Prospectus: Ballast Wagon Sponsorship Plan

your name here - sponsor a ballast wagon!

Sponsor a wagon and your slogan can be positioned on one side of a ballast wagon for a period of five years, similar to that depicted above. Sponsored wagons will be visible to passengers travelling on the Wellington — Masterton railway (wherever practicable) and form a key role in future railway construction activities, which should attract a good amount of publicity. Photo: Hugh McCracken.

After more than a century of service on the national railway network, the days of the four-wheel ballast wagon are drawing to a close. Around 200 wagons of YC, YF and YH classes will be withdrawn from service during 2007, to be replaced by a fleet of 40 YJ-class modern bogie hoppers. The Trust is proposing to purchase up to twelve 4-wheel ballast wagons from Ontrack. The wagons are used throughout the national rail network — and it is hoped that suitable numbers will be decommissioned in the lower North Island.

The Trust’s plans to construct and maintain an 18km heritage railway from Maymorn to Summit will require a ballast wagon train. This is a rare and not-to-be repeated opportunity to acquire these rail vehicles.

A number of funding options are being explored in order to secure the wagons, including sponsorship of individual wagons. $2,000 (including transport) will secure naming rights on one of these wagons.

YC2243 on a Midland Line work train on 15 December 2005. Ballast is being off-loaded from side-dumping YD-class bogie wagons ahead of maintenance work in the area, whereas the YC is yet to discharge its load. As at 13 February 2007 YC2243 was still in service, 1 of 28 wagons of its class located at Greymouth. Photo: Adam Orchard.

DA1431 with two ballast wagons, Paekakariki.

Trustees have already had experience with track construction and ballast train operation, as witnessed at the Steam Incorporated site, Paekakariki, May 1998. Photo: Hugh McCracken.

Details of YC wagon class.
Length over drawgear	6858mm
Length over headstocks	6096mm
Overall width	2457mm
Overall height	2196mm
Tare	6965mm
Load	15400kg
Gross	22365kg
Volume	10.3m³

Principle dimensions of YC wagons, as built. Additional height was subsequently added to the hopper to increase ballast capacity, as can be seen in the accompanying photographs.

Ballast Wagon Sponsorship agreement

(please fill in details, sign, fill out subscription / donation payment details then print and mail to the above address or fax to the above fax number)

Name

First Names:

Last name:

Preferred:

Address

Street or Box listing:

Suburb/City:

State/Country:

Postcode:

Email

Home email:

Work email:

Preferred email contact: [ ] Home [ ] Work

Phone

Home phone:

Cell phone:

Work phone:

Preferred phone contact: [ ] Home [ ] Work [ ] Cell

Pledge

I pledge to support the Rimutaka Incline Railway Heritage Trust by sponsoring the purchase price of a ballast wagon and transport to Maymorn to a maximum of $2,000 within one month of my receiving written advice of its availability.

I understand that I may place a sponsorship sign on one side of the wagon in the manner depicted in this prospectus for a period of five (5) years, and that the wagon will be owned, maintained and operated by the Rimutaka Incline Railway Heritage Trust.

Signature: ________________________

Date: ____________

I enclose my cheque / bill my credit card (delete which does not apply) for my donation.

(Please make cheques payable to Rimutaka Incline Railway Heritage Trust)

[ ] Visa [ ] Mastercard

Name on card: ________________________

Card Number: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Expiry Date: _ _ / 2 0 _ _

Signature: ________________________