#2646
NZR WAB class
🇳🇿 New Zealand ·built by New Zealand Railways Department· from 1939· class of 30 New Zealand 4-6-4T locomotives
3 photos from Wikimedia Commons · credits & licences
- 1. Locomotive Wab 794: Pseudopanax at en.wikipedia· Public domain
- 2. WAB 794 train near Woodville: The original uploader was J.christianson at English Wikipedia .· CC BY-SA 2.5
- 3. WAB 794 on excursion between Bunnythorpe and Palmerston North - 31 August 2003: J.christianson· CC0
what is it?
The NZR WAB class locomotives were steam locomotives designed, built and used by New Zealand Railways Department (NZR). Their wheel arrangement is described by the Whyte notation 4-6-4T. The locomotives were designed by NZR chief draughtsman S.H. Jenkinson as tank versions of the AB class 4-6-2 Pacific locomotive. Initially, the locomotives were separated into two classes, designated WAB for mainline work and WS for suburban work.
who runs it
base stats
Bars compare against all trains: 600 km/h (maglev), 1,700 seats; power, weight and number built on a log scale up to 20 MW, 1,000 t and 20,000 built.
fun facts
- First built 87 years ago, in 1939.
- 746 kW is about 9 family cars (~85 kW each) flat out.
- 13.4 m long: about 3 cars parked nose to tail.
- Served for 52 years (1917–1969).
steam locomotive: Burns coal, wood or oil to boil water; the steam drives pistons that turn the wheels.
spec sheet
- built
- 1939
- in service from
- 1917
- retired
- 1969
- status
- preserved
- number built
- 30
- kind
- Steam
- traction
- steam
- origin
- 🇳🇿 New Zealand
- builders
- New Zealand Railways Department, Hillside Engineering, A & G Price, Addington Railway Workshops, Hillside Railway Workshops
- operators
- New Zealand Railways Department
- top speed
- 97 km/h
- power
- 746 kW
- gauge
- 1,067 mm Cape gauge
- wheel arrangement
- 4-6-4T
- length
- 13.4 m
From the Wikipedia infobox and Wikidata. Blank means the sources don't say.
Sources: Wikidata Q16927144, Wikipedia: NZR WAB class (CC BY-SA 4.0).Updated 2026-10-25.