Coast to Coast

The 145 ton Ka942, was built at the New Zealand Government Railway’s Hutt Workshops as No. 325, entering service in November 1940. It was originally built as a coal burner but owing to coal shortages during the second world war, was then converted to burn oil. All of its life was spent in the North Island, initially at Taihape then at Frankton.

In 1972, Mainline Steam founder Ian Welch, purchased Ka942 from the New Zealand Railways. They had planned to use it as a stationery boiler along with three K Class locos at the Hutt Railway Shops but ultimately was not required.

Restoration of Ka942 was undertaken in Auckland, initially in the Auckland Railway Yard and was finished at the Glenbrook Vintage Railway in 1991. It was named ‘Nigel Bruce’ honouring both Ian Welch’s son and father.

In October 2013, passengers from various countries around the world travelled with Mainline Steam’s South Island West Coast train tour and we went with them. This is the story of the four day journey from Christchurch to Westport and back, riding behind steam locomotive ‘Nigel Bruce’.