Bumble-Bee (livery)

Bumble-Bee was an informal term, promoted by the editors of NZ Railfan Magazine, for the Tranz Rail "winged' logo. The logo was then replaced with "TR" sloping block letters, which most of the rest of the locdescribing a New Zealand railway locomotive livery (resulting from the combination of black and yellow in the colour scheme) found in common usage amongst the railfan community. The livery, first introduced in May 2001 to promote level crossing safety to replace the Cato Blue livery and was initially trialed on Tranz Rail locomotive DC 4323, and over time was applied to numerous other locomotive classes up until 5 May 2004, when Toll Rail took over the rail system, and introduced the Corn-Cob livery.[1]

DFT 7145 in Napier while wearing the "TR" slopping blocks.

DFT 7295 in Dunedin while wearing the Tranz Rail winged logo.

The first four locomotives that were painted in the livery received locomotives that were painted in the livery received, including DC 4323 and DFT 7160 which had received the livery with the Tranz Rail logo.[2] DC 4185, DX 5166 and EF 30071 never received branding when they were repainted in the livery.[3] DC 4185 initially didn't receive branding either when it was repainted, but the sloping block letters were later applied to the loco.[4]

As of July 2020, only one DC, one DSC and three EFs still operate in this livery.

Variations

DSG 3251 in Dunedin.

A few locomotives had been repainted in variations of this livery:

• DSC 2678 was repainted in the livery, but with a red stripe running down the sides of its hoods, which are the colours of Canterbury.[5]
• DSG 3251 was repainted in the Otago colours of blue and yellow instead of black and yellow, with "TR" block letters on the logo hood, and a bumble-bee version of the Tranz Rail winged logo on the cab.[5]
• TR 874 was repainted in this livery, but in reverse with a black cab and yellow hoods, with a bumble-bee version of the Tranz Rail winged logo also painted on the long hood. This variation was called by many rail enthusiasts as the "Wasp" livery.[6]
• Although not an official variation, DCs 4421 and 4853 have received KiwiRail stickers on the front of the short-hood, and back of the long-hood.

Locomotives that wore/wear the Bumble Bee livery

DC class:

• 4012[7] - now in the KiwiRail Bold livery[8]
• 4058[5] - now in the KiwiRail Bold livery[8]
• 4185[3] - now stored at Hutt Workshops[9]
• 4300[6] - now scrapped
• 4317[10] - now scrapped
• 4323[1] - now in the KiwiRail Bold livery[11]
• 4398[5] - now scrapped
• 4421[3] - now stored in Middleton Yard, Christchurch
• 4438[5] - now stored at Hillside Workshops[12]
• 4450[13] - repainted in the KiwiRail Bold livery[14] and now scrapped
• 4473[6] - now stored at Hillside Workshops[12]
• 4565[2] - now scrapped
• 4726[6] - now in the KiwiRail Bold livery[15]
• 4847[13] - now stored in Middleton Yard, Christchurch
• 4853[6]

DF class:

• 7008[5] - now in the KiwiFruit livery[16]
• 7049[13] - now in the KiwiRail Bold livery[17]
• 7077[2] - now in the KiwiRail Bold livery[18]
• 7145[19] - repainted in the KiwiRail Bold livery[15] and is now under overhaul
• 7158[6] - now in the KiwiRail Bold livery[20][21]
• 7160[3] - now in the KiwiRail Bold livery[22][23]
• 7200[6] - now in the KiwiRail Bold livery[24]
• 7226[10] - now in the KiwiRail Bold livery[15]
• 7282[19] - now in the KiwiRail Bold livery[25]
• 7295[3] - now in the KiwiRail Bold livery[26]

DH class:

• 2822[5] - now in the KiwiRail Bold livery[11]

DSC class:

• 2419[6] - now in the KiwiRail livery[26]
• 2678[5]
• 2746[19] - now in the KiwiRail livery[27]

DSG class:

• 3020[5] - repainted in the KiwiRail livery[15] and is now under overhaul
• 3114[6] - now in the KiwiRail livery[28][29]
• 3236[13] - now in the KiwiRail livery[28]
• 3251[5] - now in the KiwiRail livery[28][30]

DSJ class:

• 4017[19] - now in the KiwiRail livery[31]
• 4045[5] - now in the KiwiRail livery[22]

DX class:

• 5039[7] - now in the KiwiFruit livery[16]
• 5166[3] - now in the KiwiRail Bold livery[31]
• 5195[13] - now in the KiwiRail Bold livery[21]
• 5229[2] - now in the KiwiRail Bold livery[26]
• 5327[4] - now in the KiwiRail Bold livery[21]
• 5402[5] - now in the KiwiRail Bold livery[32]
• 5419 - now in the KiwiRail Bold livery[21]
• 5425[7] - now in theKiwiRail Bold livery[33]
• 5500[2] - repainted in the KiwiRail Bold livery[34] and now stored at Hutt Workshops as a chassis
• 5517[35] - now in the KiwiRail Bold livery[23]
• 5520 (and as 5045)[35] - now in the KiwiRail Bold livery[22][36]

EF class:

• 30013[7]
• 30042[6]
• 30071[3]

TR class:

• 724[35] - now preserved by the Wairarapa Railway Restoration Society[37]
• 874[19] - now in the KiwiRail livery[28]
• 908[19] - now in the KiwiRail livery[36]

Gallery

• 
  DC 4398 shunting milk wagons at Oringi.
• 
  DCs 4421 and 4438 with a shunt near Darfield.
• 
  DFT 7295 and DC 4847 departing Dunedin with a freight train.
• 
  DFT 7295 and DFB 7213 (in the Cato Blue livery) in Dunedin.
• 
  DFT 7295, DSGs 3236 and 3251 (all three in the Bumble-Bee livery), and DFB 7213 and DC 4542 (in the Cato Blue livery) in the Dunedin Rail Yard.
• 
  DSG 3251 in Dunedin.
• 
  DSG 3251 passing Blanket Bay with a shunt to Port Chalmers.
• 
  DSJ 4017 shunting in Ahuriri.
• 
  DXs 5419 and 5195 descending Cass Bank with a west-bound coal trains.
• 
  EF 30013 with a freight train on the North Island Main Trunk
• 
  EF 30042 heading to couple with the Overlander at the Palmerston North railway station.
• 
  TR 724 in storage in Carterton, while preserved by the Wairarapa Railway Restoration Society.

See also

• List of NZ railfan jargon

References

1. "New Zealand Railfan". 7 (3). Triple M Publications. June 2001. ISSN 1173-2229. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
2. "New Zealand Railfan". 8 (2). Triple M Publications. March 2002. ISSN 1173-2229. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
3. "New Zealand Railfan". 7 (4). Triple M Publications. September 2001. ISSN 1173-2229. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
4. "New Zealand Railfan". 10 (2). Triple M Publications. March 2004. ISSN 1173-2229. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
5. "New Zealand Railfan". 9 (1). Triple M Publications. December 2002. ISSN 1173-2229. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
6. "New Zealand Railfan". 8 (4). Triple M Publications. September 2002. ISSN 1173-2229. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
7. "New Zealand Railfan". 8 (3). Triple M Publications. June 2002. ISSN 1173-2229. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
8. "Railfan". 17 (3). Triple M Publications. June 2011. ISSN 1173-2229. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
9. "Railfan". 23 (1). Triple M Publications. December 2016. ISSN 1173-2229. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
10. "New Zealand Railfan". 9 (4). Triple M Publications. September 2003. ISSN 1173-2229. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
11. "Railfan". 17 (2). Triple M Publications. March 2011. ISSN 1173-2229. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
12. "Hillside (Official Information Act request)". fyi.org.nz. KiwiRail. 4 October 2016. Retrieved 10 January 2018.
13. "New Zealand Railfan". 9 (2). Triple M Publications. March 2003. ISSN 1173-2229. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
14. "Railfan". 18 (1). Triple M Publications. December 2011. ISSN 1173-2229. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
15. "Railfan". 17 (4). Triple M Publications. September 2011. ISSN 1173-2229. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
16. "Railfan". 15 (1). Triple M Publications. December 2008. ISSN 1173-2229. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
17. "Railfan". 24 (1). Triple M Publications. December 2017. ISSN 1173-2229. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
18. "Railfan". 19 (2). Triple M Publications. March 2013. ISSN 1173-2229. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
19. "New Zealand Railfan". 9 (3). Triple M Publications. June 2003. ISSN 1173-2229. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
20. "Railfan". 16 (4). Triple M Publications. September 2010. ISSN 1173-2229. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
21. "Railfan". 19 (1). Triple M Publications. December 2012. ISSN 1173-2229. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
22. "Railfan". 16 (3). Triple M Publications. June 2010. ISSN 1173-2229. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
23. "Railfan". 20 (1). Triple M Publications. December 2013. ISSN 1173-2229. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
24. "Railfan". 22 (3). Triple M Publications. June 2016. ISSN 1173-2229. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
25. "Railfan". 23 (2). Triple M Publications. March 2017. ISSN 1173-2229. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
26. "Railfan". 18 (4). Triple M Publications. September 2012. ISSN 1173-2229. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
27. "Railfan". 19 (3). Triple M Publications. June 2013. ISSN 1173-2229. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
28. "Railfan". 16 (1). Triple M Publications. December 2009. ISSN 1173-2229. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
29. "Railfan". 21 (1). Triple M Publications. December 2014. ISSN 1173-2229. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
30. "Railfan". 20 (3). Triple M Publications. June 2014. ISSN 1173-2229. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
31. "Railfan". 16 (2). Triple M Publications. March 2010. ISSN 1173-2229. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
32. "Railfan". 21 (3). Triple M Publications. June 2015. ISSN 1173-2229. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
33. "Railfan". 21 (4). Triple M Publications. September 2015. ISSN 1173-2229. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
34. "Railfan". 18 (2). Triple M Publications. March 2012. ISSN 1173-2229. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
35. "New Zealand Railfan". 10 (1). Triple M Publications. December 2003. ISSN 1173-2229. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
36. "Railfan". 18 (3). Triple M Publications. June 2012. ISSN 1173-2229. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
37. "Railfan". 12 (2). Triple M Publications. March 2006. ISSN 1173-2229. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)