GREYMOUTH, New Zealand — Number 508, or Gertie, was built in 1877 by the Avonside Engine Company in Bristol, England.
This L class locomotive is one of 10 built for the New Zealand Railways. In 1901, the Public Works Department purchased the locomotive, renumbering the steamer as PWD 508 and using it on various construction projects in the North Island between 1903 and 1931.
In 1946, PWD 508 was sold to the Portland Cement Co. in Whangārei, where it remained in use until 1964. It was donated to the Tauranga Historic Village in 1974, which used it for several years.
Using a Lottery – Environment & Heritage grant, Shantytown Heritage Park purchased the locomotive. After a complete overhaul, it returned to work in 2002.
