The ‘Tranz Alpine’ crosses the Crooked River Bridge at Te Kinga on October 25, 2023. Immediately behind the Class DXC locos Nos. 5391 and 5460 are two ex-BR Mk.2s – luggage van No. AKS5868 and kitchen car No. AKL6112.
ROBERT SWEET
THREE ex-BR Mk.2 airconditioned coaches have been converted into kitchen cars by New Zealand rail operator Kiwi Rail.
The vehicles, now classified as AKL, were formerly KiwiRail Nos. 5796, 5967 & 6112 (retaining their old BR numbers) used for suburban services around Auckland prior to replacement by EMUs. The conversion to a kitchen car has involved reskinning the carriage, removing the windows plus one set of the side doors that were added when the carriages were converted for suburban use in Auckland in the late 1990s.