New South Wales D50 class locomotive

New South Wales D50 class

Class D50 Locomotive
Type and origin
Power type Steam
Builder Beyer, Peacock & Co. (151)
Dübs & Co. (5)
Neilson & Co. (10)
North British Locomotive Co. (84)
Clyde (30)
Build date 1896–1916
Total produced 280
Specifications
Configuration:
 ​
 • Whyte 2-8-0
 • UIC 1'Dn
Gauge 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)
Driver dia. 4 ft 3 in (1.295 m)
Adhesive weight 126,000 lb (57 t)
Loco weight 139,000 lb (63 t)
Firebox:
 • Firegrate area		 30 sq ft (2.8 m2)
Boiler pressure 160 psi (1.10 MPa)
Heating surface 2,210 sq ft (205 m2)
Superheater None
Cylinders Two, outside
Cylinder size 21 in × 26 in (533 mm × 660 mm)
Performance figures
Tractive effort 30,576 lbf (136.0 kN)
Factor of adh. 4.10
Career
Operators New South Wales Government Railways
Class T524, D50 from 1924
Number in class 280
Disposition 4 preserved, 276 scrapped

The D50 class was a class of 2-8-0 steam locomotives built for the New South Wales Government Railways of Australia.

History

The first was delivered in May 1896 by Beyer, Peacock and Company with further orders over the next 20 years seeing the class number 280. Their second and third coupled wheel tyres were flangeless to reduce curve friction.[1][2]

During the First World War, an additional 10 locomotives of this class were under construction at the North British Locomotive Company, but these were not delivered to Australia, being taken over by the British War Office for the Royal Engineers Railway Operating Division. After the war, they were offered back to the New South Wales Government Railways at higher than new prices and in a badly worn condition. They were declined and 8 locomotives were subsequently acquired by the Nord-Belge railway in Belgium and, following rebuilding, assigned to work coal trains along the Meuse Valley. The 2 other locomotives were accuired by S.A. Force, Eclairage et Docks de Gand in Ghent, Belgium.[3] The Commonwealth Railways also chose this design to be their first goods locomotive class, building eight K-class, for the Trans-Australian Railway.[2]

The last 75 were built with superheaters and after being judged a success many of the class were retrofitted. Many of the class received turret type tenders in later years which provided better visibility when operating in reverse.[2]

In the 1930s 72 were withdrawn and after being used during the load testing of the Sydney Harbour Bridge in 1932 with most of these locomotives being latter scrapped, although 14 were rebuilt with superheaters and returned to service.[1] By mid-1964 there were only 113 left in service with the class by now normally restricted to working coal trains in the Hunter Valley and shunting duties in the larger marshalling yards throughout the system.[1][2] Several of these heavy shunters were fitted with automotic couplings on the front buffer beam from 1960 onwards.

5069s and 5132 are both preserved by Dorrigo Steam Railway and Museum, at Dorrigo. 5069s and 5132 were 2 of the 88 locomotives used to test the Sydney Harbour Bridge before it opened. 5069 is still in its original Saturated condition whilst 5132 is the only superheated 50 class preserved and it is fitted with the only preserved Morts Dock tender. 5069s is stored in operational condition. 5112 was cosmetically restored at the Lithgow State Mine Heritage Park & Railway between 2005 and 2010 before being placed on static display at Bathurst; this locomotive is known as the "Chifley Engine" as it was regularly driven by future Prime Minister of Australia Ben Chifley before he entered politics.[4]

Preservation

Preserved D50 Class Locomotives
No.DescriptionManufacturerYearCurrent OrganisationLocationStatusRef
5069 2-8-0goods Beyer, Peacock and Company1902 Dorrigo Steam Railway and Museum Dorrigo stored Saturated
5096 2-8-0 goodsClyde Engineering1907 New South Wales Rail Transport Museum Broadmeadow Locomotive Depot stored Saturated NSW Locomotive, Steam 5096
5112 2-8-0 goodsClyde Engineering1908 Bathurst Regional Council Bathurst Station static display Saturated
5132 2-8-0 goodsBeyer, Peacock and Company1908 Dorrigo Steam Railway and Museum Dorrigo stored Superheated

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 Oberg, Leon (1984). Locomotives of Australia 1850's - 1980's. Frenchs Forest: Reed Books. pp. 76–77. ISBN 0 730100 05 7.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Grunbach, Alex (1989). A Compendium of New South Wales Steam Locomotives. Sydney: Australian Railway Historical Society, NSW Division. pp. 129–135. ISBN 0 909650 27 6.
  3. ↑ Dagant, André (2009). La Compagnie du Nord-Belge et ses locomotives. Editions PFT. pp. 264-274.
  4. ↑ "Ben's engine is home at last". Western Advocate. 10 November 2010.
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