Whilst ultimately unsuccessful at preventing the closure of most of the Nelson - Hokitika Line, the New Zealand Furs advocacy group were triumphant in having the railway reequipped with new shunting locomotives, shortly before its closure. The (then) new locomotives incorporated a Diesel engine and were capable of producing enough horsepower to rattle the windows at a grey power meeting. In a cruel twist of irony, the locomotives - which had thanks to NZ Furs policy all been assembled in backyards and garden sheds using exclusively non Asian workers - reverted to being used as garden sheds and chicken coops when the railway ceased to operate. While only having enjoyed a short in service career, these locomotives quickly became notorious with crews for failing to live up to the grandiose - pre delivery - promises of what they would be able to do once they actually arrived. For this reason the locomotives earned the nickname Kingmaker.
Posted on: Thu, 21 Aug 2014 11:29:51 +0000
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