In 1901 and 1904, the Wellington & Manawatu Railway Company received two 2-6-2 locomotives from Baldwin which were numbered 5 and 18. Both were Vauclain compounds, but had some differences. While the cab of the first one was made of wood, the second one had an all-steel cab. The newer locomotive had a smaller firebox, but a higher boiler pressure. When their operator came to the NZR in 1908, the locomotives became class NC. They were similar to the class N delivered to the NZR from Baldwin from 1885 which were two-cylinder locomotives. The two class NC were retired in 1931 and 1938.