Ab608, built by the New Zealand Railways Addington Workshops (maker's no. 163/15), was the first of the class when it went into service in October 1915. The Ab class went on to become the most numerous class of steam locomotive to run in New Zealand, totalling 151 locomotives by the late 1950s.

In 1925 Gordon Coates (the Minister of Railways) agreed to name a steam locomotive 'in memory of those members of the New Zealand Railways who fell in the Great War'. Ab608 was the locomotive selected to carry the name, 'Passchendaele'.

The locomotive was retired in October 1967 when its boiler required heavy repairs. By the time it was withdrawn from service, Ab608 had steamed more than 2.4 million kilometres. It was subsequently given to the New Zealand Railway and Locomotive Society (http://www.railsoc.org.nz) for preservation, arriving at Ferrymead in 1978. It has been restoration by Steam Incorporated (http://www.steaminc.org.nz) at Paekakariki, north of Wellington, and is frequently seen on excursions throughout NZ.

This Limited Edition print (based on a pencil drawing) is personally signed and numbered by the artist and is printed on A3 size silk finish 180gsm paper suitable for framing. The paper is archival quality (said to last for 200 years).

Note: the A3 print is of a much higher quality - the accompanying image has been reduced to deter copying and does not do the art work justice.

Check out my other art on TradeMe.