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Media Release - 7 November 2005 One Hundred Years of Diesel Power at MOTAT
The first diesel engines were imported into New Zealand in 1905. In Dunedin, the engines were quickly put to work to solve drainage and sewage problems the growing city had been experiencing over a number of years. Visitors to the new Dunedin Drainage and Sewage Board’s Musselburgh Pumping Station in 1905 were first on hand to see two state of the art Sulzer Diesel engines driving the pumps of the newly built drainage and pumping station. Steam power had been the accepted energy source for over a hundred years but diesel power was a new technology that has continued to develop over the last century. Diesel engines are now the most common engine in the world, powering road transport, ocean shipping, railway, tractors, power generation, pumping and many other transport needs. German engineer Rudolf Diesel first patented his engine idea in 1892 and built a test engine with the encouragement of an engineering firm “Mashinenfabrik Augsburg”. Over the next three years development, testing and modification took place and in 1896 the engine was complete. In 1898, an exhibition was held in Munich to sell the diesel engine to the world. Sulzer Bros of Switzerland was one of a number of firms to buy a license from Diesel. But the firm then waited until the engine was proven before beginning manufacture in 1903. Two engines came to Dunedin in Sulzer’s second batch of engines.
This weekend MOTAT will host a tribute to the Diesel Engine with a display of New Zealand’s first diesel engines and the many that have followed in its footsteps. This weekend to celebrate the birthday of the 100 year old diesel engine there will be free entry to MOTAT 2. This only applies to MOTAT 2 and is for this weekend only. It is MOTAT’s way of saying happy birthday to the 100 year old diesel engine.
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For
more information, including current events and exhibitions, call the MOTAT
Infoline 0800 MOTATNZ (0800 668286)! |
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Just as computers have sounded the death knoll to the typewriter – a hundred years ago the arrival of the diesel engine in New Zealand did the same to the steam engine.
