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Story: Railways

Building a locomotive

Video file

Hillside railway workshops in Dunedin began building locomotives in 1897. This 1956 film shows stages in the construction of a JA engine, then one of the heaviest in use.

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Archives New Zealand - Te Rua Mahara o te Kāwanatanga

Reference: New Zealand Railway Magazine. National Film Unit, 1956

Permission of Archives New Zealand Te Rua Mahara o te Kāwanatanga must be obtained before any re-use of this material.

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How to cite this page

Neill Atkinson, Railways – Workshops, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/video/21421/building-a-locomotive (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Neill Atkinson, published 6 April 2010.