NZR OA class

The OA class is a solitary steam locomotive built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works for the Wellington and Manawatu Railway (WMR) in New Zealand. Ordered in 1894, it entered service in August of that year as No. 13 and was the first narrow gauge Vauclain compound in the world. In 1908, the WMR and its locomotive fleet were purchased by New Zealand Railways Department (NZR) and incorporated into the national rail network, and, although No. 13 bore a likeness to members of the O class, it was sufficiently different that it warranted separate classification. The designation of OA was created and it was numbered OA 457. It operated for another two decades until it was withdrawn in December 1929 in Auckland. The locomotive was known to WMR staff as "The Lady".[1]

NZR OA class
Oa class 2-8-0 steam locomotive NZR number 457
Type and origin
Power typeSteam
BuilderBaldwin Locomotive Works
Serial number13908
Build date1894
Specifications
Configuration:
  Whyte2-8-0
Gauge3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm)
Driver dia.43 in (1.092 m)
Length51 ft 8 in (15.75 m)
Adhesive weight33.7 long tons (34.2 t; 37.7 short tons)
Total weight57.4 long tons (58.3 t; 64.3 short tons)
Fuel typeCoal
Firebox:
  Firegrate area
16.7 sq ft (1.55 m2)
Boiler pressure180 psi (1,241 kPa)
Heating surface1,050 sq ft (98 m2)
Cylindersfour, Vauclain
High-pressure cylinder11 in × 20 in (279 mm × 508 mm)
Low-pressure cylinder18 in × 20 in (457 mm × 508 mm)
Performance figures
Tractive effort13,175 lbf (58.61 kN)
Career
OperatorsWellington and Manawatu Railway, New Zealand Government Railways
Number in class1
NumbersWMR 13
NZR 457
LocaleWellington - Longburn section
DispositionWithdrawn

In 1896, a locomotive similar in appearance was ordered by the WMR, No. 16. Its technical specifications were such that when it was acquired by NZR it was classified separately and became the sole member of the OC class.

References

Bibliography

  • Palmer, A. N.; Stewart, W. W. (1965). Cavalcade of New Zealand Locomotives. Wellington: A H. & A W. Reed. ISBN 978-0-207-94500-7.
  • Stewart, W. W. (1974). When Steam was King. Wellington: A. H. & A. W. Reed Ltd. ISBN 978-0-589-00382-1.


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