Commonwealth Railways G class

The Commonwealth Railways G class was a class of 4-6-0 tender locomotives of the Commonwealth Railways, Australia. The class operated on the 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) Trans-Australian Railway.

Commonwealth Railways G class
Preserved G1 at the National Railway Museum
in April 2014
Type and origin
Power typeSteam
BuilderBaldwin Locomotive Works (12)
Clyde Engineering (4)
Toowoomba Foundry (10)
Build date1914-1917
Total produced26
Number rebuilt7
Specifications
Configuration:
​
 • Whyte4-6-0
Gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Loco weight106 long tons (108 t; 119 short tons)
Fuel typeCoal
Water cap4,850 imp gal (22,000 L; 5,820 US gal)
Boiler pressure160 psi (11 bar; 1,100 kPa)
Cylinder size20 in × 26 in (508 mm × 660 mm)
Performance figures
Tractive effort22,187 lbf (98.69 kN)
Career
OperatorsCommonwealth Railways
NumbersG1-G26
First runMarch 1914
PreservedG1
Current ownerNational Railway Museum
Disposition1 preserved, 25 scrapped

History
G18 with the Trans-Australian Express, Cook, South Australia, 1935

In order to operate passenger trains on the then under construction Trans-Australian Railway, Commonwealth Railways ordered sixteen locomotives of the same design as the New South Wales Government Railways' P class (later the C32 class), but with higher capacity tenders.[1][2]

Four were built by Clyde Engineering, Sydney and twelve by the Baldwin Locomotive Works, Philadelphia with all delivered between March and August 1914. A further ten were delivered by the Toowoomba Foundry between June 1916 and August 1917.[1][2]

Initially they were used on construction trains, until the line opened in October 1917, when they commenced hauling passenger trains including the Trans Australian. Although just as successful as their New South Wales counterparts, the high mineral content of the water caused problems. Two were withdrawn in 1925 followed by a third in 1930.[1]

In the 1930s, seven were fitted with superheated boilers to replace the saturated examples. These were reclassified as the Ga class. Following their displacement by the larger C class locomotives in 1938, they were gradually withdrawn.[1]

G9, c 1951

By the time dieselisation commenced in 1951, only eleven remained in service. Most were withdrawn in 1952 as the GM class diesels entered service. The last remained in service as a shunter at Port Pirie until withdrawn in September 1958.[1]

One has been preserved and today is on display at the National Railway Museum, Port Adelaide. It is believed that although numbered G1, it was actually originally G2.[2][3]

References

Notes
  1. Oberg, Leon (1984). Locomotives of Australia 1850s-1980s. Frenchs Forest: Reed Books. p. 122. ISBN 0 730100 05 7.
  2. G class Chris's Commonwealth Railways Pages
  3. G-class 4-6-0 steam locomotive No.1 National Railway Museum

Bibliography
  • Fluck, Ronald E; Marshall, Barry; Wilson, John (1996). Locomotives and Railcars of the Commonwealth Railways. Welland, SA: Gresley Publishing. ISBN 1876216018.

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