1920s the two were modified for shunting duties, including the addition of a tender cab and side ladders on the tender. A world record The most outstanding operational feat by an N class locomotive occurred on 20 July 1892. WMR No. 10 departed Wellington with a special test train, and gradually picked up speed on the flat trackage of the Kapiti Coast and Horowhenua. It ran comfortably at speeds of 50-55 mph, and between Levin and Shannon it reached 64.4 mph (103.6 km/h), then the world speed record on narrow gauge track. Withdrawal By the 1920s withdrawal was seriously considered. The first two were withdrawn in November 1926; the boiler from WMR No. 9/N 453, withdrawn on 13 November 1926, was re-used on WB 300 when it was overhauled, distinguishing it from others of its class. Three more were withdrawn in March 1927, and N 27, the first member of the class, followed in November of that year. Record-setting WMR No. 10/N 454 was also meant to be withdrawn in 1927 but was given a reprieve: its crews formally complained about its poor condition and it ceased service on 30 January 1928. It was stripped of useful parts and sat in Greymouth yard until it was officially written off on 31 March 1928. It was dumped in the Waimakariri River as a means of stabilising the riverbank. The last N was taken out of service in March 1934. Preservation None of the N class were saved for preservation - they were withdrawn at least two decades before the preservation movement had even seriously begun. However, the skeleton of WMR No. 9/N 453 was discovered near Arthur's Pass, dumped in the Bealey River, and it was recovered by the Wellington and Manawatu Railway Trust in stages between 2003 and 2006 with the aim of restoring it to full operational condition. On 27 February 2007, No. 9 returned to its old home of Paekakariki and is now based at the depot of Steam Incorporated, where it is undergoing restoration to working order. By May 2009, No.9's tender had been dismantled, and the frames and bogies overhauled and reassembled. Railway enthusiasts have also attempted to find the remnants of WMR No. 10/N 454 but have not yet had success. See also Locomotives of New Zealand References Bibliography Heath, Eric, and Stott, Bob; Classic Steam Locomotives Of New Zealand, Grantham House, 1993 External links