Silverton Tramway W class

The Silverton Tramway W class was a class of 4-8-2 steam locomotives operated by the Silverton Tramway Company.

Silverton Tramway W class
W24 Malcolm Moore at Sulphide Street Museum
in August 2009
Type and origin
Power typeSteam
DesignerFrederick Mills
Beyer, Peacock & Co
BuilderBeyer, Peacock & Co
Serial number7418-7419, 7553-7554
Build date1951
Total produced4
Specifications
Configuration:
​
 • Whyte4-8-2
Gauge1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
Driver dia.4 ft 0 in (1,219 mm)
Length61 ft 10.9 in (18.87 m)
Total weight102 long tons 0 cwt (228,500 lb or 103.6 t)
Fuel typeCoal
Water cap3,000 imp gal
(14,000 l; 3,600 US gal)
Tender cap.5 long tons 0 cwt (11,200 lb or 5.1 t)
Firebox:
 • Firegrate area		27 sq ft (2.5 m2)
Boiler pressure200 lbf/in2 (1.38 MPa)
Cylinder size16 in × 24 in (406 mm × 610 mm)
Valve gearWalschaerts
Loco brakeWestinghouse air
Performance figures
Tractive effort21,760 lbf (96.79 kN)
Factor of adh.4.43
Career
OperatorsSilverton Tramway Company
NumbersW22–W25
Last run1961
PreservedW22, W24, W25
Disposition3 preserved, 1 scrapped

History

In January 1949, the Silverton Tramway Company ordered two 4-8-2 locomotives from Beyer, Peacock & Co, Manchester, to the same design as the Western Australian Government Railways W class. A further two were ordered in November 1950.[1][2]

All four arrived at Port Pirie in October 1951 and, after final assembly, moved to Broken Hill in a convoy, with two in steam. Until 1953, all were hired to the South Australian Railways on a rotating basis, operating services out of Peterborough, until the South Australian Railways 400 class locomotives were delivered.[2][3]

The Silverton W class differed from the WAGR examples in having a skyline cowling running the length of the boiler and smokebox, Westinghouse air brakes, and an additional blow-down valve in the middle of the bottom of the boiler barrel.[1][2][3]

When the 48s class diesels arrived in 1961, the W class locomotives were retired, after only 10 years in service. They remained in store until disposed of in 1970, with three now preserved. The Pichi Richi Railway has a locomotive operating as W22, although it is actually W916 masquerading as W22, including some parts from the latter.[2][4]

Class list
Number Name Builder's number Notes
W22 Justin Hancock 7418 preserved by Puffing Billy Railway, Melbourne until 1999, moved to Pichi Richi Railway used for spares in the restoration of W916 as W22[4][5]
W23 ? 7419 scrapped 1970
W24 Malcolm Moore 7552 preserved Sulphide Street Museum[6]
W25 HF (Gerry) Walsh/Thomas B Birbeck 7553 preserved National Railway Museum, Port Adelaide[7][8]

References
  1. Gunzburg, Adrian (1984). A History of WAGR Steam Locomotives. Perth: Australian Railway Historical Society. p. 136. ISBN 0 9599690 3 9.
  2. Oberg, Leon (2010). Locomotives of Australia 1850s-2010. Dural: Rosenberg Publishing. pp. 251–253. ISBN 9781921719011.
  3. McNicol, Steve (1981). Silverton Tramway Locomotives. Elizabeth Downs: Railmac Publications. pp. 17/18. ISBN 0 959415 30 0.
  4. W22 Australian Steam
  5. Trial runs of steam locomotive W22 Justin Hancock Pichi Richi Railway 6 April 2003
  6. W24 Australian Steam
  7. HF (Gerry) Walsh National Railway Museum
  8. W25 Australian Steam
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.