The Life of A~B608 Passchendaele

摘要

This is the story of the evolution of the A~B locomotive, and in particular the story of its most famous class member, A~B608 Passchendaele. When H. H. Jackson succeeded A. L. Beattie as Chief Mechanical Engineer (CME) in 1913, the only new locomotive building in progress at the time was in the North Island with Messrs A. & G. Price of Thames producing A~D engines. The South Island locomotive stud had been increased by eight express engines around 1906-7, and there were no more projected additions for the immediate future. The locomotives built in 1906-7 were compounds A71,161,178, 388,406,407,408 and simple engine A409.