While cleaning up one of the spare rooms I came across a first edition copy of Ken Cassells "The Sanson Tramway" that I'd squirreled away many years previously. Its a nice wee read, not too taxing, quite pleasant in a way....until you reach page 64:
"...the frames of a "Wa" class 2-6-2 tank locomotive lying at Gisborne were purchased from the NZR and on these was mounted a Holt petrol engine from an old tractor. To the motor was fitted a gas producer, as a fuel economy measure, and a drive was taken through a gearbox, made by A. & G. Price Ltd of Thames, on to a pair of six coupled wheels from one of the old Fairlies. Over all was placed a housing of the "steeple-cab" type, fabricated in the County workshops out of welded steel plate."
The author does wonder about including streamlining on a locomotive designed to run on a line with a speed limit of 12mph, and apparently it drank a gallon of petrol every 200 yards! Apparently it was modified and ended its days in Westland, probably on some out of the way log tramway where it couldn't offend the sensibilities of townsfolk.
So there you have it...possibly New Zealand's ugliest locomotive. To me it looks like a beagle...maybe a two headed beagle....It does raise the question "At what point in the design phase did they think this would be stylish?"
3 comments:
Hmmm the Snason Tram... now you've got me started!!!
they also took an ex-NZR 'G' 4-4-0ST and gave it a boxy rectangular water tank to replace the original stylish saddle tank. Maybe parts of the saddle tank ended up on the Holt....
Sanson tram were also the second largest user/owner of single Fairlies, having run at least two, and having around 4 more stored on a backshunt for parts..
Oh and the Holt ended up at HariHari tram on the west coast
They also built another contraption from a Fairlie (?) bogey that looked like a council bulldozer on rails!!!
looks like a baby pennysylvania GG1 loco without the catenary. raymond loewy would be proud. perhaps they were hoping for power to be supplied into the bush, so they could convert it to an electric. it needs stripes!
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