The DFB class was originally built by EMD in Canada in 1979 and rebuilt in 1990s as DFT with recent upgrade with Brightstar etc. 126 is the only daylight train on the rustic and rugged North Auckland Line to Whangarei.
Trains on 3' 6" (1.067m) track from Whangarei to Bluff with virtually heritage rebuilt EMD and GE locomotives still the mainstay power. The network was privatized in 1990's and operated by Toll until 2008 when state owned KiwiRail was established.