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 Z1152 just after entering service on 24 November 1953 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The Western Australian Government Railways (WAGR) Z class was a class consisting of three lightweight six-wheeled diesel-mechanical locomotives which were active in Western Australia from November 1953 to January 1983 and which have since been preserved.
Ordered in 1951 [1] by the WAGR as part of its post-war rehabilitation program, the Z class was ordered from the Drewry Car Company at a cost of £12,000 per locomotive, [2] with their construction being subcontracted to Robert Stephenson and Hawthorn Ltd (RSH) of Newcastle, England. [3] After the locomotives were built they were shipped from Britain to Australia, with Z1151 arriving at Fremantle harbor on 26 September 1953. [4] [5] The remaining two Z class locomotives would arrive around five weeks later, [4] where after they, alongside Z1151, would enter service with the WAGR in November 1953. [6] [7] This was despite the fact that their delivery date had originally being set for September 1952. [1]
After entering service with the WAGR they were assigned to works as shunters on the jetty's and wharfs at Busselton, Bunbury and other ports. [2] [8] [5] They were capable of working for 22 hours per day, operating in three shifts, and alongside this could operate for five days on a single fuel tank. [2]
By January 1954 the Z class were considered to have proven their worth to the WAGR. [2] All three Z class locomotives were withdrawn from service in January 1983 and subsequently were sold into preservation. [3]
After being withdrawn from service by the WAGR in January 1983 all three Z class locomotives were sold into preservation.
The first member of the class, Z1151, would be sold to the Steamtown Peterborough Railway Preservation Society while the third, Z1153, was sold to the Boulder Loopline Railway. [3]
The second member of the class, Z1152, would be sold to the Hotham Valley Railway (HVR) and was used by them on work trains during the rehabilitation of the Dwellingup - Etmilyn section of track throughout 1985–86. In June 2003 a request was made to the HVR by Works Infrastructure (E.D.I) to allow the for the use of Z1152 to assist in the construction of the new Urban Rail Car Depot at Nowergup on the new extension of the Northern Suburbs Railway and was transferred by road to Nowergup which was not connected by rail at time of movement. [3]
After the return of Z1152 to the HVR, the locomotive has seen use as the shunter at Pinjarra depot. [3]
The Z class is a lightweight diesel locomotive, weighing in at 15.13 tonnes (14.89 long tons; 16.68 short tons), which utilizes an 0-6-0 wheel arrangement and which is powered by a Gardner 8LW four-stroke eight cylinder in-line water-cooled diesel engine rated at 140 horsepower. The Gardner 8LW uses 110 mm (4.33 in) × 150 mm (5.91 in) cylinders and has a displacement of 11.16 L (2.45 imp gal; 2.95 US gal) while producing its power in the 600-1700 RPM range. [9]
Furthermore, the class uses a mechanical transmission, with the power being transmitted to the six driving wheels via external coupling rods. The class' braking system uses air for the locomotive and vacuum for the train. The class' maximum speed is 28 km/h (17 mph) and is capable of producing a tractive effort of 38.21 kN when starting. [3]
| Number | Serial – RSH | Serial – Drewry | Status | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Z1151 | 7736 | 2401 | Static Display | Steamtown, Peterborough, South Australia |
| Z1152 | 7737 | 2402 | Operational | Hotham Valley Railway, Pinjarra |
| Z1153 | 7738 | 2403 | Stored | Boulder Loopline Railway, Kalgoorlie |
Pichi Richi Railway is a 39 kilometres narrow-gauge heritage railway in the southern Flinders Ranges of South Australia between Quorn and Port Augusta. For much of its length the line lies in the picturesque Pichi Richi Pass, where the line was completed in 1879 as work proceeded north to build a railway to the "Red Centre" of Australia – the Central Australia Railway.
The Hotham Valley Tourist Railway is a tourist and heritage railway in the Peel region of Western Australia.
The Steamtown Peterborough Railway Preservation Society Inc. was a not-for-profit incorporated society that operated a heritage steam railway from Peterborough, South Australia, north along a section of the Peterborough to Quorn railway line, between 1977 and 2002. The society based its operations on the former South Australian Railways roundhouse at Peterborough and purpose-built sheds and yard at Peterborough West.
The Drewry Car Co was a railway locomotive and railcar manufacturer and sales organisation from 1906 to 1984. At the start and the end of its life it built its own products, for the rest of the time it sold vehicles manufactured by sub-contractors. It was separate from the lorry-builder, Shelvoke & Drewry, but it is believed that James Sidney Drewry was involved with both companies.
The WAGR X class is a now-withdrawn class of diesel locomotives built by Beyer, Peacock & Company and Metropolitan-Vickers, Bowesfield Works, Stockton-on-Tees for the Western Australian Government Railways (WAGR) between 1954 and 1956. Several members of the class have been preserved.
The Y class was a class of 18 diesel locomotives built by British Thomson-Houston and Clayton Equipment Company for the Western Australian Government Railways between 1953 and 1955. British Thomson-Houston supplied the electrical control equipment but the mechanical work, assembly and testing was carried out by Clayton Equipment Company at their premises in Hatton, Derbyshire. The locomotives carried separate builders plates for each company.
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The WAGR W class is a class of 4-8-2 steam locomotives operated by the Western Australian Government Railways (WAGR) between 1951 and 1972.
The Western Australian Government Railways operated many unique steam, diesel and electric locomotive classes. Often suffering from lack of available funds the WAGR locomotive fleet often consisted of locomotives far older than their expected operational life. Only one electric locomotive was operated by the government during the WAGR years.
The WAGR V class was the last class of steam locomotive to enter service with the Western Australian Government Railways (WAGR). The class was part of the post war regeneration plan for the WAGR, intended for the heavy coal traffic between the Collie coal fields and Perth.
The K class are a class of diesel locomotives built by English Electric, Rocklea for the Western Australian Government Railways between 1966 and 1969.
The H class was a class of two steam locomotives operated by the Western Australian Government Railways (WAGR) introduced in 1889.
The J class are a class of diesel locomotives built by Clyde Engineering, Granville, for the Western Australian Government Railways in 1966.
The G class were a class of diesel locomotives built by English Electric, Rocklea for the Midland Railway of Western Australia in 1963. They were later sold to the Western Australian Government Railways.
The F class were a class of diesel locomotives built by English Electric, Rocklea for the Midland Railway of Western Australia in 1958. They were later sold to the Western Australian Government Railways.
The M/MA class are a class of diesel-hydraulic locomotives built by Walkers Limited, Maryborough for the Western Australian Government Railways in 1972–1973.
The WAGR E class was a two-member class of 2-4-4-2T double-Fairlie locomotives operated by the Western Australian Government Railways (WAGR) between 1881 and 1892.
The WAGR D class was a single member class of 0-4-0ST tank locomotive operated by the Western Australian Government Railways (WAGR) from 1884 until 1903.
The Tasmanian Government Railways V class are a class of diesel locomotives operated by the Tasmanian Government Railways.
WAGR G class G233 Leschenault Lady is a preserved 2-6-0 steam locomotive, built in 1898 by James Martin & Co of Gawler, South Australia, for the Western Australian Government Railways (WAGR). It is the third oldest Australian-built steam locomotive still in operational order, after Victorian Railways Y class 112 and WAGR A class 15.
| Steam tender (1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)) |    | |
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| Steam tank (narrow gauge) | ||
| Steam Garratt (narrow gauge) | ||
| Diesel-hydraulic (narrow gauge) | ||
| Diesel-mechanical (narrow gauge) | ||
| Diesel-electric (narrow gauge) | ||
| Diesel-electric (standard gauge) | ||