The rusted remains of an old steam locomotive built in 1907 were unearthed when Solid Energy was working on a new coal-mining area at Ohai recently.
The remains of the locomotive, belived to be a Hudswell Clarke, built in the United Kingdom, were uncovered at the site of Ohai's old Wairaki No1 underground mine while the state-owned coal miner was stripping the overburden in preparation for mining the coal.
Solid Energy Southland mine manager Antony Stodart said the narrow-gauge engine was probably dumped and buried in the 1940s.
Records showed the engine's boiler was inspected and originally registered in Canterbury, with the machine working at Glentunnel, Canterbury, for the Homebush Coal Co, Mr Stodart said.
It was sold to the Nightcaps Coal Co in 1916, where it was used until the company's operations ended in 1923. It was then sent to the Black Lion Coal Co in Ohai in 1924 and was known to have worked into the early 1930s. No decision had been made about the machine's fate, he said.
''We have what we think is an original photograph of the machine, with the name Dunedin on it, so it would be good if a local organisation was interested in restoring it,'' Mr Stodart said.
''As far as we can tell, the only New Zealand example of a restored Hudswell Clarke is Oamaru Steam and Rail's 1924 engine.
''It would be good if someone was able to restore it because, as well as making steam engines, Hudswell Clarke made a lot of other mining equipment, so there's a strong industry connection.''
Inquiries to Mr Stodart, (03) 208-8600.
