Victorian Railways E class

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Victorian Railways E class
Maldon loco.jpg
Static Victorian Railways 0-6-2 E class tank engine at Maldon, Victoria.
Type and origin
Power typesteam
BuilderVR Newport Workshops
Specifications
Configuration:
   Whyte 2-4-2 (71) & 0-6-2 (5), later 24x 2-4-2 converted to 0-6-2.
Gauge 5 ft 3 in (1,600 mm)

The pattern suburban E class tank loco was built by Kitson & Co of Leeds, England, in 1888 and was a typical British tank engine of the 2-4-2 wheel arrangement. The original loco, named "Tasmania" by the builder, was displayed in the Centennial International Exhibition in the Melbourne Exhibition Buildings in 1888. [1]

Contents

There were seventy-one engines in the class, numbered 426 (pattern engine), 346 to 394 (even numbers, Phoenix Foundry), 12, 34, 36, 428 to 460 (even numbers, Phoenix Foundry) and 472 to 520 (even numbers, David Munro). [1]

Five additional engines were delivered from Phoenix as EE class 462, 464, 466, 468 and 470, with a new wheel arrangement of 0-6-2T explicitly for shunting use. Following their evaluation, engines 482 and 496 in 1898, followed by 490 and 478 in 1906-1907, were converted to the same format although the latter two used 170psi boilers and 18-inch cylinders in lieu of the earlier 140psi boilers and 17-inch cylinders. [1]

The pattern engine was withdrawn in 1915, and two further units in 1917.

As Melbourne's suburban electrification project progressed the 2-4-2 tank engines were quickly rendered obsolete. In the period 1919-1923, 20 engines were converted to match the nine existing shunters' 0-6-2T configuration (all bar 494 upgraded to 18-inch cylinders), while a further 25 were withdrawn. Of the latter group, twenty were sold to the South Australian Railways to become their second M class. [1] An additional 18 engines were withdrawn in 1924, leaving only a single 2-4-2T type in service.

In the 1923 locomotive renumbering scheme the EE class engines were reclassified in the 350-379 group. By 1929 this had expanded to 390 and the group was reclassified E. [1]

The original E class 2-4-2T type engines were intended to take numbers 236-245 without a class letter, but as above only one engine survived long enough to have the new number applied; thus 506 became 236. [1]

Class table

BuilderNo.TypeOn RegisterEConvertRenumberNew EE no.Reclass as ESold to SARNew M no.Off RegisterNotes
Kitson30882-4-2T18894261915Pattern engine
Phoenix2512-4-2T18893461920Damaged in accident 1891. Phoenix No.252 was not of this class.
Phoenix2532-4-2T18893481923192338019291959
Phoenix2542-4-2T18893501920256
Phoenix2552-4-2T18893521920262
Phoenix2562-4-2T18903541924
Phoenix2572-4-2T18903561917
Phoenix2582-4-2T18903581924
Phoenix2592-4-2T18903601924
Phoenix2602-4-2T18903621922-36219311954
Phoenix2612-4-2T18903641922-364Unknown [1] 1955Collision with engine M 316, 1903
Phoenix2622-4-2T18903661921267
Phoenix2632-4-2T18903681924Accident 1890, derailed 1900, collision 1902
Phoenix2642-4-2T18903701922-37019291959
Phoenix2652-4-2T18903721920257Fitted with Gibson patented link-motion 1893; in Richmond 1908 accident
Phoenix2662-4-2T18903741921-37419301961At Ararat 1915-1916; first engine (with E386) painted red and chocolate livery in 1903.
Phoenix2672-4-2T18903761921-37619301955
Phoenix2682-4-2T18903781922-378Unknown [1] 1951
Phoenix2692-4-2T18903801921268
Phoenix2702-4-2T18903821920
Phoenix2712-4-2T18903841921269
Phoenix2722-4-2T18903861921270First engine (with E374) painted red and chocolate livery in 1903.
Phoenix2732-4-2T18903881924
Phoenix2742-4-2T1890390Unknown [1] -390Unknown</ref>1955Assume upgraded, else it would have been renumbered 237-245 range?
Phoenix2752-4-2T18903921920
Phoenix2762-4-2T18903941924
Phoenix2902-4-2T1892121924
Phoenix2912-4-2T1892341921192535019291953
Phoenix2922-4-2T1892361921266
Phoenix2932-4-2T18924281922192535119291954
Phoenix2942-4-2T18924301921271
Phoenix2952-4-2T18924321924
Phoenix2962-4-2T18924341920258
Phoenix2972-4-2T189243619231923377Unknown [1] 1962
Phoenix2982-4-2T18934381923192338119291954Casualty at Jolimont 1901 with E 494
Phoenix2992-4-2T18934401920263
Phoenix3002-4-2T18934421924Ran off end of siding, Hawthorn, 1899
Phoenix3012-4-2T18934441924
Phoenix3022-4-2T18934461920264
Phoenix3032-4-2T18934481924
Phoenix3042-4-2T18934501920
Phoenix3052-4-2T18934521920259
Phoenix3062-4-2T18934541920192335219311954
Phoenix3072-4-2T18934561921272
Phoenix3082-4-2T18934581921273
Phoenix3092-4-2T18934601917
Phoenix3100-6-2T1893462As built19233531929195417in cylinders from new.
Phoenix3110-6-2T1893464As built19233551929195617in cylinders from new.
Phoenix3120-6-2T1893466As built19233561929195417in cylinders from new.
Phoenix3130-6-2T1893468As built19233571929196017in cylinders from new. Ran into North Melbourne Depot turntable pit
Phoenix3140-6-2T1893470As built19233591929193717in cylinders from new.
Munro012-4-2T18924721924
Munro022-4-2T18924741924Ran through South Yarra floods 1907
Munro032-4-2T18924761924
Munro042-4-2T18924781907192336119291954EE upgrade used 18in cylinders. Ran off end of siding at Ringwood and overturned, 1908
Munro052-4-2T18924801924Fitted with Gibson patented link-motion 1893
Munro062-4-2T189248218981924363Unknown [1] 1955EE upgrade used 17in cylinders; 18in cylinders fitted in 1929. Collision with engine R 324, 1927
Munro072-4-2T18924841921192436519301954
Munro082-4-2T189248619201924366Unknown [1] 1956
Munro092-4-2T18924881924Damaged in Newport Yards 1896
Munro102-4-2T189249019061923367Unknown [1] 1956EE upgrade used 18in cylinders.
Munro112-4-2T18924921921274
Munro122-4-2T18924941919192336919311962EE upgrade used 17in cylinders. Accident with E 438 at Jolimont 1901 and Richmond 1908
Munro132-4-2T18924961898192337119291966EE upgrade used 17in cylinders; 18in cylinders fitted in 1929.
Munro142-4-2T18934981920192537219311959
Munro152-4-2T18935001920Accident at Spencer Street Station 1910
Munro162-4-2T18935021924
Munro172-4-2T18935041920260
Munro182-4-2T1893506PreservedRenumbered 236 (unclassed) in 1923
Munro192-4-2T18935081920265
Munro202-4-2T18935101922192437319291956Broken connecting rod pierced boiler, 1899
Munro212-4-2T18935121924
Munro222-4-2T18945141923192337919311962Hauled royal train from Port Melbourne, 1901
Munro232-4-2T18945161920261
Munro242-4-2T189451819201922375Unknown [1] 1955
Munro252-4-2T18945201921275

Retirements and preservation

E359 was the first of the 0-6-2T type engines taken off register in November 1937 but the others remained on register until the 1950s, with six lasting into the early 1960s.

The last original engine, No.236, was retained as a shunter at Newport Workshops until its withdrawal in 1953. It was then stored for almost a decade until being allocated to the then-newly-established ARHS Railway Museum in Newport, Victoria as one of their first display pieces.

The last two in service, numbers 369 and 371, finished their working lives as yard pilots at Newport Workshops until 1972, when they were retired. E369 was allocated to the ARHS for static display at the Newport Railway Museum, while attempts were made in the 1980s to restore E371, initially at Steamrail's tarp shop facility and later at the Spotswood reclamation depot. However, the engine was found to have taken significant damage during its career, including damage to the frame and boiler that would be prohibitively expensive to rectify; in short, it would likely be cheaper to construct a new locomotive from scratch. Given that, E371 was cosmetically reassembled and transferred to the Victorian Goldfields Railway (VGR). It is now a static display outside Maldon station.

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Cave, N.; Buckland, J.; Beardsell, D. (2002). Steam Locomotives of the Victorian Railways. Vol. 1: The First 50 Years. pp. 150–158. ISBN   1876677384.