The Lumsden Heritage Trust has brought a historic steam locomotive back to Southland, where it will be installed in the Trust’s heritage rail display. 

The D Class locomotive, named D6, dates from the 19th century.

It arrived at Bulleid Engineering in Winton on Saturday, where it will be restored before being taken to Lumsden.

Lumsden Heritage Trust chair John Titter (left) and trustee Rob Scott with the 1880 D Class locomotive D6 at Winton. Photo: Southland District Council

Trust chair John Titter says the locomotive is significant because there are very few left in New Zealand.

“According to the New Zealand Rolling Stock Register there are only seven other Class D locomotives left in New Zealand, of which only two have been restored to running order,” 

The locomotive was built in 1880 by Neilson & Co, in Glasgow, and was in service with New Zealand Railways until 1917, running for much of its time on Southland tracks.

After going into private service for another 48 years it was acquired in 1965 by Ocean Beach Railway, a working heritage railway museum operating in Dunedin. The locomotive has been stored there ever since.

The Lumsden Heritage Trust has come to an arrangement with Ocean Beach Railway to take responsibility for the locomotive and has applied for funding to restore it to its former glory.

The D6 restoration and preservation project continues an eventful two years for the Lumsden Heritage Trust, which oversaw the recovery of two locomotives and their coal tenders from the mud at Mararoa Junction near Lumsden in early 2020 and an A Class passenger car A199 from a farm at Wairio later that same year.