NZR KA Class No. 949

The NZR No. 949 was a 4-8-4 K^A class steam locomotive that operated on New Zealand's railway network. in 1953, the locomotive was involved with an event known as the Tangiwai disaster.

NZR 949
Notice: Please use the updated infobox (Template:Infobox Locomotive)
The remains of the 949 and a carriage after the Tangiwai disaster on December 25, 1953.
Number	949
Max speed	60 mph
Power	1,400 hp
Wheel config	4-8-4
Valve gear type	Walschaerts
Builder	Hutt Workshops
Build date	1939

On December 24, 1953, it was scheduled to pull the 3 p.m. Wellington-to-Auckland Express No. 626, consisting of 5 second-class carriages, 4 first-class carriages, a guard's van, and a postal van, bringing the total up to 11 coaches. However, it never made it to Auckland. At 10:21 p.m., the Ka949 crashed into the Whangaehu River, after a lahar from the nearby Mt. Ruapehu volcano wiped out the bridge, taking all the five second-class carriages and one first-class carriage with it. 151 passengers and crew died in the wreckage. Shortly after that, Ka949 was taken to Hutt workshops and scrapped, though several components survived and were used on other steam engines as the need increased.

All that remains of No. 949 is the locomotives number plate which is currently on display in the Auckland War Memorial Museum.

Gallery

Number plate from KA 949, on display in the Auckland War Memorial Museum

A Drawing of the Train crashing into the Whangaehu River. (Drawing made by AnimeRailfan2019)

References

• Archived at archive.org. Retrieved 5 November 2012