Kb’s and The Trans-Alpine Railway
Posted Friday 5th November 2021
Contents
- Overture
- Heading in the Right Direction
- Meeting the Kb’s
- Second Act
- A Great Day Out
- A Rapid Departure
The Kb class steam locos, built specifically for the Trans-Alpine Midland line between Springfield and Arthurs Pass, were the most powerful steam locos on NZR. Their North Island brethren were more numerous and of very similar design, but lacked the booster that lifted the Kb’s a notch or two higher in load hauling capability. As such they owned a special place in the railway.
Overture
Not long ago a new book arrived on my shelves — Alpine Thunder by Jonathan Shingleton, published by NZRLS. It is 272 pages, complete with a multitude of illustrations, that is entirely devoted to just six locomotives — not just any locomotives but the notable Kb class 4-8-4 locomotives. These were built specifically for the Midland line in the South Island (I believe it is called the Mainland locally) between Springfield and Arthurs Pass — a whole 42 miles (68km) of very difficult railway on the eastern side of the Southern Alps.
Sixty five similar 4-8-4’s (K and Ka class) were built for Main Trunk service in the North Island, but the Kb’s were not only the sole representatives of their type in the South Island but were always coal burners and, notably, the only examples of booster equipped locos in the country. The K classes were to NZ what the 500’s were to South Australia. The book is well worth a read.
Arthurs Pass is the summit of the trans-continental line at circa 740 m ASL. Grades of 1 in 50 apply in both directions eastwards to Springfield, but then it is all down hill to the coastal plain at Rolleston. Westbound from Arthurs Pass, the line plunges into the 8·5 km long Otira tunnel which is all on falling 1 in 33 grades toward the west. The lower portal is 250 m lower than at the Arthurs Pass end. West of Otira was a wonderful collection of all the oldest locos in NZ, including classes such A and B that were barely active anywhere else in NZ, or at least in 1963 that was the case.
Heading in the Right Direction
In December 1963 and January 1964, a group of us West Islanders spent an absolutely wonderful four weeks over in NZ. Many and varied were our travels but in this missive, I will stick to our acquaintance with the Kb’s.
We arrived at Lyttleton in inter-islander TEV Maori early on Boxing Day morning 1963. It took just 23 minutes for the shipload of people to transfer to the waiting train (18 cars) standing on the wharf. Shunter Ds 202 dragged the whole kaboodle back into Lyttleton yard, from where electric Ec8 took the lot all stations (I assume in deference to the holiday date) but very slowly to Christchurch. From there we did a day run on a holiday extra to Picton and return on the overnight mixed. Back in Christchurch next morning we visited Linwood loco depot then ran our own extra of a car and van to Lyttleton and back hauled by veteran 0-6-0 1872 vintage saddle tank F163 “Ivanhoe”, including through the mile long Lyttleton tunnel each way.
Elderly F163 and its two total train cross the Heathcote River on the way to Lyttleton.
Behind Lyttleton station there was a cute little loco facility complete with a three stall roundhouse.
Meeting the Kb’s
Forty minutes after arriving back at Christchurch station (for the fourth time in 30 hours) we were aboard our ‘camp train’ consist buried in the middle of a Greymouth freight train with Kb 966 at the head. The trailing load varied around 350 tonnes, nowhere near the full load for this powerful beast — they were allowed 550 tonnes westbound and 600 tonnes eastbound between Springfield and Arthurs Pass.
Kb 966, in all its majesty, shunts our train at Sheffield.
Various shunts and crosses along the way had us into Springfield around 3 hours later, where Kb 967 took over the reins. This practice was based on locos running a train up to Arthurs Pass then turning and coming straight back to Springfield on an eastbound train — thus keeping the Kb’s concentrated in the area they were built for.
In the gathering dusk Kb 967 replaces Kb 966 for the run from Springfield to Arthurs Pass.
The next part of the journey, to us who had never seen it before, was an absolute gob smacker — a multiplicity of tunnels, high viaducts (including the Patterson Ck viaduct which, much later, I was told was named after the Australian consul general for cheese, Sir Les), vertical snow capped mountains and the great braided swathe of the Waimakariri River.
Not the same train, but way below the track near Kowai Bush the braided Waimakariri River can be seen spilling out onto the Plains.
Two hours of slogging up this extraordinary railway saw us arrive into Arthurs Pass where a trio of 1922 vintage electrics, Eo’s 2, 3 and 5, took over, to be replaced only 13 km later at Otira by Ab723 for the onward journey westward.
Second Act
A week and a half of rail adventures in Westland preceded our return to the east. In this case our camp train was the sole loading uphill through the tunnel behind Eo’s 3,6 and 4 so we took advantage and had a photo stop in the middle, four km from the nearest open air (a decidedly unique experience!!).
A decidedly underground photo stop, four km from the nearest portal.
Because the full electric hauled load eastbound was 375 tonnes traffic was accumulated at Arthurs Pass to make up full Kb loads onwards.
Eo 3, 6 and 4 on arrival at Arthurs Pass with all six pantographs up (normally two, but we only had to ask).
In our case no freight loading from Otira grew to over 300 tones (plus the camp train consist) from Arthurs Pass behind Kb 966 again. Included in the consist was a lifeless A 423, possibly on its last journey.
Kb 966 and train, inclusive of a lifeless A 423, ready to depart Arthurs Pass.
Arrival at Springfield was at 22·42, but since our home was the train, it didn’t matter one whit.
A Great Day Out
Next day was Sunday. What do you do on a 1964 Sunday in rural NZ — well you hire a train and have a day trip back up the Arthurs Pass line, although to avoid having to bring a signalman on at the latter we only went to Cora Lynn on the banks of the Waimakariri.
Kb 970 waits patiently in Springfield for the trip of a lifetime to Cora Lynn.
Kb 970 (the last of its breed) did the honours and since it had been an exhibit the NZR centenary only a couple of months earlier was still in rather good condition, even to the extent of retaining its white-wall tyres. Because it was our train, we were able to have numerous photo stops and other wayside distractions.
Our train is dwarfed by the land scape as it winds its way across the Broken River. Something like eight consecutive tunnels are behind the photographer.
This time, in broad daylight, the journey was even more awe inspiring than the earlier evening run, added to which we had possession of the line until late, so we could do as we wished (within reason).
After Cass the railway drops down to run along the river bank for a short section…
…before crossing the now wide glacial Waimakariri River bed on a surprisingly low level bridge.
Some of us were inveigled into joining the Waimakariri Swimming Club much to the amusement (or was it amazement?) of our hosts. The river is glacial and even in early January the water must have been around 0·1 degrees above freezing — but it was too late once you had taken the plunge. I think the idea was you froze solid and drifted back to the bank as hairy icebergs. All good fun, especially for the kiwis.
Our homebound train romps up Cass Bank, past Lake Sarah, almost within sight of St Bernard saddle and the descent to the gorge country.
A total of a bit over five hours of playing around with Kb’s saw us back in Springfield, where we departed the ‘camp train’ tour, but with an unexpected surprise.
A Rapid Departure
We were headed for Rolleston and the Sunday night express to Dunedin. The scheduled train from Springfield (two Fiat articulated sets) was full so we were told to wait for the second (relief) train which, we were told, would connect. Did it ever!!
It turned up as two Vulcan railcars — large single unit vehicles with a three axle power bogie and a two axle trailing bogie. The only problem was it arrived around 23·00 and our connection 48 km away was due out at 23·26. Not promising for us, but this was NZR.
We took off at 23·02 and in short order the speed was up well beyond where it should have been, with continuous average speeds of 110 – 115 km/h between stations (just a blur in passing — we didn’t stop). We reached a maximum of 132 km/h after Aylesbury and topped 120 km/h several times elsewhere — we had worked out how to keep an eye on the speedo in the rear cab. We pulled up at Rolleston, beside the waiting overnighter at just after 23·30 an overall start to stop average speed of 104 km/h. Quite what happened to the nominal 80 km/h limit we were not sure nor did we care. We had made it to the next couple of weeks of tearing around NZ on what was a truly entertaining and competent railway.
But therein lies another story or ten — another time maybe. After all we covered just under 9000 km in the month we had there, so something else worth documenting must have transpired.
