DE days

Two photos of preserved DE diesel-electrics, which was New Zealand Railways pioneering diesel-electric class, and what the DE stood for.  A total of 15 of the Bo-Bo type were built by English Electric and entered service between May 1952 and September 1953.  Although often described as shunters, they were used on longer line service operations too, especially in the early years, and were used, among others, on the Royal Train of Queen Elizabeth in late 1953.  NZR withdrew the class in the 1980s; 7 are now preserved:  504 is used by the Dunedin based Taieri Gorge Railway and 508, seen with an excursion near the north end of the Rimutaka Tunnel, is owned by the Silver Stream Railway.