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34-536: Otahuhu Railway Workshops were a major rolling stock construction, maintenance and repair facility operated by the New Zealand Railways Department (NZR), in the south Auckland suburb of Ōtāhuhu in New Zealand 's North Island. The workshops were opened in 1928 and were closed in 1992 as part of a rationalisation of workshop facilities throughout the country. Otahuhu Workshops were built following

68-522: A Car and Wagon Shop, Otahuhu did some repair and maintenance work on steam and diesel locomotives and railcars. NZR called for tenders for "new Car and Wagon Shops at Otahuhu near Auckland" on 30 September 1926, following the Fay-Raven report on New Zealand's railways of 1925. By 1928, the new facility was completed, and some men from the Newmarket Workshops were tasked with installing new equipment at

102-451: A large and powerful type of locomotive. It decided to develop a conventional rather than articulated locomotive, to avoid a repeat of the G class failure. Initially conceived as a 4-8-2 locomotive, the K class was to be at least 50% more powerful than the A class , and due to New Zealand's narrow gauge track and limited loading gauge , the power had to be very carefully compressed into an area smaller than would usually be used for such

136-400: A locomotive. Constructed at Hutt Workshops , the class utilised plate frames, partial mechanical lubrication, Franklin butterfly Firehole doors, and roller bearings on all but the trailing bogie . The class had a distinctive appearance when first outshopped, with a pressed smokebox front and the headlight jutting out forward of the top of the smokebox. This latter feature was soon changed at

170-623: A report that highlighted the inadequacies of the Newmarket Workshops , the central Auckland facility that the Otahuhu Workshops replaced. Originally it was proposed that Otahuhu would carry out locomotive work and Wellington's Hutt Workshops would be the Car and Wagon Workshop. This was reversed when it was found that the land on which Otahuhu was to be built was not suitable for the heavy machinery required for locomotive work. Though officially

204-505: The Mainline Steam Heritage Trust purchased K 911, the most complete of the hulks, while Steam Incorporated purchased K 917, paired with the tender from K 928, as a potential spare boiler for K 945. No buyer was found for K 921, which had been paired with the tender from K 939, and it was later scrapped although the tender and inner firebox, and other parts, including driving wheels, were acquired by Steam Incorporated. It

238-590: The Silver Star carriages were tested and commissioned in the Diesel Shop, as were the Silver Fern railcars the following year. Several cars for the new Southerner service were overhauled at Otahuhu in 1970. In its later years, Otahuhu carried produced more specialist wagons, including for containers (UK class container wagons) and coal hopper wagons (CA class), as well as many other variants. The Railways Department

272-427: The D class electric coaches from Wellington were overhauled there. Other new buildings at the site included a Diesel Shop in 1962 and a new woodmill to replace the old one that was destroyed in a major fire on 31 May 1955. The machines installed in the new Woodmill were more modern than those available in the old building, resulting in much-improved output. Production of carriage stock began soon after opening in 1929,

306-472: The K class, and some locomotives had the Westinghouse cross-compound pump added in place of the original twin single-stage pumps. In 1954, mainline dieselisation began and progressively displaced the K class, especially as the D class locomotives introduced from 1955. Some of the class were rebuilt with new frames in 1955-57 but most of the class were in storage by 1961 and the decision was made that year

340-412: The class would receive no more A-grade overhauls, other than K 911. The withdrawal of the class began in 1964, and all members exited service by 1967. Three of the class were retained by Hutt Workshops for use as stationary boilers, replacing three Garratt boilers from the G class. These three heavily stripped members of the class lasted in such use service until 1988 when they were auctioned off. K 900

374-630: The closure of both the Addington Workshops in Christchurch and the Otahuhu Workshops. Employees at Otahuhu were informed that the workshops were to close on 30 June 1992. A team of up to 22 employees was kept on for a further six months to decommission the facility. Machines that could be sold were stored in the Structural Shop pending sale by auction. At the time the workshops site was believed to be destined to become an industrial park. Most of

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408-595: The east were the Structural Shop, Trimming Shop, Car Shops No. 1 and 2, and the Woodmill. Increasing demands for rolling stock and new requirements necessitated the extension or modification of the Structural Shop and the Machine Shop, and the installation of an Electroplating Shop and Battery Shop in the Trimming Shop. Other buildings included an administration block, schoolroom and canteen. The workshops played their part in

442-553: The failure of the G class Garratt locomotives . The class should not be confused with the much earlier K class of 1877-78, the first American-built engines to arrive in New Zealand. The three G class locomotives were introduced by NZR in response to increased tonnages, especially on the mountainous, demanding North Island Main Trunk Railway . However, various faults led to their swift withdrawal from service and NZR still needed

476-729: The first of which were 10 50 foot "Aa" class suburban carriages. Another batch of 50 ft (15 m) carriages was completed for the new Rotorua Limited Express service, including two observation cars. A large number of 50 ft (15 m) cars were built prior to the introduction of NZR 56-foot carriages built between 1937 and 1945. Otahuhu built 207 carriages, 75 guards vans, 3 steam vans, 3 postal vans, and many wagons. Some of Wellington's fleet of D class electric multiple unit carriages were overhauled there. Other work included light maintenance on steam locomotives, with particularly busy periods being 1929–1930 when 37 locomotives received overhauls and boiler repairs, and 1947–1949 when Otahuhu

510-539: The insistence of one of the Railway’s Board of Management – instead, it was sunken flush into the smokebox, which required some modification and changed the aesthetic look of the class quite markedly. K 919 was given an ACFI feedwater heater system as a trial, a feature that was continued on the subsequent K and K classes. Upon entering service the class were used on heavy freight and express passenger trains. The K class were best known for spectacular running on

544-409: The manufacture or repair of manufactured goods . Workshops were the only places of production until the advent of industrialization and the development of larger factories . In the 20th and 21st century, many Western homes contained a workshop in either the garage, basement, or an external shed . Home workshops typically contain a workbench, hand tools, power tools, and other hardware. Along with

578-589: The military for the production of war supplies and equipment. Work undertaken during the war included the production of slat beds for the Army, small-arms ammunition machines for the Colonial Ammunition Company, dual flying yokes for Air Force craft, and tugboat hulls for the United States Navy . One special job was the conversion of six 56 ft (17 m) second-class carriages into ambulance cars, for

612-571: The mountainous parts of the North Island Main Trunk in the central North Island and on the Marton - New Plymouth Line around Wanganui . In particular, they took over from the X class locomotives which had been used particularly on the Raurimu Spiral . While generally reliable, trouble at first was encountered with the long-travel Walschaerts valve gear , and with the plate frames. While

646-461: The open but later under a shelter roof. Physically, K 900 retains its original boiler, tender and plate frame, the latter showing evidence of extensive welding repairs due to the weak nature of the original construction. It appears much as it was when withdrawn, with the recessed K-style headlight, but with a K style funnel and a cross-compound pump with twin air reservoirs mounted under the front compressor shields. Sometime between 2014 and 2018 K 900

680-427: The practical application of repairing goods, workshops are often used to tinker and make prototypes . Some workshops focus exclusively on automotive repair or restoration although there are a variety of workshops in existence today. Woodworking, metalworking, electronics, and other types of electronic prototyping workshops are among the most common. In some repair industries, such as locomotives and aircraft ,

714-450: The repair operations have specialized workshops called back shops or railway workshops . Most repairs are carried out in small workshops, except where an industrial service is needed. NZR K class (1932) The NZR K class of 1932 was a class of mixed traffic 4-8-4 steam locomotives built by the New Zealand Railways Department (NZR) that operated on New Zealand 's railway network. The locomotives were developed following

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748-574: The restoration of D 1405 following a major accident. Minor repair work on D class locomotives was done by the Machine Fitting Group. The ability of Otahuhu to handle diesel-electric locomotive and railcar repair work was much improved in 1962 with the opening of a new Diesel Shop. Prior to entering service, many D, D , DH , and D class locomotives first made a visit to Otahuhu for preparation. 88-seater "Fiat" railcars were also maintained, repaired and overhauled in this new facility. In 1971,

782-510: The site. The workshops officially opened for business following the Christmas holiday period of 1928–1929, at which time the Newmarket Workshops closed. Though the buildings for the new facility were all on the same site, there was a Midway that separated two groups of buildings. On the western side of the yard were the Wagon Shops, Machine Shop, Blacksmiths Shop, Reclaim, Powerhouse and Stores. To

816-454: The transport of wounded soldiers. A programme for the construction of 60-foot (18 m) carriages intended for North Island Main Trunk service prompted the construction of a new workshop building about 1940, known as Car No. 1 Extension. Though the programme was cancelled after much of the material needed for their construction had been imported, the infrastructure proved useful in the 1950s when

850-403: The valve gear problems were largely solved by reducing travel from the original 8 inches to 7 + 1 ⁄ 4 inches, the plate frames continued to crack especially in the region of the firebox . While many repairs were undertaken to fix the frames, this problem was only solved by replacing the frame with the new design constructed for the K and K classes. This was only done as the replacement

884-659: The war effort. Prior to New Zealand's involvement in World War II there was a building known as the Air Force building. It was intended to be used to train apprentices in aircraft maintenance, but the Royal New Zealand Air Force occupied the building for the duration of the war. The war saw many workshop staff seconded to places such as the Devonport Naval Base and local engineering firms that were contracted to

918-469: The workshops buildings were knocked down by 1997. Over half of the original workshops buildings have been demolished since the facility closed. Part of the site is now used as a container storage yard. Workshop Beginning with the Industrial Revolution era, a workshop may be a room , rooms or building which provides both the area and tools (or machinery ) that may be required for

952-501: Was announced in 2013 that K 911 will be the next major restoration project at Mainline Steam's Wellington depot at Plimmerton . K 911 retained its cylinders and was noted shortly after purchase in 1998 at their temporary Gracefield depot as having been stripped down for an overhaul. This was put on hold prior to the move to Plimmerton, at which point the boiler was lowered back onto the overhauled frames for storage. Some of its parts were borrowed for use on K 942 , then under restoration at

986-493: Was called on for the urgent conversion of 19 K and K class locomotives to oil burning. Locomotive work was also carried out in 1931, 1933, 1942, 1945 and 1946. With the onset of the diesel age, Otahuhu became involved in the maintenance of diesel locomotives. This started with the small T class shunting tractors in the early 1940s, with the work being carried out in Car Shop No. 2. As the use of diesel locomotives increased it

1020-458: Was donated to MOTAT , and prior to being delivered to the MOTAT site, it was put on display outside Sims Pacific Metals until 1975 when it was replaced by D 1301. It was then transported to the main MOTAT site and placed at the rail pavilion in the company of A 832, F 180 Meg Merrilies , J 1236, W 491, and diesel-electric locomotive D 1400. It has remained on display at MOTAT since then, initially in

1054-577: Was necessary to provide dedicated facilities, with the Steel Wagon Shop being converted for this purpose. In 1958, Otahuhu received the first of its Fiat twin-set railcars for an overhaul, and in 1962 RM 125 was repaired at the workshops following a level crossing accident in Tauranga . Other diesel work conducted at the Steel Shop included the readiness for service of 12 D class locomotives in 1961, and

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1088-497: Was relocated to the workshop at the Western Springs Railway, and is currently undergoing preservation work. There have been plans to restore K 900 to working order but so far none have come to be. NZR converted three locomotives - 911, 917, and 921 - in 1967 for use as stationary boilers at Hutt Workshops . They continued in this use until 1988 when the boiler house was removed and the hulks were auctioned off. Ian Welch of

1122-706: Was replaced by the New Zealand Railways Corporation in 1982. In an effort to alleviate its financial problems the Corporation underwent a major restructuring program, which included a review of all its workshops in the 1990s. It was decided to focus the rail engineering resources at two sites: in the North Island at Hutt Workshops , and in the South Island at Hillside Engineering in Dunedin . This resulted in

1156-466: Was required; as a result not all of the class received the new frames. After the Second World War , a coal shortage occurred and NZR converted a large number of locomotives to oil burning. The K class were a prime candidate due to the large size of the grate. The conversion process was concurrent with that of the K class. As time went on members of the K class gained improvements and additions from

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