No, this an attempt at a brief and potted history of some of the locos that have spent time working for what is / was Farmers Fertiliser in New Plymouth and where they have ended up.
I have always had a strong interest in the little locos of this world, and naturally I could not resist getting photos of little locos in such a raw industrial setting as the ones outlined in this post.
Of course, working in such a harsh environment all day everyday pretty much dooms any and every loco that is sent to work in the pit, and over time several locos have come and gone from the fertiliser sidings at Smart Road.
And below are photos of the locos that I have known to work the sidings over the years. There may have been others.....
The photo above shows the loco stuffed and mounted at Stratford's "Pioneer Village" in the 80's after it was retired from service with Farmers Fert. New Plymouth. It sat in this very location for many years until it was relocated to the front of the village along the roadside on a concrete plinth.
The loco was repainted and there it stayed for some time more until the village people (.... YMCA.... woot... ) deemed the loco to be too rusty and a hazard to people and childeren who play on it. Branded an eyesore and a hazard the local earth moving contractor was tasked with its removal, and it was trucked not far away to his compound.
Recent searches for the earth contractor and the loco have reveled nothing, other than they have both gone. I fear the loco was scrapped as a loco wheelset matching the ones seen on the loco can be seen from the Stratford yard amongst a large pile of machinery that has slowly been growing in a compound bordering the yard.
I had the pleasure of seeing this wee beastie working in the confines of the plant one day, the growl of the motor and the protests of urea crusted drive line deprived of grease suffering from years of acidic coatings certainly compounded the thought that this loco's days were numbered.....
Sadly, this loco didnt quite fit with the museums plans, and to this day still sits in the same spot it did the day it arrived there, out of sight and out of mind. I am not wure what plans there are for this loco (if any) but I dont think anything will happen for some time yet.
Somewhere I have a photo of the Price and the Drewry side by side in the shadows - but I think I will have to find the negative and re scan it.
Photographed below stored on a wagon in graphic dismemberment, I am led to believe this loco has since found solace and refuge further up the line with the Waitara Railway Preservation Society, and is in the process of being put back together again - humpty dumpty style.
Retired from the NZR this loco was sold (or maybe leased) to the Kiwi Dairy Company for use at its Whareroa plant....
It wasnt long before the reasonably straight and tidy condition of the DSA started to suffer at the hands of carefree employees and began to be degraded by the chemicals and other nasties floating around....
Having driven this loco "in service" at Whareroa, I am not surprised it was sold - poor ol 2257 was a DOG of a loco. It was the regions "loaner" and we always hated having it at Whareroa.
Knowing the state of this loco in Tranz Rails care, I am equally not surprised it didnt last long working for Ravensdown. Breathing in and being bathed in urea all day every day had a deadly effect on this loco in quick time. One day it gave up, was dragged up to Smart Road yard and there it has sat ever since.
Ravensdown hired another DSC from the railways to replace 2257, but noone gave much thought to getting it back for regular servicing and all reports suggest the railways had a fit at the state their hired DSC had been returned to them in.... These days DSC's are still loaned to Ravensdown (or whoever they are these days) but they are rotated out a lot more regularly now!
AH