Ja1275

One of sixteen oil-fired Ja’s built by the North British Locomotive Company, Glasgow, No. 1275 was completed in 1951 and entered service in June of the following year. It carried the maker’s number 27104. These locomotives were purchased as stopgaps for the period in which New Zealand Railways changed over from steam to diesel-electric locomotives on the North Island Main Trunk.

Ja1275 was based in Auckland and, like Ja1267, mostly worked on express trains. Unlike No. 1267, 1275 ran south to Taumarunui, north to Whangarei, and southeast to Paeroa and to Rotorua. After the replacement of provincial expresses by railcars, only the Main Trunk express workings remained until February 1965, when they too were taken over by diesel-electric locomotives. Early in 1966 Ja1275 was transferred to Frankton, where it took over some of the work previously done by J class coal burners, and worked on the Bay of Plenty line until being withdrawn in March 1968. The North British Ja’s were very popular and well cared for in Auckland, and were frequently in demand for Railway Enthusiasts Society excursions. No. 1275 featured on a trip from Tauranga to Kawerau and back in Feb¬ruary 1967, and on another railfan excursion from Frankton to Tauranga and back on 16 December 1967, the last steam excursion in the North Is¬land under normal conditions. Although this was the locomotives last run, it remained on the books until March 1968.

It was sold to Mr L.J. Hostick of Hamilton in August of the same year, and was displayed with New Zealand Railway and Locomotive Society Waikato Branch locomotives at Te Awamutu until shifting to the Mainline Steam Parnell Depot with Ba552 and Bb144.