Narrow Gauge Side Dumps.

The only Wagon imported by NZGR from the USA, Diffco air-side-dumps. Starting in 1949 Otahuhu Shops assembled 70 of these 30ft rugged all steel cars which were used mainly in Permanent Way works. We used them for strengthening embankments and dumping rock at various places such as washouts or Bridge approach fill.

Back in '79 I was firing for AJ, we had an interesting couple of weeks running worktrains out of our small country Depot, loading the rake directly off the secondary Mainline at the local stream with river run gravel or river metal as we call it here, then running out to where ever the IPW wanted it dumped.



Since these were bogie cars they could be run at a higher speed than the four-wheeled wagons of general goods traffic. After loading up in the morning we set out for the run up the Matahiwi Bank when a sudden downpour inundated us going up the 3 mile straight causing the sandy mix of stone to take on the consistency of wet concrete, so since we were a full (optimistically speaking) load for the hill, first curve is where the grade begins and the D^A is down on her knees already and we stalled out.
Double banked the hill and took the front half load to the next crossing loop, well my young Driver had not long got his 1st Grade Driver's ticket and therefore set out to run at express speed. This worked out well for awhile until the drop down into Oringi station, a light grade in open flat country that deceives the uninitiated. Let's just say all means of air assisted stopping power was exhausted before screeching to a halt just a few feet from the Home Signal, sweaty palms on the brake valve handle my Driver did have, and I learned something for the future about respecting the grades and even small saddles.


Not one car I'd associate with the steam era either.

On the West Coast of the South Island, Chris Bradley found this scene [flic.kr]