| All tied down and ready to go! X442 is well secured to the trailer ready for its sea voyage to Wellington, and the final road haul to Feilding. The loading took place in the bulk coal loading area of the Lyttelton Port Company, as there was a suitable stub end siding that could be adapted for the trailer height. Photo by Colin Dash |
| X442 in Wellington after many years. The main truck was unable to get enough grip and another one needed to help. The captain of the ship also helped by raising the height of the ship to try to match that of the dock. Photo by Russell Hinks |
| X442 at the Wellington Wharf just prior to leaving for Feilding on September 23rd 2002. This is railfan Ben Davidge. Photo by Jeff Driver & Ben Davidge |
| The truck easily negotiated the Otaki SH1 runabout due to the steerable trailer, Photo by Russell Hinks |
| Both lanes were closed on the Manawatu Flood bridge because the trailer is so wide. Photo by Russell Hinks |
| Time for Diesel in Foxton. Photo by Russell Hinks |
| This picture clearly shows those stearable wheels on the trailer. Obviously required on such a long trailer. This trailer also has hydraulics to raise and lower the level of the trailer deck. Photo by Russell Hinks |
| The turn from SH1 down to Feilding, notice the extra dolly behind the tractor unit, this dolly is to spread the weight about. Photo by Russell Hinks |
| X442 at last in Feilding, Photo by Russell Hinks |
| The X was unloaded by using a pre constructed ramp. This method went without a hitch. Of note the X was loaded onto the trailer in Lyttelton the same way. The Trailer is an 18 metre, 7 axle, 56 wheel trailer, hauled by a Mercedes Benz heavy haul tractor unit. Photo by Stan Jenkins |
| The X was unloaded by using a specially constructed ramp. Photo by Stan Jenkins |
| The rail Connection to bring the X back onto land. Photo by Stan Jenkins |
| There were plenty of people around to ensure it was unloaded without a hitch. Photo by Stan Jenkins |
| X442 was taken over to the mural for a photo opportunity, to celebrate it's arrival. Photo by Stan Jenkins |
| The X about to be pushed into its shed in the Feilding Yard. |
| X442's markers plate, built in the Addington workshops. Photo by Stan Jenkins |
| X442, happily in Feilding. Photo by Stan Jenkins |
| X442 was stored in the Feilding goods shed for many months, but the owner of the goods shed needs the shed so we have now moved the X into the big shed inside the depot under the watchful eye of Russell Wiseman. May 2003 |
By JOHN MYERS
Two old workmates were reunited at Feilding yesterday when veteran steam giant X442 joined WAB794 for restoration by Feilding & District Steam Rail Society.
Half a century ago the two locomotives worked together on the Southland coalfields.
The country's biggest road transporter delivered the unique old workhorse, last of the powerful, near-100 tonne X Class engines, to the Society's yard at Feilding station late in the afternoon.
Feilding Steam chief Russell Wiseman said the heavyweight freight engine had spent recent decades at the Ferrymead Historic Park in Christchurch. This week it became the biggest single item of cargo ever carried between the islands by the Pacifica line.
X442 is owned by the New Zealand Railway Locomotive Society (NZRLS), owner of WAB794 which is on long-term lease to Feilding Steam.
Mr Wiseman said Feilding Steam had been negotiating for about 12 months to get it for restoration and reunite it with WAB794, which is already restored.
There had been a suggestion that X442 should be displayed at Te Papa.
The NZRLS agreement to send the restoration job to Feilding was based largely on the work already done on WAB794. "They know we do good work, and they know we don't hang around and leave things sitting in sheds for years," Mr Wiseman said.
"They want her ready by 2008."
The tender needed to be extensively rebuilt, he said, but the five-metre-long high-pressure boiler was apparently in good order.
The X Class locomotives were a New Zealand design built at Addington, Christchurch, between 1908 and 1915. Their initial job was to haul traffic over the steeper parts of the central North Island main trunk.
(c) Independent Newspapers Limited 2002, reproduced courtesy of The Evening Standard and www.stuff.co.nz