NZR X class
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| NZR X class | |
| Power type | Steam |
|---|---|
| Builder | NZGR Addington Workshops |
| Build date | 1908 (2), 1909 (6), 1913 (2), 1914 (7), 1915 (1) |
| Configuration | 4-8-2 |
| Gauge | 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) |
| Length | 56 ft 9 ¾ in |
| Total weight | Original: 94 tons Rebuild: 95.15 tons |
| Fuel type | Coal |
| Tender capacity | Coal: Original 4 tons Rebuild: 5 tons 2200 gallons water |
| Boiler pressure | Original: 230 lbf/in² (1.59 MPa) Rebuild: 215 lbf/in² (1.48 MPa) |
| Top speed | 30 mph (50 km/h) |
| Tractive effort | Original: 26,620 lbf Rebuild: 29,500 lbf |
| Career | New Zealand Railways, Ohai Railway Board |
| Number in class | 18 |
| Number | 439–446 588–597 |
| Locale | North Island Main Trunk |
| First run | 1901–1902 |
| Retired | 1935–1950 |
| Disposition | Withdrawn, one preserved |
The NZR X class was a pioneering class of eighteen steam locomotives designed by A. L. Beattie that operated on the national rail network of New Zealand. In 1901, the New Zealand Railways Department designed and ordered the Q class, the first locomotives in the world to employ the 4-6-2 wheel arrangement, an arrangement that went on to become one of the world's most popular and prolific types and was named "Pacific" in honour of its origins. In 1908, a heavier, more powerful locomotive was required to haul traffic on the newly completed mountainous central section of the North Island Main Trunk Railway, and as a logical progression of the 4-6-2 design, the 4-8-2 wheel arrangement was created for the X class. When the first X was completed in 1908 at NZGR's Addington Workshops in Christchurch, it was the very first 4-8-2 locomotive built in the world. The 4-8-2 design went on to be popular in the United States and was nicknamed the "Mountain" type; one theory suggests this name stems from the mountainous terrain that inspired the X's design, while another suggests the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad first coined the name in reference to its 4-8-2s of 1911 that were built to operate in the Allegheny Mountains.
The X class initially operated as the freight counterpart of the passenger A class, but they struggled to operate at speeds higher than 50 km/h (30 mph). They were built as de Glehn compound locomotives, but during the 1940s, most of the class were converted to simple, superheated locomotives. This increased their power but did not prolong their lives and most were officially withdrawn from service on 2 March 1957, though a few had been taken out of service earlier and one was sold to the Ohai Railway Board (ORB) that operated a private industrial line at the end of the Wairio Branch.
[edit] Preservation
The ORB locomotive, X 442, survived and has passed into the hands of railway preservation enthusiasts. It is currently located at the depot of the Feilding and District Steam Rail Society.
[edit] External links
[edit] References
- Heath, Eric, and Stott, Bob; Classic Steam Locomotives Of New Zealand, Grantham House, 1993
