page_title: New Zealand EW class locomotive
section_title: Withdrawal
hierarchical_section_title: New Zealand EW class locomotive / Withdrawal
caption_attribution_description: English: NZR electric locomotive Ew 1806 in the Moorhouse station yard at the Ferrymead Heritage Park.
context_page_description: The New Zealand EW class locomotive was a type of electric locomotive used in Wellington, New Zealand. The classification "Eᵂ" was due to their being electric locomotives allocated to Wellington. For two decades until the advent of the DX class they were the most powerful locomotives in New Zealand.
context_section_description: The tunnel floors between Paekakariki and Wellington were lowered so that Dᴬ class diesel locomotives could haul trains through to Wellington without having to stop at Paekakariki to be replaced by an Eᴰ or Eᵂ; the work was completed in 1967. The Eᵂs continued to have a role in this, primarily as a banking locomotive.
  In 1980, EW159 (Eᵂ 1805) was briefly sent to Otira following the Goat Creek washout, which had damaged three of the EO class locomotives. During its time there the locomotive required its own driver as it lacked multiple-unit equipment. When the three rebuilt EOs returned, EW 159 was transferred back to Wellington. The following year, the decision was made by the CME to have EW136 (Eᵂ 1802), then under overhaul, withdrawn and scrapped. This was agreed to as the use of the EW class had decreased, and 136 became the first EW to be withdrawn.
  The arrival of the EM class units in 1982 locomotive-hauled carriage trains were eliminated, with all carriage-hauled services ceasing in 1983 with the exception of the Masterton and Palmerston North services, which had been diesel-hauled since their inception. The last EW to haul a suburban train was EW142 (Eᵂ 1803) from Paekakariki to Wellington on 11 February 1983. EW142 ran an excursion known as "The Suburban Rail Ranger" to Johnsonville on 14 May 1983.
  The EW class finished its working life on mainline goods trains, banking DA or DX class locomotives between Wellington and Paekakariki with Train 778, the Wellington-Palmerston North petrol tank train, being a common assignment. This was the last service to use the EW class, concluding on 20 December 1983 when EW142 banked DX5477 on the last revenue operation of the EW class. All of the remaining locomotives were put into storage.
caption: EW 1806 at Ferrymead Heritage Park in 2009.
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