Age old Smoke

No-one suggested `Washington’ should not smoke. Smoking stunts growth and limits life expectancy they might have said. Just as well they didn’t. `Washington’ is aged 143 and still in great form despite a hard life.

I should mention `Washington’ is a steam locomotive also known as K class, No. 88.

I caught up with Age Old Smoke in September 2020. Watching K 88 run handsomely certainly brought back memories.

                                       `Washington' in September 2020

I had written stories about this locomotive in Trains Magazine (twice) Railway Magazine and Japan’s Tetsudo Journal. I had stories in the Press including a front page photo and of course in my own books.

`Washington’ as built in 1877 by the Roger’s Locomotive Works in Philadelphia, United States. K88 and a few others were the first American-built locomotives commissioned for the fledgling New Zealand Railways. The engineer of the Day, Allison D. Smith, considered American designs with bar framing would be more suitable for New Zealand’s less than perfect track. Indeed they were but the more flexible design had them looking flimsy.

Critics of the time – there were many, suggested the American locomotives should have been supplied with glass cases to protect them from the weather.

K 88 and K 87 were first to arrive in Christchurch. They were named after American presidents.   K 87 was `Lincoln.’ A renowned railway journalist of the day, Charles Rous-Martin, thought the Yankee tings were somewhat gaudy with purple wheels and other colourful embellishments.

In time the American locomotives became favourites with drivers. Indeed it was a promotion to go from the clumsy British-built locomotives to the American.

                                Image from Roger's catalogue  

K 88 hauled the first through train from Christchurch to Dunedin (230 miles) on September 6, 1888.  A few years later it inaugurated a so-called crack express, the Kingston Flyer. Then in 1927, along with other worn-out locomotives, `Washington’ was unceremoniously dumped into Southland’s river as embankment protection. Fifty years later someone recalled the whereabouts of the original Kingston Flyer locomotive and it was raised, partly as a prank, from its watery grave. Ashburton man, Bob Anderson, took an interest in the rescued `Washington’ and thought it could be rebuilt to run on the Plains Railway he had helped to create at Tinwald, along a section of the former Mount Somers branch line.

Still dripping muddy water, Washington’ arrived at the   Plains Railway in 1974. Bob Anderson went to work. He worked on the old locomotive mostly at nights having completed his day’s employment as a wool buyer. He mostly worked outside, laboriously dismantling the wreck and finally sorting out what could be re-used. Some parts were recovered from other wrecks – some had to be made. As time went on and progress was evident, others assisted. Finally it looked as if the restoration would happen. And it did. Bob Anderson told me when he was told the restoration of `Washington’ was impossible, he simply replied, `Too late, we have done it.

                              At Plains Railway in 1974

K 88 was first steamed in November 1981 in preparation for the necessary Ministry of Transport boiler test. On the day Bob Anderson had no plans to drive K 88 but decided to give it a go, perhaps spurred on by the television crew who had turned out for the event. A number of cautious runs were made along the station yard. The event was accompanied by much escaping steam.

Then in May 1982, `Washington’ travelled the full 2.5 km length of Plains Railway.

The big event was on November 27, 1982 when Age Old Smoke was re-commissioned. I recall it being a gala occasion. I was accompanied by about 4000 others. The restoration had taken 10, 0000 hours of work over eight years.

                                             Bob Anderson on re-commissioning day

Surprisingly, K 88 was not treated too gently. It made some mainline runs. One was to launch the Monteith’s beer brand. Another was at Weka Pass railway or the filming of the Alfred Hanlon television series.

Then in 1987 Bob Anderson died. And so did K 88 when it failed miserably a regular boiler test.  The inspector’s small hammer went through metal firebox sheeting.

John French, a long-time friend of Bob Anderson took over the second restoration. This time he went for a new boiler, firebox and smokebox. The work was provided by local firm, Lyttelton engineering. John French told me the second restoration would have K 88 good for another 100 years.

I intervened John French, as I had Bob Anderson previously. We chatted as we sat around old K 88 one afternoon in 2002. K 88 was in the shed. It was not quite finished. A few weeks later, John French called and invited me to photograph the locomotive in action. I had arranged to write a story for Japan’s Tetsudo (Railway) Journal. I got my images as we negotiated to entire line. My favourite location was amongst the pine trees at the end of the Plains Railway.

                                 John French in 2002

                                     John French driving `Washington' restoration 2. loved the purple wheels

 Interesting were the outlandish colours. John French had followed the colours as described by Charles Rous-Martin. He had seen K 88 when it had arrived in Christchurch in 1878. The purple wheels were amazing. Some of the gaudy colours have been since toned down a tad. So there it is, Age Old Smoke at age 143 years.

                                `Washington' in a forest

During my recent Plains Railway visit I was able to delightfully reminisce with John French.