- NZR DQ class
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DQ / QR class 
DQ 6324 at Palmerston North, New Zealand Power type Diesel-electric Builder Commonwealth Engineering, Rocklea, Queensland, Australia[1][2] Build date 1967 UIC classification Co-Co Wheel diameter 1.250 m Wheelbase 13.550 m between bogies
2.580 m between axles in each bogieLength 16.3 m m Locomotive weight 92 tonnes (91 long tons; 101 short tons) Top speed 80 km/h Power output 1,120 kW (1,500 hp) Tractive effort 1460: 1,065 kW (1,428 hp)
1502: 1,230 kW (1,650 hp)Career Tranz Rail, Toll Rail, KiwiRail, TasRail Number in class 25 (1460: 21 1502: 4)
15 rebuilt as DQ class
7 withdrawn, 3 in service, 15 sold to TasRail (12 DQ / 3 QR).First run 1964 (QR) 1995 (NZ) Disposition 3 in service, 6 withdrawn, 15 sold to TasRail The NZR DQ and QR class locomotives are two classes of mainline diesel-electric locomotives in New Zealand and Tasmania, Australia. Originally Queensland Rail 1460 and 1502 class, they were purchased by New Zealand Rail Limited in 1995 to be rebuilt, as a cheaper alternative to buying new locomotives.
Contents
Introduction
They arrived in New Zealand as the QR classes 1460 and 1502, most of which were then rebuilt by Hutt Workshops into the DQ class. During rebuilding their cabs were modified with the addition of two large windows, nose lowered, a computerised control system installed, upgrading of the engines, fitting of dynamic brakes and the addition of noise insulation. The QR locomotives that were not rebuilt received only minimal alteration before being used as trailing locomotives. All were painted in Tranz Rail's corporate livery of light blue and yellow before being put into service.
Service
They are not favoured by their crews due to complaints of rough riding and excessive cab noise. They are also considered unreliable by senior management (DQ units in Tasmania have a high rate of generator failure), so they are now mainly used for short-haul runs, such as on the final leg of coal trains from the West Coast between Christchurch and the port of Lyttelton and on the Ohai Branch Line to and from Invercargill, hauling containerized coal trains. They are also used as bankers to help trains up the steep grade out of Picton .
As of 2011[update], only three DQ locomotives are in service (all in the South Island); the remaining QR units that were not rebuilt have been sold after lengthy periods of storage at the Hutt Workshops. DQ 6347 was toppled on its side after derailing at Picton in late 2009, it was then sent to Hutt Workshops for repair. Little work had been done on it for months, however it has since been repaired and returned to service. DQ 6376 is out of service after it derailed, caused by hitting a slip while on a freight train south of Kaikoura in June 2011.
Exports to Tasmania
In 1998 Tranz Rail began to export locomotives to Tasmania for use on TasRail, then part-owned by Tranz Rail. In total, twelve DQ were exported, along with three unrebuilt QR class.
Class register
Key: In service Out of service Auckland Transport service Preserved Overhaul Scrapped QR no. TMS no. TasRail no. Introduced[n 1] Allocated to Current livery[3] Status 1460 DQ 6382 September 1997 South Island Tranz Rail Blue In service 1462 QR 2027 October 1997 Stored Mount Vernon, Illinois 1465 DQ 6416 DQ 2006 February 1999 Sold to TasRail 1466 QR 2033 DQ 2010 February 1999 Sold to TasRail 1467 DQ 6376 May 1998 South Island Tranz Rail Blue Out of service after hitting a slip in Kaikoura 1468 DQ 6330 DQ 2005 December 1997 Sold to TasRail 1472 DQ 6353 DQ 2008 April 1998 Sold to TasRail 1473 DQ 6324 September 1997 South Island Toll Rail "Corn Cob" In service 1475 QR 2056 September 1997 Sold to TasRail. Withdrawn. 1477 QR 2062 October 1997 Sold to TasRail. Withdrawn. 1481 DQ 6347 February 1998 South Island Toll Rail "Corn Cob" In service 1485 DQ 6399 DQ 2007 February 1999 Sold to TasRail 1488 QR 2079 November 1997 Stored Mount Vernon, Illinois 1489 QR 2085 December 1998 Stored Mount Vernon, Illinois 1491 DQ 2009 September 1999 Sold to TasRail 1493 QR 2102 November 1997 Sold to TasRail. Withdrawn. 1495 DQ 2011 September 1999 Sold to TasRail. 1497 DQ 2012 September 1999 Sold to TasRail 1499 Frame only, stored Hutt Workshops. 1500 Stored Mount Vernon, Illinois 1501 Stored Mount Vernon, Illinois 1502 QR 3032 DQ 2004 December 1997 Sold to TasRail. 1508 DQ 6036 DQ 2003 December 1998 Sold to TasRail 1521 DQ 6007 DQ 2001 October 1996 Sold to TasRail. Rebuilt 2010. 1522 DQ 6013 DQ 2002 August 1998 Sold to TasRail - ^ Introduction dates are from when the locomotive first ran for Tranz Rail / TasRail, not Queensland Rail.
External links
- TasRail - Class DQ
- TasRail - Class QR
- Queensland Rail - Class 1460
- Queensland Rail - Class 1502
- http://www.railsoc.org.nz/pub/books.htm Parsons, David - New Zealand Railway Motive Power 2002
References
Categories:- Locomotives of New Zealand
- Co-Co locomotives
- Commonwealth Engineering locomotives
- Diesel locomotives of Australia
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