Silverton Tramway W class

Last updated

Silverton Tramway W class
BrokenHillSilvertonTramwayLocomotive.JPG
W24 Malcolm Moore at Sulphide Street Museum
in August 2009
Type and origin
Power typeSteam
Designer Frederick Mills
Beyer, Peacock & Co
BuilderBeyer, Peacock & Co
Serial number7418-7419, 7553-7554
Build date1951
Total produced4
Specifications
Configuration:
   Whyte 4-8-2
Gauge 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
Driver dia.4 ft 0 in (1,219 mm)
Length61 ft 10.9 in (18.87 m)
Total weight102  long tons  0 cwt (228,500 lb or 103.6 t)
Fuel type Coal
Water cap.3,000 imp gal
(14,000 L; 3,600 US gal)
Tender cap.5 long tons 0 cwt (11,200 lb or 5.1 t)
Firebox:
  Grate area27 sq ft (2.5 m2)
Boiler pressure200 lbf/in2 (1.38 MPa)
Cylinder size 16 in × 24 in (406 mm × 610 mm)
Valve gear Walschaerts
Loco brake Westinghouse air
Performance figures
Tractive effort 21,760 lbf (96.79 kN)
Factor of adh. 4.43
Career
Operators Silverton Tramway Company
NumbersW22–W25
Last run1961
PreservedW22, W24, W25
Disposition3 preserved, 1 scrapped

The Silverton Tramway W class was a class of 4-8-2 steam locomotives operated by the Silverton Tramway Company.

Contents

History

In January 1949, the Silverton Tramway Company ordered two 4-8-2 locomotives from Beyer, Peacock & Co, Manchester, to the same design as the Western Australian Government Railways W class. A further two were ordered in November 1950. [1] [2]

All four arrived at Port Pirie in October 1951 and, after final assembly, moved to Broken Hill in a convoy, with two in steam. Until 1953, all were hired to the South Australian Railways on a rotating basis, operating services out of Peterborough, until the South Australian Railways 400 class locomotives were delivered. [2] [3]

The Silverton W class differed from the WAGR examples in having a skyline cowling running the length of the boiler and smokebox, Westinghouse air brakes, and an additional blow-down valve in the middle of the bottom of the boiler barrel. [1] [2] [3]

When the 48s class diesels arrived in 1961, the W class locomotives were retired, after only 10 years in service. They remained in store until disposed of in 1970, with three now preserved. The Pichi Richi Railway has a locomotive operating as W22, although it is actually W916 masquerading as W22, including some parts from the latter. [2] [4]

Class list

NumberNameBuilder's numberImageNotes
W22Justin Hancock7418 Silverton Tramway W22 Quorn 4 July 2020.jpg preserved by Puffing Billy Railway, Melbourne until 1999, moved to Pichi Richi Railway used for spares in the restoration of W916 as W22 [4] [5]
W23Thomas B Birkbeck7419scrapped 1970
W24Malcolm Moore7552 Silverton W24, SSR&HM, 2017 (01).jpg preserved Sulphide Street Museum [6]
W25HF (Gerry) Walsh7553 Silverton Tramway W25 National Railway Museum, Port Adelaide 16 May 2021.jpg preserved National Railway Museum, Port Adelaide [7] [8]

References

  1. 1 2 Gunzburg, Adrian (1984). A History of WAGR Steam Locomotives. Perth: Australian Railway Historical Society. p. 136. ISBN   0-9599690-3-9.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Oberg, Leon (2010). Locomotives of Australia 1850s-2010. Dural: Rosenberg Publishing. pp. 251–253. ISBN   9781921719011.
  3. 1 2 McNicol, Steve (1981). Silverton Tramway Locomotives. Elizabeth Downs: Railmac Publications. pp. 17/18. ISBN   0-959415-30-0.
  4. 1 2 W22 Australian Steam
  5. Trial runs of steam locomotive W22 Justin Hancock Pichi Richi Railway 6 April 2003
  6. W24 Australian Steam
  7. HF (Gerry) Walsh National Railway Museum
  8. W25 Australian Steam