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Stanleyville DSG 3005

DSG 3005 was built by Toshiba in 1981. She was one of a 24-strong class of twin-engine/centre-cab shunting locomotives, and first entered service in March 1981. The DSG was - and still is - used to shunt wagons around in yards all over New Zealand. Sometimes they can be seen hauling short trip-workings on the mainline, such as the shunt from Napier to Hastings. Some technical specifications of a DSG are as follows:

Cylinders - 16 (8 per engine)
Engine Type - two Cummins KTA-1150L
Length - 13.5 metres
Power Output - 940 horsepower
Top speed - 60 km/h
Tractive Effort - 29,000 lb
Weight - 56 tonnes

DSG 3005 ran in the International Orange livery for the first 12 years of its service, being repainted in New Zealand Rail blue in October 1993. In September 1997, the NZ Rail logo was replaced by Tranz Rail. At the same time the locomotive was fitted with shunter's refuges. These are small extensions to the frame at both ends of the locomotive. They allow a driver to operate the locomotives by remote control without having to stand in the cab.

The DSG stayed in Tranz Rail blue until 2011, when the engine was repainted in KiwiRail colours. In April and May 2016, the engine was sent to Stanleyville to help out the railway's own F7A and FP7 locomotives with the summer tourist traffic. The engine was returned to KiwiRail after the cruise-ship season.

In January 2019, KiwiRail put DSG 3005 up for sale, as they deemed it surplus to requirements. Soon after, Gary Porcelain - the owner of the Stanleyville Railway - took up the offer and bought the engine for $200,091 NZD. The engine arrived at Stanleyville Forest yard in April 2019, and was quickly repainted in SR Purple. Fast forward to September 2019, and the engine is still going strong at 38 years old. She is now used to shunt coaches in the yard at Stanleyville Forest. Unfortunately the engine can-not run passenger trains on the mainline or pier railway, as she simply isn't powerful enough for the job.

In real life I have seen DSG 3005 at least four times, first in the Napier area in November 2016 (and again in January 2017) then the third time was at Palmerston North in July 2019. More recently - in September 2020 - I came across DSG 3005 again when she was hauling the S63 shunt in New Plymouth.