Victorian Railways R class
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 Victorian Railways publicity photograph of R 701, 1951 |
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| Power type | steam |
|---|---|
| Builder | North British Locomotive Company, Glasgow |
| Configuration | 4-6-4 |
| Driver size | 73 in |
| Length | 67 ft 0 in |
| Axle load | 19 t 10 cwt |
| Weight on drivers | 50 t 10 cwt |
| Total weight | 107 t 12 cwt (engine) 79 t 16 cwt (tender) 187 t 8 cwt (total) |
| Tender capacity | 6 t coal, 9,000 gal water |
| Boiler pressure | 210 psi |
| Fire grate area | 42 ft² |
| Heating surface: Total | 2,705 ft² |
| Cylinders | 2 |
| Cylinder size | 21½×28 in (546×711 mm) |
| Tractive effort | 32,080 lbf at 85% boiler pressure |
| Number in class | 70 |
The R class was an express passenger steam locomotive that ran on Victorian Railways from 1951 to 1974. A long overdue replacement for the 1907-era A2 class 4-6-0, they were almost immediately superseded by the introduction of mainline diesel-electric and electric locomotives on the VR from 1952 onwards.
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[edit] History
Within a few years of the introduction of the A2 class 4-6-0 in 1907, it was clear that increasingly heavy train loads would require a more powerful locomotive on principal main lines. From as early as 1918, a series of drawings for potential 4-6-2 'Pacific' type locomotives began to emerge from the VR's locomotive design section, some of which were ultimately developed into the 3 cylinder S class heavy Pacific of 1928. However, plans for a smaller 2 cylinder Pacific, with an axle load below 20 tons to allow operation across the VR mainline network, were put on hold during the 1930s. This was partly due to the decline in traffic and revenue due to the Great Depression, and partly due to the improved power outputs and efficiency from the A2 locomotives after the application of a series of smokebox design and drafting changes referred to as 'Modified Front End' in the mid 1930s.
By 1943 however, the situation had changed. There was a massive increase in traffic brought by the advent of World War II, and the A2s were by this point well past their prime. The VR Locomotive Design Section once again turned their attention to the proposed Pacific replacement. The addition of an automatic stoker, the enlarging of the grate from 37 to 42 square feet for increased performance and the use of heavy bar-frame construction for increased durability significantly increased the projected weight of the locomotive. To keep the axle load below 20 tons, the design by 1944 had changed from a 4-6-2 'Pacific' to a 4-6-4 'Hudson' wheel arrangement.
[edit] Production
An order for 20 locomotives was placed with the VR's Newport Workshops in 1946, but remained unfulfilled for years as shortages of steel and manpower saw other projects (such as the overhaul of badly run-down infrastructure and the building of extra X class goods locomotives) given precedence.
By the late 1940s, the A2 class was at the end of its life, and new motive power was desperately required. Australian Federal Government restrictions on the availability of US dollars (designed to favour trade within the British Empire) precluded the VR from purchasing American diesel-electric locomotives. The VR broke with a long standing policy of in-house locomotive construction and called for tenders to construct an additional 50 R class. The contract was awarded to North British Locomotive Company in Glasgow, Scotland on 21st September 1949. The order was increased to 70 on 12th January 1950 with the cancellation of the original order of 20 locomotives from VR's Newport shops.
Further delays were experienced once the locomotives finally arrived from May 1951 onwards. Corrosion had already set in during their sea voyage as deck cargo from Scotland to Australia, and there were numerous manufacturing defects requiring rectification. R 703 was the first of the class in service, on 27th June 1951.
[edit] Service life
Once the manufacturing defects and corrosion damage were corrected, the R class proved to be a fine locomotive in its intended role of express passenger service. Dynamometer car testing showed they were capable of sustaining around 1800 dbhp, a significant improvement over the A2. They quickly took over virtually all mainline passenger services previously operated by the A2.
Their mechanical stoker, smooth riding characteristics and large, comfortable cab also made them popular with crews.
Their impressive debut was cut short by the introduction of the B class (EMD ML2) diesel electric locomotives from July 1952. By the end of 1953, they had withdrawn from The Overland service to Adelaide and also VR's passenger service to Mildura. The Gippsland line, which was electrified to Traralgon by 1955, was the first line to see the complete withdrawal of the R class from service.
They were pressed into secondary passenger and goods service, roles which for which a large, heavy Hudson with large diameter driving wheels was a less than ideal choice. There was little opportunity to exploit their capability for high power at speed, and their relatively low adhesive weight (less than half of the locomotive unit's overall weight) caused them to slip when starting heavy trains.
The R class is perhaps best remembered in its role as power for the seasonal grain harvest. In times of a good harvest, virtually every available locomotive would be marshalled into service to shift heavy wheat trains from Victoria's Western district through to the ports for export. Double-headed R class locomotives, sometimes aided by a third R acting as banking engine at the rear, could be seen battling the 3 mile, 1 in 50 Warrenheip Bank out of Ballarat.
In the 1960s, as the railway preservation movement began to gather momentum, a small number of R class locomotives found a new role as power for excursion train services. In this role they were able to fulfill their intended role of high speed passenger travel, with speeds of over 80 mph (128 km/h) being recorded.
[edit] Demise
Because they were superseded so early in their lives by more modern forms of traction, and because they spent so much of their remaining lives stored and/or in poor condition, the R class achieved one of the lowest average mileages of any VR locomotive. The lowest mileage was that of R 716, which recorded just 88,909 miles in just four years of service before being withdrawn in 1956 and scrapped in 1962.
As the VR focussed its attention on diesel electric traction, steam locomotive depots were gradually closed down and the remaining steam fleet became a much lower maintenance priority. A particular problem was the lack of feedwater treatment, which saw many R class locomotive boilers condemned for severe corrosion well before the end of their design life.
Scrappings commenced with R 755 in 1960, which had been involved in a serious rear-end collision with a freight train earlier that year, and continued through the decade. By 1970, only seven of the class remained. Of these, only two (R 707 and R 761) were still in operating service, hauling enthusiast specials. Both locomotives were both withdrawn in 1974 as their boiler certificates expired, and with their withdrawal came the end of over a century of mainline passenger steam operation on Victorian Railways.
[edit] West Coast Railways R 711 and R 766
In the late 1990s, two of the remaining R class locomotives were extensively modified by private rail operator West Coast Railway, which had successfully tendered for operation of the Warrnambool railway line in the privatisation of the Victorian passenger rail network. These modifications were part of an ambitious plan to operate regularly scheduled revenue passenger services operating to the same timetable as modern diesel electric locomotives.
In order to ensure the locomotive's ability to reliably keep to the timetable, a number of notable design changes were made. These included the replacement of the original single blastpipe with dual Lempor ejectors, conversion to oil firing, and the addition of a diesel control stand to allow for multiple unit operation with diesel electric locomotives where required.
For a number of years, the modified R class locomotives could be seen in regular operation between Melbourne and Warrnambool. In 2004, West Coast Railways handed back its franchise to operate rail services to the Victorian Government. The two R class locomotives made a final trip back to Newport Workshops, where they passed into the care of Steamrail Victoria.
[edit] Preservation
Seven R class locomotives have survived into preservation.
R 704, which was displayed at the Festival of Britain in 1951 and retained its commemorative plaques, is today preserved at the ARHS North Williamstown Railway Museum.
R 700 and R 711 are currently being restored back to operating condition by Steamrail Victoria, and R 766 is currently being converted from 5 ft 3 in (1600 mm) broad gauge to standard gauge for operation in NSW by the Hunter Valley Railway Trust. R 753 is currently stored out of service in a partially dismantled state.
R 707 is currently in service, operated by 707 Operations Ltd. R 761, operated by Steamrail Victoria, is also in service. These two locomotives regularly haul special passenger services for enthusiasts to various destinations on Victoria's remaining broad gauge network.
[edit] References
- Dee et al, Power Parade, VicRail Public Relations Division, Melbourne, 1981, ISBN 0-7241-3323-2
- Pearce et al, North Williamstown Railway Museum, ARHS, Melbourne, 1980, ISBN 0-85849-018-8
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