enough to move some of the larger trains being shunted. This led to the conversion of the BB class 4-8-0s to shunting and branch line service in order to replace the C class on these heavier duties. During their service life, the C class occasionally handled suburban trains with the Wellington-based examples doing so at times over the Hutt Valley line. The Auckland-based locomotives tended to do so only on the Onehunga Branch, while the Christchurch-based locomotives did so infrequently. It was not unknown for the Christchurch-based examples of the C class to work further afield and members of the class have been noted as working the Little River, Methven, Oxford, and Whitecliffs branches, as well as occasionally handling race trains to Sockburn. Due to the arrival of the DS class and DSB class diesel shunters in 1955, the Wellington locomotives were displaced and sent to Auckland and Christchurch. Of the twenty-four, twelve were withdrawn in 1963-64 but the other engines continued running until 1968 by which time only Christchurch had a permanent allocation. During World War II, the decision was made to fit several Wellington-based engines, particularly of the C class, with fire-fighting pumps in case of a Japanese air raid. At least one locomotive, C 849, was so fitted but the boiler-mounted pumps were not successful and relied on sufficient water supply from the locomotive's boiler to function. Following the cessation of hostilities, these pumps were quickly removed. Withdrawal The first two C class locomotives were withdrawn in July 1963. A further eight had been withdrawn by the end of that year, with the rest being withdrawn between 1964 and 1968. By this time only three C class locomotives were left, among them C 847 and C 864. The last, C 847, was retired in October 1968. By that time the NZR&LS Canterbury Branch had purchased C 864 for preservation, and it was trucked from storage at Linwood locomotive depot in 1974 to Ferrymead Heritage Park. One of the more unusual appointments for a C class locomotive was the use of C 849 in 1963 as the oil-holding tank at Addington Workshops. The locomotive had been withdrawn but was instead converted to replace a modified UC tank wagon. Although only the tender was required for this conversion, the engine unit of C 849 remained attached until the boiler house was decommissioned and the locomotive was scrapped. C 847