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The New Zealand Railways Magazine, Volume 7, Issue 6 (October 1, 1932.)

A Maori Boy's Humour

A Maori Boy's Humour.

“‘F’ 254 is fitted with the Westinghouse brake, a new thing to Dargaville. The first afternoon ‘F’ 254 was on the Donnelly's Crossing express, and standing on the train, two Maori boys stepped up to see the ‘new engine.’ When the Westinghouse pump started to work, the boys were bewildered. One remarked: ‘Py corry, she make the noise all right, but don't go.’”

It is interesting to note that locomotive “F” 216 spent the whole of her life on the Kaihu section, having been erected there in 1888. She was known as K.V.R. No. 1 (i.e., Kaihu Valley Railway No. 1), and
Thirty Years Ago. (From the W. W. Stewart collection.) Locomotive “F” 216 on a log train at Dargaville.

Thirty Years Ago.
(From the W. W. Stewart collection.)
Locomotive “F” 216 on a log train at Dargaville.

was quite a picture at that stage. This locomotive was reboilered in 1923 at Dargaville.

When received at Auckland, the boiler (which was comparatively new and required only a new set of tubes) was removed and forwarded to the South Island for use in re-boilering an “F” class locomotive on that division.

The remainder of the locomotive, viz-, frame, wheels, etc., was sold to the Auckland Farmers' Freezing Company for use in building an internal combustion shunting unit.

The contract price for the barging of both locomotives was very reasonable from a Departmental point of view, the sale of the frame, etc., covering the cost of this work, and the cost of freight on the boiler to Dunedin exactly; so this is one instance during the present depression when the “budget was balanced.”