| Driving Wheels | 3ft 0ins |
| Weight | 15 tons |
| Boiler Pressure | 130psi |
| Cylinders | Outside – 9½in x 18in |
| Tractive Effort | 4,693 lbf |
This locomotive was built by Neilson & Company in Glasgow in 1874 and entered service with New Zealand Railways (NZR) in April the following year. It was one of 35 class locomotives built as class D engines that were all withdrawn from service by the end of 1927.
It was one of the first eight members of the class which were supplied by Neilson & Company in 1874. Five more were supplied by Dübs in 1878 and then four from Neilson in 1878 and seven in 1880. Scott Brothers of Christchurch built ten in 1887 and one in 1890.
Interestingly these were the first class of locomotive built by Scott Brothers for the NZR and were one of only two New Zealand manufacturers to supply steam locomotives to NZR. The other was A & G Price of Thames.
The class was not particularly powerful and was employed on light duties, sometimes achieving speeds of 45 mph on level track They often saw service on commuter trains between Christchurch and Lyttelton until superior locomotives took their place. They were utilised at other major locations on the South Island’s east coast.
This locomotive (D 143) was the first locomotive to be allocated to the isolated Nelson Section which extended from Nelson to Glenhope in the Tasman district of the South Island. Whilst it was part of the New Zealand Government Railways the section was never connected to the national railway network. The locomotive was first used on construction trains on the line before handling goods and passenger trains once the line opened. In 1882 the locomotive was numbered D1 and then D143 in 1890.
The locomotive was next employed on another isolated railway when it was transferred to work at Gisborne where it was based until 1911 when it was shipped to Aucklnd.
It remained at Auckland until it was withdrawn from service in March 1916.
In 1917 the locomotive was sold to the Dominion Portland Cement Company just south of Whangarei. The railway at the cement company used the locomotive to work at the limestone quarries the company owned. The line was also used to transport cement to a wharf where it was loaded onto ships at a deep water jetty. The jetty had been built many years earlier and could only be accessed by lighter locomotives. The railway at the site also linked up with the company’s limestone quarries and the North Auckland Line at Portland.
In 1970 Wilsons (NZ) Portland Cement was taken over by the Golden Bay Cement Company and Winstone Ltd with each holding a 50% stake in the company. Golden Bay Cement Company became the sole owner in 1980.
The locomotive was in service at the cement company until 1968 when it was withdrawn from service. By this time it had been modified to accommodate a larger coal bunker and other minor changes.
The locomotive was then donated to the Wellington Branch of the New Zealand Railway and Locomotive Society which later became the Silver Stream Railway (SSR). The locomotive was originally moved to Gracefield and then to the Seaview storage site. It was taken to the SSR site in 1980 where a project to restore the locomotive towards the end of the 1980s.
A lot of work was undertaken which included removing the wheels and overhauling the axle boxes and spring gear. In addition the front pony truck was also overhauled and a new smoke box bottom fitted. The overhaul was stopped in the early 1990s and in 2010 the locomotive was moved into the storage shed.
In late 2016 the SSR approached the Nelson Railway Society with an offer to lease the locomotive for 20 years with a 20 year right of renewal and move it to Nelson to overhaul and operate the locomotive. This offer was accecpted in June 2017 and the locomotive was moved to Nelson in April 2018.
Over the next 12 months SSR became aware of some conditions of the lease or best practices that were not being complied with and the result was that the Nelson group chose to relinquish the lease and return 143 back to SSR.
The locomotive arrived back in September 2019 and was placed into storage again. There are no plans to restore it.
Six other class D locomotives have been preserved.in New Zealand
Neilson & Company
- Works number 2306 – 16
- Works number 2563 – 170
- Works number 2564 – 6
- Works number 2565 – 221
Dübs
- Works number 1164 – 50
Scott Brothers
- Works number 31 – 137
Preserved Outside Britain – By Country
Preserved British Steam Locomotives 