South Australian Railways W class

South Australian Railways W/Wx Class

NF5 (formerly W53) preserved at Pine Creek, Northern Territory
Type and origin
Power type Steam
Builder Beyer, Peacock and Company
Build date 1877-1882
Total produced 35
Specifications
Configuration 2-6-0
UIC class 1'Cn
Gauge 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm)
Driver diameter 3 ft 3 in (0.991 m)
Adhesive weight 33,040 lb (14,987 kg)
Loco weight 42,000 lb (19,051 kg)
Firebox:
  Firegrate area
45 sq ft (4.2 m2)
Boiler pressure 130 psi (896 kPa)
Heating surface 544 square feet (50.5 m2)
Superheater None
Cylinders Two, outside
Cylinder size 12 in × 20 in (305 mm × 508 mm)
Performance figures
Tractive effort 8,159 lbf (36.29 kN)
Factor of adh 4.05
Career
Operators

South Australian Railways 1877–1929

Commonwealth Railways 1911–1950
Class W; Wx from 1903; NF from 1911
Retired 1929-1959
Disposition Two preserved, one destroyed in air raid, remainder scrapped.

The W class was a class of 2-6-0 wheel arrangement steam locomotive built for and operated by South Australian Railways of Australia.

History

The 35 W class were ordered as light goods locomotives for use on the expanding SAR 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) gauge networks, limited in size and weight by the requirement they must be able to run on 40 lb/yd rails as were in use at the time.[1] The locomotives were built by Beyer, Peacock & Co. of Manchester as a variation on the narrow gauge Mogul design widely used in Australia at the time, and transported to South Australia by ship.

Early W class units were used during construction of the line between Port Augusta and Quorn in 1878 prior to entering revenue service with SAR. During their operational career, the locomotives were used within South Australia on the isolated Eyre Peninsular Railway, in the south east on now closed lines in the Kingston, Naracoorte and Mount Gambier areas as well as the line north from Port Augusta. Many were sold or leased to contractors and they were also used by the Railways Construction Branch.[2] Several of the locomotives were sold to C&E Millar and used for construction of the Palmerston and Pine Creek Railway in the Northern Territory and would continue to work the isolated line for the remainder of their operational lives.[3]

Wx and NF classes

From 1903, South Australian Railways began to rebuild W class locomotives with upgraded boilers. This allowed for an increase in boiler pressure to 145 psi (1,000 kPa), improving the tractive effort to 8,566 lbf (38.10 kN).[1] 18 of the class were rebuilt and designated Wx class.

In 1911, South Australia handed administrative responsibility for the Northern Territory, including the Palmerston and Pine Creek Railway to the Commonwealth. Five unmodified W class locomotives were transferred to Commonwealth Railways at the Parap Railway Workshops and designated NF class. The condition of these locomotives was such that W35 and W41 were stripped down, and the parts from both used to make NF7, an operational locomotive. Commonwealth Railways purchased an additional two locomotives of the class in 1915 for £1000 each from private interests involved with the Eyre Peninsular Railway.[4]

Withdrawal from service

By 1929, unmodified W class units had been withdrawn from service by South Australian Railways with the majority sold for scrap. TW22 had been sold to Western Australian Government Railways in 1893 and was not withdrawn until 1958, and W38, in private hands with Baxter and Saddler from 1896 and was finally condemned in 1955. A number of modified Wx class units were also withdrawn in 1929, however a small number endured until 1959[3] when the south eastern narrow gauge lines were converted to 5 ft 3 in (1,600 mm) broad gauge.

The six units converted by Commonwealth Railways to NF class were withdrawn between 1928 and 1945, with three of the class operating the line during World War II. NF6 was destroyed during the first Japanese air raid on Darwin in 1942[4] while shunting munitions on the Stokes Hill jetty. The locomotive was blown into the harbour and while both driver and fireman survived, the fate of NF6 remains unknown as it has never been officially salvaged or located.[5]

Surviving units

There two surviving examples of the W/Wx class:

References

  1. 1 2 Llanso, Steve. "South Australian Railways 2-6-0 Locomotives". SteamLocomotive.com.
  2. Webshots
  3. 1 2 3 Drymalik, Chris. "Locomotive Information: Narrow Gauge W/Wx-class 2-6-0 locomotives". ComRails.
  4. 1 2 3 Drymalik, Chris. "Locomotive Information: Narrow Gauge NF". ComRails.
  5. "The Ex-SAR W or CR class NF in Darwin Habour". RailPage. January 8, 2012.
  6. "Pine Creek". Katherine: Adventure Territory. Katherine Visitor Information Centre.
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