| 1236 was transferred back to the South Island in October 1963. It worked out
of both Christchurch and Dunedin and worked the last steam-hauled express out
of Invercargill in November 1971, withdrawn from service in the same month. 1236
was purchased by the Railway Enthusiast Society (RES) of Auckland in 1972, to
assist Ja1250 in hauling the South Pacific Steam Safari from Wellington to Auckland.
It was during that trip that 1236 burst a steam tube. The fault was fixed in time
for 1236 to assist 1250 on the delivery trip from Auckland to the Glenbrook Vintage
Railway (GVR). The RES proposed to scrap the loco, prompting Mr P. Bulcher to
purchase it. J1236 was towed to Auckland and transported to the Museum of Transport
and Technology. In 1988 J1236 changed hands again, this time to Ian Welch, and
was transported to the Auckland goods yard for storage.
With the move to the Parnell Depot plans were made to rebuild 1236. Along the
way there were many distractions and it wasn’t until 1998 that a concerted effort
was made on the restoration process. Much work had to be done and the locomotive
was stripped down to the last nut and bolt with many parts having to be completely
re-built. The decision was made to convert 1236 from a coal burner to an oil burner.
This required the firebox and the tender to be modified and all the associated
oil burning control equipment to be built from scratch. This conversion to oil
burning is the reason J1236 became Jb1236, just as the railways changed the classification
when they converted a number of J’s to oil burners.
Jb1236 is currently operates out of our Christchurch Depot.
FURTHER READING
Mainline Steam Trusts Preserved Locomotives - Compiled by Graeme Moffatt
Cavalcade of New Zealand Locomotives - A N Palmer & W W Stewart
Register of New Zealand Railway Steam Locomotives 1863 – 1971 - W G Lloyd
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