MetzRail Class 4

Class 4 in maroon livery at the Metzettan Transport Museum.

The MetzRail Class 4 is a class of diesel-electric locomotive formerly operated in Metzetta by the publicly-owned MetzRail. A total of 204 were built between 1959 and 1963 by Galko Engine Works. They were the pride of Metzetta's diesel fleet upon their introduction, with regular service ending in 1990; as they slowly lost their position at the forefront of rail technology in the country they found use in freight and secondary passenger capacities. A Class 4 served as the Imperial Train from 1959 until into the 1980s and an early example was shipped to Kiravia as a sign of friendship between nations; not coincidentally, Kiravia and Metzetta share a rail gauge.

Most units were decorated in a maroon and white livery, however a blue and orange look was introduced for units still in passenger service towards the end of their lifetime. The first 5 units were named after Metzettan Emperors.

History

Exports?

Technical details

Class 4 in blue and orange livery on the move.

The Class 4s were of Bo-Bo wheel arrangement and fitted with GEWD Mk. II 1,350 horsepower (1,010 kW) engines. The locomotives were fitted with buckeye couplers as standard and had air brake capability for operation with the Mark 2 coaches. The trains fit the 1,600 mm (5 ft 3 in) gauge used in Metzetta.

List of engines

No.	Name	Date completed	Status	Notes
4000	Daeku	8 May 1959	Preserved	On static display at the Metzettan Transport Museum. Named after Metzetta's 161st Emperor.
4001	Anru	22 May 1959	Scrapped	Scrapped in 1978 by MetzRail after being relegated to shunting duties for several years in Galko Engine Works' yard. Named after Metzetta's 160th Emperor.
4002	Eluwi	8 June 1959	Preserved	Served as the Imperial Train until the 1980s, now preserved inside Jangeomhan Gungjeon. Named after Metzetta's 159th Emperor. Decorated in a special dark livery.
4003	Hotenwo	20 June 1959	Scrapped	Scrapped in 1990 by MetzRail to save space after laying in storage since 1985. Named after Metzetta's 158th Emperor.
4004	Hissano	30 June 1959	Active	Used occasionally for nostalgia rides on special events for rail fans. Named after Metzetta's 157th Emperor. Sometimes appears on TV in shows set in the 60's.
4005	Emperor Ĥ	5 July 1959	Kiravia	Decorated in a special livery matching the Kiravian flag and presented as a gift as a sign of friendship between nations. Named after Kiravia's legendary national founder, who had five testicles and was his own grandfather.
4006	Princess Wendi	10 July 1959	Preserved	Named after Emperor Hotenwo's younger daughter. Decorated in a special dark livery, it served as a backup Imperial Train sometimes used for less urgent royal duties. Preserved inside Jangeomhan Gungjeon.
4007	Princess Hizo	28 July 1959	Scrapped	Named after Emperor Daeku's eldest child, worked on the mainland until 1978 when it was refitted for narrow-gauge track and shipped to Jinju for service there. Eventually stripped in 2002 and used as a novel abode on a local campsite.
4008	Prince Kang	11 August 1959	Scrapped	Named after Empress Anru's youngest child, stripped in 1990 and converted into a small café at a rural station in Mwolla.
4009
4203	Princess Pomewa	5 December 1963	Preserved	Named after Ingun-Hu's eldest child, the last engine produced in the class. MetzRail has kept it in storage since 1989 almost continuously, seldom seen running since but assumed to remain in working order.

Replacement

Class 5 obviously.

Preservation

Numerous Class 4 locomotives survive today; the first unit produced was returned to its original maroon livery and put on display in the Metzettan Transport Museum. Both engines used as Imperial Trains are known to still exist and engine number 4004 is still used today for special rail events as a nostalgia ride and for photo opportunities; this engine is also loaned out for filming when era-appropriate trains are required.