NZR EC class

New Zealand E^C class

Sole preserved member of the class, EC 7 stands at Moorhouse Station on the Ferrymead Railway during the Easter 2008 railfan event

Type and origin Power type Electric Builder English Electric, United Kingdom Build date 1928

Specifications UIC class Bo-Bo Gauge 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) Length 12 metres (39 ft 4 in) Adhesive weight 50 tonnes (49 long tons; 55 short tons) Loco weight 50 tonnes (49 long tons; 55 short tons) Electric system(s) 1500 V DC overhead lines Current collection Pantograph Traction motors 4

Performance figures Maximum speed 85 km/h (53 mph) Power output 888 kW (1,191 hp)

Career Operators New Zealand Railways, Lyttelton Line Class EC Number in class 6 Numbers 7 - 12 Locale Christchurch - Lyttelton First run 14 February 1929 Last run 18 September 1970 Disposition 5 scrapped 1 preserved

The New Zealand E^C class was a class of electric locomotive used in Christchurch, New Zealand. They replaced steam locomotives on trains through the Lyttelton rail tunnel between Lyttelton and Christchurch.

Since its opening in 1867, the Christchurch to Lyttelton line had become extremely busy with both suburban and goods trains passing through the 2.6 km (1.6 mi) Lyttelton Tunnel, which had been opened in 1867. However, smoke accumulating in the tunnel from each successive train became a nuisance for train crews and passengers travelling through the tunnel. Although trials were conducted in 1909 using steam locomotive W^F 436 which had been converted to oil firing, the cost of oil alone meant that no further work was done.

In 1925, the English consultancy of Merz & McLellan was commissioned by then Minister of Railways, Gordon Coates, to report on electrfying the suburban networks in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin. The report, released in August 1925, recommended that of the Christchurch system, only the 10 km (6.2 mi) Lyttelton line warranted electrification due to the volume of traffic and the Lyttelton tunnel. To operate the line, Merz & McLellan recommended purchasing five electric locomotives to haul all trains on this line, and that electric-multiple units would not be necessary. The new electrification should be the same 1.5 kV DC as used at Otira and later in Wellington.

Accordingly, six E^C class electric locomotives were purchased from English Electric exclusively for this work in 1928. They were similar in many respects to the earlier 1923 E^O class as delivered by EE, but had longer bogies, higher gearing for a higher top speed of 85 km/h (53 mph), and more powerful motors. Initially classified in the E class, the later 'C' designation indicated these locomotives were to be allocated to Christchurch, as opposed to the E^O class which was allocated to Otira.

The E^C class handled all duties from Christchurch to Lyttelton. They were capable of handling 600-long-ton (610 t; 670-short-ton) freight trains and the famous Boat Train, known colloquially as the 'Jackaroo', which regularly loaded up to 400 long tons (410 t; 450 short tons). Early problems with motor flashover and armature shaft fractures during transition from series to parallel meant that the parallel connections were removed, halving the voltage to the motors and reducing the running speed to 42km/h.