NZR ED class

The NZR ED class is a type of electric locomotive used in Wellington, New Zealand. The locomotives were built by English Electric and the New Zealand Railways Department between 1938 and 1940, and hauled mainly passenger trains on the Wellington region's 1500 V DC electrification and banked freight trains on the steep section between Paekākāriki and Pukerua Bay. The first, No. 101, was bought from English Electric in 1938 for the newly opened Tawa Flat deviation, with components supplied for the others to be assembled in New Zealand Railways workshops, seven at Hutt and two at Addington. The class had an unusual 1-Do-2 wheel arrangement and was the only New Zealand locomotive type with a quill drive. Hard on the track, it was replaced on most passenger services by the EW class. Eight were withdrawn and scrapped in 1969, and the last two were sold into preservation in 1981.