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 T251 at Jamestown in 1967 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The South Australian Railways T class was a class of {{whyte|4-8-0]] steam locomotives operated by the South Australian Railways. Several were sold to the Tasmanian Government Railways; some others operated on the Commonwealth Railways.
Between 1903 and 1917, the South Australian Railways (SAR) placed 78 T class locomotives into service. They were built by Islington Railway Workshops (4), James Martin & Co, Gawler (34) and Walkers Limited, Maryborough (40). They were initially deployed to work on the narrow-gauge lines between Cockburn (on the Broken Hill line), and between Terowie, Peterborough and Port Pirie. Later, they operated across the SAR narrow-gauge network, including on the isolated Port Lincoln Division. [1] [2]
The T class were versatile: although designed for freight and ore traffic, the class was also used on so-called "express" passenger services, including the East-West passenger service connecting with the Trans-Australian via Quorn until 1937, and on mixed (combined passenger and freight) services and shunting. [3] : 4-93
For more than 50 years the T class the backbone of the SAR's narrow-gauge motive power. As smaller SAR narrow-gauge locomotives were withdrawn in the 1920s, the T class became dominant until the early 1950s, when they were gradually superseded by the 400 class Garratt locomotives on the Barrier ore traffic and, in the 1960s, by 830 class diesel-electrics. The need to convert the latter locomotives from narrow to standard gauge in readiness for the opening of the new Broken Hill line resulted in many of the steam locomotives being released from storage to haul ore trains in 1968–69. [3] : 4-91
During their life, T class locomotives were improved with additional equipment, resulting in dramatic visual changes from the original, well-proportioned locomotive with clean lines to a form that appeared much larger and more purposeful if not slightly eccentric. [3] : 4-91 The locomotives' features were based on the successful but smaller Y class. Although designed and first built at the SAR's Islington Works, their styling reflected the strong influence of Beyer, Peacock and Company, the British designers and builders of the railway's earlier narrow-gauge classes. They had steel plate frames, Stephenson valve gear between them, piston valves, and two outside cylinders. The front section of the footplate was inclined, enabling it to clear the inclined cylinders. The locomotive itself adopted a somewhat British appearance with its clean parallel Belpaire boiler, ornate copper-topped chimney, inclined cylinders and a single large steam dome. Later on, its appearance became more utilitarian. Equipment was fitted to the top of the boiler and footplate, the chimneys were replaced with a plain "stovepipe" version, and the pilots (cowcatchers), originally made from tubes, were replaced with steel plate versions. The additional equipment included headlamp, Westinghouse air brake pump, snifter valve, blowdown muffler, air compressor exhaust muffler, re-railing jacks, larger sandboxes, and eight lead adhesion blocks (weights fitted to the footplates). The smokebox was extended in two stages to, first, accommodate a superheater header and, later, a front-end cyclone spark arrestor. All but two T class locomotives received the final extension, giving them a characteristically ungainly, "front-heavy" appearance. The greatly increased height of the extended tender sides and fuel oil tank that towered over the cab produced an appearance distinctly different from the original version. [3] : 4-92
In 1920–21, six were sold to the Tasmanian Government Railways, retaining their T class classification. All were withdrawn between 1957 and 1961. [2] [4] [5]
In 1922–23, five were converted at Islington Works from 1067 mm (3 ft 6 in) to 1600 mm (5 ft 3 in) gauge to run on the lightly laid Murraylands branch lines out of Tailem Bend; they were reclassified as the Tx class. In 1949 all were converted back to narrow gauge. Between 1925 and 1939 all remaining 78 locomotives were upgraded to superheated boilers. [2] [5]
During the Second World War, four T class locomotives were sold to the Commonwealth Railways and reclassified as the NMA class. However, the agreement was almost immediately reversed in favour of hiring 32 T class locomotives to operate from Terowie and Quorn to Alice Springs on the Central Australia Railway. Commonwealth Railways employees crewed the locomotives and the SAR undertook servicing and maintenance. Hiring continued post-war for the clean-up of military equipment and removal of wartime infrastructure on the Alice Springs line. T class locomotives were also hired for the Leigh Creek coal traffic until the completion of the Port Augusta to Brachina section of the Marree standard gauge line in 1956. [3] : 4-96
For some time after 1954, the T class locomotives were regularly scheduled to double-head The Ghan northbound from Quorn complemented by a single NSU class diesel-electric locomotive. This operation extended as far as Telford, where the T class was detached and returned on a double-headed Leigh Creek coal train, usually with another T class. In 1956, a new standard-gauge line to Telford opened and the narrow-gauge line was severed, extending only as far as Hawker. Leigh Creek coal and other traffic was thereafter transported over the standard gauge. After January 1961, the Commonwealth Railways hired T class locomotives to operate over the 66 kilometres (41 miles) Quorn-to-Hawker route – an arrangement that continued until the last revenue movement on the line in January 1970. [3] : 4-98 At the same time the last were withdrawn from the Broken Hill line when it was converted to standard gauge. [6]
As of 2022 [update] , six T class locomotives were preserved – of which four were on static display, T186 was being overhauled and T251 was operational:
| Number | Owner | Status | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| T181 | Sulphide Street Railway and Historical Museum | Static display outdoors | Broken Hill, NSW [7] |
| T186 | Pichi Richi Railway | Being overhauled for return to operation | Quorn, SA [8] [9] |
| T199 | District Council of Peterborough | Static display indoors | Steamtown Heritage Rail Centre, Peterborough, SA [10] |
| T224 | National Trust of South Australia | Static display under cover | Millicent Museum, SA [11] [12] |
| T251 | Bellarine Railway | Operational | Queenscliff, Victoria [13] |
| T253 | History Trust of South Australia | Static display indoors | National Railway Museum, Port Adelaide, SA [14] [15] |
The 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.
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 4-8-0 represents the wheel arrangement of four leading wheels on two axles, usually in a leading truck or bogie, eight powered and coupled driving wheels on four axles and no trailing wheels. In North America and in some other countries the type was usually known as the Twelve-wheeler.
The first railway in colonial South Australia was a line from the port of Goolwa on the River Murray to an ocean harbour at Port Elliot, which first operated in December 1853, before its completion in May 1854.
The London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS) Hughes Crab or Horwich Mogul is a class of mixed-traffic 2-6-0 steam locomotive built between 1926 and 1932. They are noted for their appearance with large steeply-angled cylinders to accommodate a restricted loading gauge.
South Australian Railways (SAR) was the statutory corporation through which the Government of South Australia built and operated railways in South Australia from 1854 until March 1978, when its non-urban railways were incorporated into Australian National, and its Adelaide urban lines were transferred to the State Transport Authority.
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 South Australian Railways 400 class was a class of 4-8-2+2-8-4 articulated steam locomotives built in France in 1952 and 1953 under licence to Beyer, Peacock & Co. Ltd, Manchester, UK. The locomotives mainly hauled ore on the 3 ft 6 in narrow gauge line from the SA/NSW border to smelters at Port Pirie until 1963, when they were replaced by diesel locomotives. They also operated on the lines to Terowie and Quorn. Some locomotives were returned to service in 1969 while narrow gauge diesel locomotives were converted to 4 ft 8+1⁄2 instandard gauge. Subsequently some were stored at Peterborough before being scrapped.
The South African Railways Class 19 4-8-2 of 1928 was a steam locomotive.
The South African Railways Class NG G16 2-6-2+2-6-2 was a narrow gauge steam locomotive.
The South African Railways Class NG G11 2-6-0+0-6-2 of 1919 is a narrow gauge steam locomotives.
The South African Railways Class 8B 4-8-0 of 1903 was a steam locomotive from the pre-Union era in Transvaal Colony.
The South Australian Railways Y class was a class of narrow gauge steam locomotives operated by the South Australian Railways.
The South African Railways Class NG6 4-4-0 of 1895 was an ex-Mozambican narrow-gauge steam locomotive from the Beira Railway era.
The South African Railways Class NG G12 2-6-2+2-6-2 of 1927 was an articulated narrow-gauge steam locomotive.
The South African Railways Class MH 2-6-6-2 of 1915 was an articulated Mallet-design steam locomotive.
The South Australian Railways W and Wx class was a class of 2-6-0 steam locomotives operated by the South Australian Railways. Some were used by the Commonwealth Railways in the Northern Territory and by contractors.
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South Australian Railways locomotives 1, 2 and 3, the first locomotives delivered to the railway, arrived in time for deployment on the soon-to-be-opened Adelaide to Port Adelaide line. Built in 1855 by William Fairbairn & Sons in Manchester, UK, they arrived at Port Adelaide on the brig Theodore in November 1855, and were unloaded in January 1856; they were assembled and placed service in the succeeding three months. They were named Adelaide, Victoria and Albert but were numbered only after many years, and a locomotive class was never assigned to them.
Eighteen South Australian Railways K class (broad-gauge) locomotives were built by Beyer, Peacock and Company for the South Australian Railways (SAR) between 1878 and 1884. Despite having a fundamental design flaw that affected their original role as light-line passenger locomotives, they eventually performed shunting duties exclusively. They operated for six decades.
The South Australian Railways O Class (2nd) locomotive was a 4-4-0WT built by Robert Stephenson and Company in 1868 for the Launceston and Western Railway Company. It entered service with the South Australian Railways in 1912 and was cut up in 1930.