Victorian Railways V class (1857)

Last updated

Victorian Railways V class (1857)
Type and origin
Power typeSteam
Builder George England and Co., Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
Serial number142 - 145
Build date1857
Total produced4
Specifications
Configuration:
   Whyte 0-6-0
Gauge 5 ft 3 in (1,600 mm) Victorian broad gauge
Driver dia.5 ft 0 in (1,520 mm) [1]
Tender wheels3 ft 6 in (1.07 m) [1]
Wheelbase 31 ft 11+12 in (9.741 m) [1]
  Coupled15 ft 0 in (4.57 m) [1]
  Tender10 ft 2 in (3.10 m) [1]
Length:
  Over couplers42 ft 8+12 in (13.018 m) [1]
Height13 ft 3 in (4.04 m) [1]
Axle load 10  long tons  12 cwt (23,700 lb or 10.8 t) [2]
Reboilered 1880's: 12  long tons  8 cwt (27,800 lb or 12.6 t) [1]
Loco weight30  long tons  6 cwt (67,900 lb or 30.8 t) [2]
Reboilered 1880's: 30  long tons  8 cwt 2 qr (68,150 lb or 30.91 t) [1]
Tender weight18  long tons  16 cwt (42,100 lb or 19.1 t) [2]
Reboilered 1880's: 19  long tons  2 cwt (42,800 lb or 19.4 t) [1]
Total weight49  long tons  2 cwt (110,000 lb or 49.9 t) [2]
Reboilered 1880's: 49  long tons  10 cwt 2 qr (110,940 lb or 50.32 t) [1]
Fuel capacity60  long cwt (6,700 lb or 3,000 kg) [1]
Water cap.1,646 imp gal (7,480 L; 1,977 US gal) [1]
Firebox:
  Grate area14.81 sq ft (1.376 m2) [2]
Boiler pressureReboilered 1880's: 130  psi (896  kPa)
Heating surface:
  Firebox90.89 sq ft (8.444 m2) [2]
  Tubes1,287.77 sq ft (119.638 m2) [2]
  Total surface1,378.66 sq ft (128 m2) [2]
Cylinders 2, inside
Cylinder size 16 in × 22 in (406 mm × 559 mm) [2]
Performance figures
Tractive effort Reboilered 1880's: 9,386  lbf (41.75  kN) at 100 psi [2]
Career
Operators Victorian Railways
Number in class4
Numbers1-4, Later 2-5, 1860: 11-17 (odd only), 1895: 497
Delivered1858
First run16 September 1858
Last run13 September 1904
(45.7 years)
Withdrawn1891 - 1904
DispositionAll scrapped

The Victorian Railways V class of 1857 was a class of 0-6-0 goods locomotives operated by the Victorian Railways between 1858 and 1904, built by George England and Co., Newcastle upon Tyne, England.

Contents

History

Victorian Railways initially numbered passenger and goods locomotives separately. The goods engines were numbered 1–4 (the first passenger engine was also numbered 1). This was changed to consecutive numbering between June 1859 and March 1860 with the goods locos being numbers 2–5. [3] With the introduction of the J class in 1860, to avoid confusion these were temporarily altered to 2A–5A. The numbering was once again changed in the late 1860's to odd numbers for goods locomotives and even numbers for passenger locos with these locomotives taking the odd numbers 11–17. [3] This odd and even system remained in use until 1912. In 1886, they were allocated to Class V.

Production

The four locomotives were built in 1857 with builder's numbers 142–145 at a cost of £2300, +£900 freight and insurance, for each loco. The first arrived in Port Phillip on 12 May 1858 along with 2-2-2 passenger locomotive No. 1, the remaining three arrived in Port Phillip on 31 May 1858. [4] [3]

Regular service

In addition to regular goods service, some were loaned to contractors, like Cornish & Bruce, for line construction and ballasting purposes. In 1894, it was noted that three were allocated one each to Daylesford, Geelong, and Sale. [3]

Design improvements

Over the years they were fitted with various new cabs. There were also various upgrades over the years; with constant improvements to safety — these including things like updates to safety valves (and domes), brakes, and cowcatchers — and improvements for their useability — handrails and footboards. [3] The original brakes provided was a hand brake on the tender with wood blocks on all six wheels. This was upgraded to steam brakes on the engines in 1884-1886, and at least two (V15 and V17) were later fitted with Westinghouse air brakes [3] .
New boilers with a working pressure of 130psi were fitted, starting with V11 in 1880, and the remaining 3 locomotives in 1884-1885. [3]

Accidents

Demise

All the locomotives were removed from the Victorian Railways register between 1891 and 1904. V13 was sold to an unknown buyer in 1893, then bought back and renumbered 497 (unclassed). [5] [3] V11 was sold in May 1891 to contractor Andrew O'Keefe for £1900($2700). [3] The remaining locomotives were withdrawn in 1904, with the last V15 being withdrawn on 13 September.

Fleet summary

Key:In ServicePreservedStored or withdrawnScrapped
LocomotivePrevious numbersBuilder No.Entered serviceWithdrawnScrappedStatusNotes
V111, 2, 2A142January 1859May 1891ScrappedNew cab - 1880. Sold to O'Keefe (£1900) - May 1891 [3]
V132, 3, 3A143January 18591893-Sold - 1893 [3]
V153, 4, 4A144January 185913 September 1904ScrappedNew chimney - 23 October 1882. Reboilered - 9 May 1884 [3]
V174, 5, 5A145January 18598 August 1904Scrapped [3]
497(ex V13)14412 December 18957 September 1904ScrappedRepurchased by Victorian Railway [3]

References

Specific

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Victorian Railways Rolling Stock Branch: Diagrams & Particulars of Locomotives, Cars, Vans & Trucks (1904 ed.). Vic: Victorian Railways. 1904. p. 11.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Cave, Norman; Buckland, John; Beardsell, David (2002). Steam Locomotives of the Victorian Railways. Vol. 1: The First Fifty Years. Melbourne, Vic: ARHS Victoria Division. p. 22. ISBN   1876677384.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 Cave, Norman; Buckland, John; Beardsell, David (2002). "Chapter 3". Steam Locomotives of the Victorian Railways. Vol. 1: The First Fifty Years. Melbourne, Vic: ARHS Victoria Division. ISBN   1876677384.
  4. "George England Locos" . Retrieved 17 November 2014.
  5. Oberg, Leon (2010). Locomotives of Australia 1854–2010 (5th ed.). Dural, NSW: Rosenberg Publishing. p. 17. ISBN   978-1921719011.