MRWA B class
| Midland Railway of Western Australia B class | |
|---|---|
|
B6 with crew at Watheroo, ca 1910. | |
| Type and origin | |
| Power type | Steam |
| Builder |
Hawthorn Leslie, Tyneside, England |
| Serial number | 2213–2221 |
| Specifications | |
| Configuration | 4-4-0 |
| UIC classification | 2'B |
| Gauge | 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) |
| Driver diameter | 4 ft 4 in (1,321 mm) |
| Length | 43 ft 3 in (13.18 m) (incl tender) |
| Locomotive weight | 49.75 long tons (50.55 t; 55.72 short tons) (incl tender) |
| Boiler pressure | 160 psi (1,100 kPa) |
| Firegrate area | 14 sq ft (1.3 m2) |
| Cylinder size | 15 in × 20 in (381 mm × 508 mm) |
| Performance figures | |
| Power output | 660 hp (490 kW) |
| Tractive effort | 11,076 lbf (49.27 kN) |
| Career | |
| Number in class | 9 |
| Number(s) | B2 - B10 |
| First run | 1891 |
.jpg)
The MRWA B class was a class of steam locomotives built by Hawthorn Leslie in Tyneside, England, for the Midland Railway of Western Australia (MRWA). The class's wheel arrangement was 4-4-0.
Service history
The nine members of the B class entered service in 1891. Withdrawals began in 1929, but the five longest serving units continued working on the MRWA, mainly as shunting engines, from then until the 1950s.[1]
Preservation
One B class locomotive, no B6, has been preserved. It is the only ex-MRWA steam locomotive still in existence.[1] After being withdrawn by the MRWA in 1956, B6 was acquired by the then municipality of Geraldton, and put on display in a Geraldton park.[2]
In 1995, ownership of B6 was transferred to the then Shire of Swan, and in 1999 the locomotive was moved to the former Midland Railway Workshops, for storage in the custody of Rail Heritage WA.[2]
In 2010, following a renewal of interest by the City of Geraldton-Greenough in rail history, B6 was moved back to the Geraldton area, for intended eventual display at a proposed railway museum at Walkaway.[3]
See also
- List of Western Australian locomotive classes
- Locomotives of the Western Australian Government Railways
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Gunzburg, Adrian (1989). The Midland Railway Company Locomotives of Western Australia. Melbourne: Light Railway Research Society of Australia. pp. 18–19, 49. ISBN 0909340277.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Western Australia - Private & Industrial". Australian Steam. Retrieved 2012-08-04.
- ↑ "Last train to Geraldton ready to rock ‘n’ roll". InMyCommunity. 2010-10-08. Retrieved 2012-08-04.
External links
Media related to MRWA B class at Wikimedia Commons
| |||||||||||||||||||||
