Welcome to the New Zealand Railway and Locomotive Society

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The Society was formed in 1944 by enthusiasts interested in the then New Zealand Railways. Membership is open to all with an interest in the New Zealand Railway system both old and new. Member groups meet in most cities where talks, films, and other activities can be enjoyed. Read more–>

Latest News

NZR’s Rebuilt G Class – The Phoenix That Failed

We now have this publication in stock.  Orders can be placed using the on line Order Form under the Publications tab.

From author Jonathan Shingleton, who brought us Alpine Thunder, the renowned book on the KB class, Jonathan brings us a well-researched and interesting account of NZR’s rebuilt three-cylinder G class. In attempt to make something useful of the ill-fated Garratts, NZR used the chassis of the three Garratt articulated locomotives to build six G class Pacifics. In theory, these should have been very handy motive power for the South Island, but the engineering constrictions imposed by the loading gauge on the new design plus the inherent weaknesses transferred from the Garratt engine units to the rebuilt engines, all conspired to make them problematic and unreliable. Jonathan delves into the detail of how NZR attempted to correct the issues and improve the design, plus how the crews worked these unique three-cylinder engines. This is a fascinating read.

 

A4 portrait format, 100 black & white and 3 colour photographs, tables, diagrams, drawings and map. 142 pages, softbound.

Members Price:               NZ $43.00      AU $59.00      RoW $75.00  

Non Members Price:     NZ $53.00       AU $69.00      RoW $85.00          

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Subscriptions 2023/2024 Year

Members are reminded that the subscription year runs from 1 July to 30 June.

The Board has decided on the following new subscription rates and the removal of a  subscription option for the 2023/2024 year:

·         Full member (NZ): $105

 

·         Full member (Overseas): $125

 

·         Junior member (NZ and Overseas): $63

 

·         Family members (NZ): $10 per family

 

·         Magazine Circulation Groups A & B: $20 per group

 

·         The option of additional copies of the “Observer”, formerly available to members for $50 annually, has been removed.

 

Rationale for these changes

The reason for the increased subscription rates is the impact of inflation on our operations – in particular, our costs of postage and packaging have increased hugely.

The Board has the delegated authority to increase subscriptions annually by the rate of inflation as measured in the previous year. The Consumer Price Index measured on an annual basis to the end of February 2023 was up 6%. Reluctantly, the Board has decided to increase subscriptions for 2024 in line with this measure of inflation in New Zealand.

The option of additional copies of the Observer has been removed because a member exercising this option is receiving extra copies of the magazine at a greatly reduced price per copy, far below the costs of production and distribution. Instead, the Board encourages people reading the Observer to subscribe by becoming a member.

 

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