Stage IV - Boiler

In 1925 No.9 was reboilered at the N.Z.G.R. workshops Addington, Christchurch. The original boiler was obviously beyond economic repair so after a service life of 35 years it was dumped. A new boiler was built and fitted and the locomotive returned to service. The design of the boiler was such that it could also be fitted to Wb and Wd class tank locomotives (also Baldwin products), so when No.9 was withdrawn from service a year later her boiler was transferred to Wb300 based in Westport on the west coast.

We have inspected the original boiler for any reusable parts. There is little point in recovering this boiler as its condition has gone from bad to worst in the 80 years since it was disposed of. If this was to be recovered, the main reason doing so would be fitting it to the frames for static display purposes until a serviceable boiler is found. We feel it is better to leave this relic where it lies as it is of no use to the restored locomotive.

While a large amount of restoration is needed before a boiler can be fitted to the chassis, there will come a day when a boiler is needed and there are 2 options:

a) Find a suitable dumped or preserved boiler and restore it to operational condition.

b) Have a new boiler constructed.

From our research it appears the only suitable boiler which is still in a dump site is a Wb boiler at Omoto near Greymouth. Unfortunately it has a large hole in the outer firebox wrapper but the main factor dissuading the use of this boiler is its location and probable condition. It will likely need extensive repairs and even so would have a limited service life. Because of the limited financial recourses of the Trust we are unlikely to attempt such an operation.

We are investigating many different alternatives for the best design and construction methods for a new boiler, these will be mainly focussed on quality and cost of construction, ongoing maintenance and expected service life.