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The Queensland Railways Beyer-Garratt class locomotive was a class of 4-8-2+2-8-4 steam locomotives operated by the Queensland Railways.
A Garratt (also known as Beyer-Garratt) is a type of steam locomotive that is articulated in three parts. Its boiler is mounted on the centre frame, and two steam engines are mounted on separate frames, one on each end of the boiler. Articulation permits larger locomotives to negotiate curves and lighter rails that might restrict large rigid-framed locomotives. Many Garratt designs aimed to double the power of the largest conventional locomotives operating on their railways, thus reducing the need for multiple locomotives and crews.
The initial plan had been to use these engines on the proposed air-conditioned trains that were being designed at the time. This never eventuated, although they did regularly haul The Midlander , mainly between Emerald and Bogantungan for some years. They were used on the Rockhampton Mail and Sunshine Express in the early 1950s. [1]
The first 10 engines were constructed by Beyer, Peacock & Company, Manchester. Owing to a full order book the company subcontracted the remaining 20 to Société Franco-Belge, Raismes, France. [2] [3] [4] [5]
All were painted Midland red and had chrome yellow lining with large QR monograms on the sides of the front tank and bunker. Unfortunately this attractive livery easily discoloured particularly as a result of priming. The engines were not regularly cleaned when relegated to goods train working in latter years and their appearance rapidly deteriorated.
Originally trialled on the Brisbane to Toowoomba line, they were soon withdrawn from this section due to problems with limited clearances in the tunnels. They were used extensively on North Coast Line between Brisbane and Rockhampton. By 1956, this working had become restricted to mainly north of Bundaberg. They did not work north of St Lawrence on the North Coast Line. On the Central West Line they initially ran between Rockhampton and Emerald, and from 1957 their range was extended to Bogantungan.
A few were based at Mayne until 1955 and some at North Bundaberg until 1956, when all were allocated to Rockhampton. In later years they worked Moura coal trains via Mount Morgan, prior to the opening of the short line to Gladstone. One of their last regular tasks was on limestone trains between Tarcoola and Gladstone. Increasing numbers of diesels saw mass withdrawals of these engines. Twenty-two were written off in June 1968.
They were subject to much positive publicity when introduced but failed to live up to all expectations. They were attributed with saving 19,500 miles of assistant and goods engine running on the Bundaberg – Rockhampton – Emerald sections between October 1950 and June 1951. Steaming difficulties were encountered with South Queensland coals; however they performed well on Blair Athol coal. The boilers had a tendency to prime. Limited coal and water capacity caused worries. General overhauls cost about three times those for a B18¼ class.
They had a number of unique features (for QR steam engines) including Ajax air operated butterfly fire doors, Hadfield power reverse gear, speedometers and also flow meters; the latter being fitted to the class in 1955. The outer bogies and inner trucks had roller bearings but the coupled axles have plain bearings. Several engines received fabricated stove pipe chimneys to replace the original cast ones that had been damaged.
No. 1009 was preserved as a static exhibit at the Redbank Locomotive Museum, was taken into North Ipswich Railway Workshops in 1993 and restored to working order. [6] Subsequently, due to a leaking fusible plug, it was taken out of service. [1] [7] Overhaul of the locomotive subsequently started but was halted due to costs.[ citation needed ] In August 2020, it was announced by the Workshops Rail Museum that 1009 has been lent by Queensland Rail to become a permanent exhibition at the museum.
A Garratt locomotive is a type of steam locomotive invented by British engineer Herbert William Garratt that is articulated into three parts. Its boiler, firebox, and cab are mounted on a centre frame or "bridge". The two other parts, one at each end, have a pivot to support the central frame; they consist of a steam engine unit – with driving wheels, trailing wheels, valve gear, and cylinders, and above it, fuel and/or water storage.
Queensland Rail (QR) is a railway operator in Queensland, Australia. Owned by the Queensland Government, it operates local and long-distance passenger services, as well as owning and maintaining rolling stock and approximately 6,600 kilometres (4,101 mi) of track and related infrastructure.
The Tasmanian Government Railways K class was a class of 0-4-0+0-4-0 Garratt locomotives operated by the Tasmanian Government Railways from 1909 – the first Garratt locomotives built.
The London and North Eastern Railway Class U1 was a solitary 2-8-0+0-8-2 Garratt locomotive designed for banking coal trains over the Worsborough Bank, a steeply graded line in South Yorkshire and part of the Woodhead Route. It was both the longest and the most powerful steam locomotive ever to run in Britain. It was built in 1925 with the motion at each end being based on an existing 2-8-0 design. The original number was 2395, and it was renumbered 9999 in March 1946, and then 69999 after nationalisation in 1948, although it retained its cab-side plate bearing its original number throughout its life. The locomotive ran for some time as an oil burner, and was tried out on the Lickey Incline in 1949–1950 and again, after the electrification of its home line, in 1955. These trials were unsuccessful, and so the locomotive was withdrawn in 1955 and scrapped.
The North Coast railway line (NCL) is a 1,681-kilometre (1,045 mi) 1067 mm gauge railway line in Queensland, Australia. It commences at Roma Street station, Brisbane, and largely parallels the Queensland coast to Cairns in Far North Queensland. The line is electrified between Brisbane and Rockhampton. Along the way, the 1680 km railway passes through the numerous towns and cities of eastern Queensland including Nambour, Bundaberg, Gladstone, Rockhampton, Mackay and Townsville. The line though the centre of Rockhampton runs down the middle of Denison Street.
The Australian Standard Garratt (ASG) was a Garratt locomotive designed in Australia during World War II, and used on 3 ft 6 in narrow gauge railway systems in Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia and Tasmania.
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives by wheel arrangement, a 4-6-2+2-6-4 is a Garratt or Union Garratt articulated locomotive using a pair of 4-6-2 engine units back to back, with the boiler and cab suspended between them. The 4-6-2 wheel arrangement of each engine unit has four leading wheels on two axles, usually in a leading bogie, six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles, and two trailing wheels on one axle, usually in a trailing truck. Since the 4-6-2 type is known as a Pacific, the corresponding Garratt type is usually known as a Double Pacific.
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives by wheel arrangement, a 4-8-2+2-8-4 is a Garratt articulated locomotive consisting of a pair of 4-8-2 engine units back to back, with the boiler and cab suspended between them. The 4-8-2 wheel arrangement has four leading wheels on two axles, usually in a leading bogie, eight powered and coupled driving wheels on four axles and two trailing wheels on one axle, usually in a trailing truck. Since the 4-8-2 type is generally known as a Mountain, the corresponding Garratt type is usually known as a Double Mountain.
The New South Wales AD60 class were Beyer-Garratt patent articulated four-cylinder, simple, non-condensing, coal-fired superheated, 4-8-4+4-8-4 heavy goods steam locomotives built by Beyer, Peacock & Company for the New South Wales Government Railways in Australia.
The Queensland Railways C17 class locomotive was a class of 4-8-0 steam locomotives operated by the Queensland Railways.
Frederick Mills was Chief Mechanical Engineer of the Western Australian Government Railways from 1940 until his death in 1949. He was seconded to the Federal Government during World War II and was known throughout his career for designing a number of the influential steam locomotives for operation in Western Australia, including a number of controversial designs. No fewer than four Royal Commissions were held into various aspects of WAGR operations – including an examination of the safety of the Australian Standard Garratt locomotive and other aspects pertinent to its design and development – during his tenure, all of them into issues against which Mills himself fought unceasingly.
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Queensland's railway construction commenced in 1864, with the turning of the first sod of the Main Line by Lady Diamantina Bowen, the wife of Queensland's first governor Sir George Bowen at Ipswich, Queensland, Australia. A narrow gauge of 3 ft 6 in was selected due to cost savings in providing a rail link to Toowoomba. Despite being built with bridges wide enough for standard gauge, and the fact that most other lines did not require heavy earthworks, the gauge remained the Queensland system norm.
The Queensland Railways AC16 class locomotive was a class of 2-8-2 steam locomotives operated by the Queensland Railways.
The South African Railways Class NG G11 2-6-0+0-6-2 of 1919 is a class of narrow gauge steam locomotives.
The Queensland Railways C16 class locomotive is a class of 4-8-0 steam locomotives that was operated by the Queensland Railways.
The South African Railways Class GMA 4-8-2+2-8-4 of 1954 is an articulated steam locomotive.
The Central Western railway line is a railway line in Queensland, Australia. It was opened in a series of sections between 1867 and 1928. It commences at Rockhampton and extends west 863 kilometres (536 mi) to Winton.
Rockhampton Railway Workshops is a heritage-listed railway workshop at 380 Bolsover Street, Depot Hill, Rockhampton Region, Queensland, Australia. It was built from 1915 to 1953. It is also known as Rockhampton Roundhouse. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 21 August 1992.
Media related to Queensland Beyer-Garratt class at Wikimedia Commons