Our Mainline Fleet
Our Mainline Fleet
J 1211 - Gloria
J1211, built by North British in 1939 (maker’s number 24534), entered service in Auckland hauling express and goods trains across the North Island. Stripped of its streamlining by 1950, it received a near-new boiler in 1957. Transferred to the South Island in 1963, it worked out of Dunedin and later Christchurch until steam-heating vans led to its withdrawal in November 1971.
Saved from scrap by Ian Welch and partners, J1211's delivery to Paekakariki sparked New Zealand's mainline steam preservation movement. After stints at the Glenbrook Vintage Railway and the Bay of Islands Scenic Railway, J1211 returned to Auckland for storage. In 1988, Nigel Welch championed a full restoration to mainline condition for the NZR 125th anniversary. Under Ted Pointon’s supervision, the boiler passed strict Marine Department tests, and the locomotive was completely overhauled. Fitted with new streamlining paneling just a week before the October 1988 Ferrymead 125 event, J1211 triumphantly passed its test run to Rolleston, stunning enthusiasts who never expected to see a streamlined J-class locomotive steam again.
Ka 942 - Nigel Bruce
Completed at Hutt Railway Workshops in November 1940, Ka 942 was one of 35 Ka class 4-8-4 locomotives featuring roller bearings and frame enhancements over the earlier K class. Initially built with thin aesthetic streamlining to conceal its ACFI feedwater equipment, Ka 942 worked the North Island Main Trunk from Taihape. During a November 1948 overhaul, it was converted from coal to oil firing to combat fuel shortages, while its feedwater pumps were replaced with exhaust steam injectors and streamlining removed. Reassigned to Frankton in 1958, the engine covered 944,532 miles before retirement in 1967.
Saved from scrap after planned stationary boiler duty at Hutt was cancelled, Ka 942 was purchased by Ian Welch in 1972 and moved to Paekakariki in 1974. Overhaul efforts progressed slowly and stalled as the locomotive shifted between the Rail-Air shed and Otaki over the next decade. Inspired by J 1211’s 1988 mainline return, Ka 942 was towed north to Auckland and relocated to the Glenbrook Vintage Railway in late 1989. There, Ted Pointon, Grant Hjorth, and their team began an overhaul to mainline condition, setting the stage for its historic South Island tours with Mainline Steam.
Ja 1240 - Jessica
Built at Dunedin’s Hillside Workshops in 1947, Ja1240 was the first of the unstreamlined Ja class locomotives designed for South Island freight and passenger traffic. Rated to haul 1,000-ton freight trains, it operated until a broken crankpin bolt forced its withdrawal in November 1971. In early 1972, Blenheim enthusiast Peter Coleman purchased Ja1240 for $1,300, towed it north, and spent two weeks disassembling the engine to transport it 10 km to his home property for reassembly and long-term preservation.
Following Coleman’s passing, Ian Welch acquired Ja1240 from his estate in 1991, relocating the locomotive to Mainline Steam’s Parnell depot in Auckland. Comprehensive restoration began in 2006 after an initial survey confirmed its boiler shell, underframe, and wheels remained sound.
Although converting Ja1240 to an oil-burner was initially considered, the team ultimately decided to maintain its authentic coal-burning setup.
Led by engineering head Grant Hjorth, shop floor supervisor Lindsay Baker, and dedicated Mainline Steam volunteers, thousands of labor hours were invested to strip, repair, and rebuild Ja1240 to mainline condition, preserving a vital piece of New Zealand railway history.
Jb 1236 - Joanne
Built by North British Locomotive Works in 1939 (maker's number 24559) and delivered to NZ in March 1940, J1236 initially worked the hilly main lines out of Dunedin. As new Ja locos entered service, J1236 shifted to the North Island to serve Taumarunui, Frankton, and Palmerston North. Reassigned south in October 1963, it operated out of Christchurch and Dunedin, hauling the final steam express from Invercargill in November 1971 before withdrawal.
Purchased in 1972 by the Railway Enthusiast Society to assist Ja1250 on the South Pacific Steam Safari, J1236 suffered a burst steam tube. Following repairs and delivery to the Glenbrook Vintage Railway, RES planned to scrap the engine, prompting Mr P. Bulcher to save it for display at MOTAT. Ian Welch acquired J1236 in 1988, moving it to Auckland storage and later to the Parnell Depot.
Restoration began in earnest in 1998, requiring a complete strip-down and extensive component rebuilds. A major decision was converting the locomotive from coal to oil firing, modifying the firebox and tender while custom-building control equipment from scratch, which officially reclassified the locomotive to Jb1236, following NZR historical practice.
Ja 1275 - Julie Ann
Built by the North British Locomotive Company in Glasgow (maker's number 27104), Ja1275 was completed in 1951 and entered service in June 1952. It was one of 16 oil-fired Ja class locomotives imported as stopgaps while New Zealand Railways transitioned to diesel-electric power on the North Island Main Trunk.
Based in Auckland, Ja1275 primarily hauled express trains south to Taumarunui, north to Whangarei, and southeast to Paeroa and Rotorua. As diesel railcars replaced provincial expresses, Ja1275 continued working Main Trunk expresses until dieselization took over in February 1965. Transferred to Frankton in early 1966, it replaced J-class coal burners and worked Bay of Plenty lines until retirement.
Highly regarded in Auckland, Ja1275 was a popular choice for Railway Enthusiasts Society excursions, notably hauling a Tauranga to Kawerau trip in February 1967 and a Frankton to Tauranga trip on 16 December 1967—the final normal-condition steam excursion in the North Island. After its March 1968 withdrawal, it was sold to L.J. Hostick, displayed with the NZRLS Waikato Branch at Te Awamutu, and eventually relocated to Mainline Steam’s Parnell Depot alongside Ba552 and Bb144.
Ab 663 - Sharon Lee
Introduced in 1915, the simple, superheated Ab class "Pacific" locomotive featured a lightweight, economical cylindrical Vanderbilt tender. Built to haul 700–750 tons, Ab class engines handled principal express and freight routes until superseded by K and J class locomotives in the 1930s. Notably, Ab663 was the first Ab to reach Auckland, replacing A class engines on express duties and hauling the Royal Train for the Prince of Wales in 1920. Based at Taumarunui, it conquered the Raurimu Spiral on the Main Trunk before transferring south in 1959. Operating out of Dunedin, Christchurch, and the West Coast, Ab663 was withdrawn in July 1969 and later stripped for parts in Invercargill.
Purchased in 1983 by Ian Welch, Ab663 was moved to Wellington in 1984 and paired with a tender from Ab811. Restoration began at the NZR Hutt Workshops in 1988 and finished at the Silverstream Railway Museum near Upper Hutt in May 1997. The comprehensive rebuild included converting the engine from coal to oil firing. Ab663 returned to mainline service in June 1997 on a Wellington to Taumarunui run, joining J1211 for a “Double Drivers” excursion.
Ba 552
In 1928, Chief Mechanical Engineer C. S. Lynde initiated rebuilding Ba class locomotives with modern, wide-firebox boilers. Raising boiler pressure to 200 psi and tractive effort to 21,200 lb, these modernized Ba engines became formidable freight haulers on Otago branch lines. Distinctive features included squat boiler mountings, a Great Central funnel, and later a tender cab and second sand dome for shunting duties.
Rebuilt in March 1928, Ba552 worked the Otago Central line and Dunedin industrial routes. Refitted in November 1947 with an all-weather cab, rear cowcatcher, and extra sand dome, it served on the West Coast from 1957 to 1961. Following an A-grade overhaul and boiler swap in 1964, Ba552 hauled popular railfan excursions until its withdrawal in June 1969.
Preserved by L. J. Hostick, Ba552 made history in September 1970 as the only Ba class locomotive to operate in the North Island, leading a delivery trip from Palmerston North to Frankton. Later relocated to Auckland alongside Bb144 and Ja1275, Ba552 was restored to mainline excursion service
DJ 1229
Built by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries in Japan between 1968 and 1969, DJ 1229 (TMS 3303) is a 64-tonne Bo-Bo-Bo diesel-electric locomotive originally operated by New Zealand Railways. Featuring a light 10-tonne axle load and powered by a 672 kW Caterpillar D398 engine, it was engineered for secondary routes and branch lines, reaching maximum speeds of up to 97 km/h across the network.
In March 1988, the locomotive was sold to the Ohai Railway Board (ORB) as their No. 3. Repainted in a distinctive yellow livery, it earned the title of New Zealand’s largest industrial locomotive. It later returned to the NZ Railways Corporation before being acquired by Richard Head and the JDC Trust in 1992 for preservation.
Owned by Richard Head and operated by Mainline Steam Heritage Trust, DJ 1229 was restored to mainline-certified standards and remains an active asset on the national rail network. In addition to running local Wellington and Plimmerton passenger shuttles, the locomotive continues to haul premier heritage excursions across the country—most notably leading Mainline Steam’s rare North Island "Viaduct Spectacular" trip up the North Island Main Trunk to Taihape on January 24, 2026.
