The Loco 7 in New Zealand is being refurbished with parts obtained here in Long Branch.
An iconic and rare New Zealand locomotive is being rebuilt thanks to a Long Branch historian who posted online a sought-after 40-year steam device used to repair the train.
Loco 107 was built in 1885 and was left derailed and used to hold dirt when found in 1992, in Middlemarch, near Christ Church, by train enthusiasts who have been working for years to bring it back to life.
The enthusiasts managed to locate in their search for parts a Facebook Steam Engine Parts Page and a sought-after Zero Detroit self-lubricating metallic device that atomizes an oil mixture with steam to cool down the hot cylinders.
One of the 100-years-old plus locomotive reconverted by enthusiasts in New Zealand.
Long Branch resident and historian Bill Zufelt had purchased the steam device in the 1980s and is a collector of some rail items, including steam whistles. He listed the device for sale online for about $100.
“I had no idea what it was or let alone how it was incorporated into the operation of a steam train until I posted it on Facebook Marketplace’s category of Steam Engine Parts,” Zufelt said.
He was surprised and ecstatic when contacted by Gary Hodson, of Middlemarch, who said ‘my device would be an excellent and crucial part to restore old Loco 107.’
Long Branch historian Bill Zufelt posted his antique train part which was purchased by group in New Zealand to restore an ancient train.
“I was astonished,” Zufelt said. “Someone half-way around the world saw the device and they wanted it to bring an ancient train back to life.”
The town has a population of about 160 and is a farming community with a long rail history.
He said the device is being sent from Toronto to Middlemarch by courier service and should be there by August.
Long Branch historian Bill Zufelt posted his ancient train device on Facebook and it was snapped up.
The enthusiasts are part of Project Steam Middlemarch -The Prospector, a railway preservation society based in Dunedin. They are dedicated to the restoration of steam locomotives formerly operated by the New Zealand Railways Department, with a goal to restore locomotives to operating conditions.
The 107, is one of two locomotives built in 1885 by Nasmyth, Wilson and Company. They entered service in 1887, were withdrawn in 1928, and in 1932 dumped in a river to help prevent erosion.
The remains were recovered in May 1992. The locomotive will be used as a tourist attraction once it has been restored.