New Zealand Railways
Locomotive Numberplates
Based on articles in 'New Zealand Railfan' by Bill Prebble
Based on articles in 'New Zealand Railfan' by Bill Prebble
In line with railways in other countries, New Zealand Railways adopted a standardised design of numberplate. This design was initiated with the 1890 renumbering of rolling stock and lasted through to the late 1970,s when the introduction of TMS necessitated the renumbering of all rolling stock and consequent removal of all numberplates from active NZR locomotives (the only exception being the two Kingston Flyer AB's.
New Zealand Railway Loco numberplates were cast without classification letter(s) prior to 1914. Plates cast from this date included the locomotive's classification, with the first being the plates cast for the AA class.
Classification letters were always upper case , normally the first letter being 1¼" high and any subsequent letters 3/4" high. After 1914 any locomotive's plate that was devoid of classification letters would have them soldered onto the existing plate during the locomotive's next overall, although some classification letters were rivited on. It was not uncommon for the soldered classification letters to fall off during sevice, later resulting in the letters being brass rivited to the plate by shed fitters.
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JB 1218. Different elliptic shape (squarer in the shoulders) and brass composition are unique to the North British J class plates. To fit the four numerals within the plate, North British narrowed them by approximately 1". Similar numerals were used by Hillside for the batch of South Island JA's. This plate had had the classification suffix 'B' soldered on after the locomotives conversion to an oil burner. (photo..Bill Prebble.) |
| F 257. And below.. Both clasic F number plates, featuring square bolt holes commonly found in these plates.
Note how 257 features a classification letter, while 74 is devoid of a classification letter, and indeed was never fitted with one. The classification letter on 257 would have been added (soldered on) post 1914. Note the shape of the numeral '5' on 257's plate as this shape was not part of the standard NZR font.> (photo..Bill Prebble.) |
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F 74See notes above(photo..Bill Prebble.) |
| AB 778. AB 778 on the cabside of one of the 'Kingston Flyer Loco's.
The loco had its plates removed at Greymouth in 1969 and ran around ChCh for a couple of years after that without plates. When Hillside were restoring AB778 in 1971 they cast new plates with two different sevens. The plain 7 was an oddball and it was used previously on KB967's smokebox numberplate and an occasional other plate. |
 (photo..John Griffiths.) |
DE 501 plate, these diesel plates were cast in Aluminium. This one from the collection of John Griffiths.
Table of New Zealand Locomotive Numberplate Weights and Dimentions.
Two relics of the Hyde Railway Disaster
These plates were salvaged from one of the doomed carriages.
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Harrow & Wealdstone Rail Disaster 1952
Line Drawings of New Zealand Railways Steam Locomotives
