Rescued

Two 1885 V class steam locomotives rescued; they’ve sat in a riverbed near Lumsden for more than 90 years. The first was hoisted out at the end of January 2020. The second (which the team initially thought they’d leave) was retrieved later, in February 2020.

“In the wake of the First World War, the value of scrap metal was low so instead of being sold locomotives were dumped in rivers around the country to act as flood barriers.” ~RNZ article with photos/video

Lumsden is in Northern Southland, New Zealand.

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The rural town of Lumsden is about 50mins drive from our home. It’s an important highway junction from which you can head to Queenstown, Gore or Invercargill. I took these photos on 03 June 2021.

“Railway lines reached Lumsden from Invercargill in 1878 and Gore in 1880, and the town became a rail junction. Rail services stopped in 1971, but the station building remains a major feature.” ~Te Ara Encyclopedia

“Trust chairman John Titter said the locomotives were specifically designed for use in New Zealand ‘‘to meet freight demand’’ and built in Manchester. They were used for passengers and freight.” ~Otago Daily Times

Click on any photo to enlarge.

This was well covered in the media so an online search yields plenty of links if you want to read more.

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Text and photos by Liz; Exploring Colour (2021)