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DA 1969 (Loco
#1)
The
first of the three locomotives was built in 1969, and was used
on the final stages of construction, before entering public
service when the railway opened on November 1st that
year.
It was modelled on the NZ Railways class DA,and powered
by a Vauxhall Victor car engine. Transmission was though a
Vauxhall 3-speed automatic transmission, chain linked to drive
4 of the 6 axles.
Construction
work in 1969.
Photographer
unknown
The DA was at first painted in the then
standard NZR diesel livery of Carnation Red body, with white
body side stripping and a black underframe. When built, a desire to
place the driving controls in the models cab, caused an
unfortunate side effect in that the model ran “long hood
leading” rather then the more correct “cab leading”. The DA
appeared to run backwards for nearly 32
years.
The DA as built, standing at Esplanade Station in 1973. Photo by Ron Parkinson
In the early 1980’s NZR adopted a new
colour scheme, and the DA soon followed her full size sisters
into the “International Orange” based livery. On the prototype, the
locomotive’s number was painted in large white numerals on the
hood side. It was thought the engine would look a bit silly
numbered just 1, so was given 1969, the year the railway
opened.
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In 1993, and now running in
the International Orange livery, the DA arrives at
Esplanade
Station. |
The
DA in October 2008, re-stored to the Carnation Red
colour scheme, and with the cab at the ‘correct’
end. |
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