NZR DX class

New Zealand DX class locomotive

DXB 5143, the first locomotive to be painted in the KiwiRail livery, stands at Wellington Railway Station Platform 9 on 1 July 2008.

Type and origin Power type Diesel-Electric Builder General Electric, United States Model GE U26C Build date 1972 - 1975

Specifications UIC class Co-Co Gauge 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) Length 16.9 metres (55 ft 5 in) Width 2.74 metres (9 ft 0 in) Height 3.70 metres (12 ft 2 in) Axle load DX 16.25 t (15.99 long tons; 17.91 short tons) DXR 17.5 t (17.2 long tons; 19.3 short tons) Adhesive weight DX 97.5 t (96.0 long tons; 107.5 short tons) DXR 105 t (103 long tons; 116 short tons) Loco weight DX 97.5 t (96.0 long tons; 107.5 short tons) DXR 105 t (103 long tons; 116 short tons) Prime mover General Electric 7FDL-12 RPM range 400 - 1050 rpm Engine type V12 Diesel engine Aspiration Turbocharged Alternator General Electric GTA-11 Traction motors Six Cylinders 12 Transmission 25/64 gear ratio

Performance figures Maximum speed 105 km/h (65 mph) Power output DX/DXB/DXC 2,050 kW (2,750 hp) original 2,240 kW (3,000 hp) uprated DXB/DXC/DXR 2,420 kW (3,250 hp) Tractive effort DX 259 kN (58,000 lbf) continuous

Career Number in class 49 Numbers 2600 - 2648 (original) 5016 - 5520 (TMS) DXR 8007, 8022 Nicknames "Dixies" (DX) "The Pig" (DXR 8007) First run DX 1972 DXR 1993 DXC 1997 Disposition 46 in service 2 rebuilt as DXR 1 scrapped

The New Zealand DX class locomotive is a class of 49 Co-Co diesel-electric locomotives that currently operates on New Zealand's national railway network.

Built by General Electric in Erie, Pennsylvania, United States, they were introduced to New Zealand between 1972 and 1976. The class is based on the General Electric U26C model, a narrow-gauge version of the GE U23C model. The U26C is also used in South Africa (see South African Class 34-900), Brazil, Kenya, Tanzania and Zambia.

The locomotives have seen several upgrades since their introduction and three versions now exist; the DXB, DXC and DXR.

The D^X class was introduced in response to a requirement for a more powerful locomotive to handle traffic on the North Island Main Trunk (NIMT). Before their introduction the heaviest freight and passenger trains on the line required two members of the 1,060-kilowatt (1,420 hp) D^A class to haul them. The D^X class could haul heavier and faster trains than two D^A's, even though they produced 70 kilowatts less than the combined D^A's, as the single D^X weighed 97.5 tonnes compared to the two D^A's combined weight of 162 tonnes.

The first 15 members of the class (D^X 2600 - D^X 2614) were introduced in 1972. Initially, they were confined to the NIMT as their 16.25-tonne axle load was too heavy for many of the bridges on the other lines. As it was several bridges and viaducts on the NIMT had to be strengthened to take the weight of the locomotives.