South Australian Railways 500 class (steam)

The South Australian Railways 500 class was a class of 4-8-2 steam locomotives operated by the South Australian Railways. They were rebuilt as 4-8-4s.

South Australian Railways 500 Class
South Australian Railways 500 Class Locomotive No. 502 "James McGuire", c. 1926
Type and origin
Power typeSteam
DesignerFred Shea
BuilderArmstrong Whitworth
Serial number633-642
Build date1925
Total produced10
RebuilderIslington Railway Workshops
Rebuild date1929-1936
Number rebuilt10
Specifications
Configuration:
​
 • Whyte4-8-2 2′D1′ 2′2′ (as built)
4-8-4 2′D2′ 2′2′ (rebuilt)
Gauge5 ft 3 in (1,600 mm)
Leading dia.33 in (838 mm)
Driver dia.63 in (1,600 mm)
Trailing dia.36 in (914 mm) 42 in (1,067 mm)
Length83 ft 11 in (25,578 mm) (as built)
84 ft 2 in (25,654 mm) (rebuilt)
Height13 ft 11 1⁄2 in (4,254.5 mm)
Axle load22 long tons 7 hundredweight 2 quarters (25.06 short tons; 22.73 t) (as built)
222 long tons 3 hundredweight (24.8 short tons; 22.5 t) (rebuilt)
Adhesive weight88.85 long tons (99.51 short tons; 90.28 t) (as built)
87.20 long tons (97.66 short tons; 88.60 t) (rebuilt)
Loco weight135.80 long tons (152.10 short tons; 137.98 t) (as built)
143.80 long tons (49.06 short tons; 44.50 t) (rebuilt)
Tender weight85.15 long tons (95.37 short tons; 86.52 t) (as built)
78.80 long tons (88.26 short tons; 80.06 t) (rebuilt)
Total weight218 long tons 13 hundredweight (244.9 short tons; 222.2 t) (as built)
222 long tons 6 hundredweight (249.0 short tons; 225.9 t) (rebuilt)
Fuel typeCoal
Fuel capacity12 long tons (13 short tons; 12 t) (as built)
11 long tons (12 short tons; 11 t) (rebuilt)
Water cap8,300 imperial gallons (10,000 US gal; 38,000 L) as built (Water capacity reduced to 7,100 imperial gallons (8,500 US gal; 32,000 L) in 1930)
7,000 imperial gallons (8,400 US gal; 32,000 L) (rebuilt)
Firebox:
 • Firegrate area		66.6 sq ft (6.19 m2)
Boiler pressure200 psi (1,379 kPa)
Heating surface:
 • Tubes and flues		3,253 sq ft (302.2 m2)
 • Firebox395 sq ft (36.7 m2)
Superheater:
​
 • Heating area835 sq ft (77.6 m2)
Cylinders2
Cylinder size26 in × 28 in (660 mm × 711 mm)
Valve gearWalschaerts valve gear
Valve typePiston
Performance figures
Tractive effort51,000 lb (23,000 kg) (as built)
59,000 lb (27,000 kg) (rebuilt)
Factor of adh.4
Career
OperatorsSouth Australian Railways
Class500
Number in class10
Numbers500-509
First run22/5/1926
Last run11/5/1963
Withdrawn1958-1963
Preserved504
Scrapped1961-1965
Disposition1 preserved, 9 scrapped

History

The 500 class were part of larger order for 30 steam locomotives placed with Armstrong Whitworth, England, in 1924, as part of the rehabilitation of the state's rail system being overseen by Railways Commissioner William Webb. They replaced the Rx and S class locomotives, many dating back to 1894, that were still performing mainline duties, meaning that double and even triple heading was common. All ten 500-class locomotives arrived in Adelaide in 1926, and entered service on the Adelaide to Wolseley line as far as Tailem Bend. All were named after notable South Australians.[1]

Rebuilding

In May 1928, 506 was experimentally fitted with a booster, included in a newly created four wheel trailing truck. This American-inspired modification proved highly successful, increasing the locomotive's tractive effort from 51,000 pounds-force (230 kN) to 59,000 pounds-force (260 kN). This modification was subsequently fitted to the nine remaining locomotives, resulting in the class becoming the 4-8-4 class 500B.

Throughout the mid-1930s all but two of the locomotives in the class were semi-streamlined and had valances fitted. The first two 500-class locomotives were withdrawn from service in 1955 and the last was withdrawn in 1962.[1]

504 is preserved as a static exhibit at the National Railway Museum, Port Adelaide.[2]

Class list
NumberDate in ServiceDate CondemnedName
5004 June 1926May 1963James McGuire
5012 July 1926September 1958Sir Henry Barwell
50222 May 1926July 1961John Gunn
50323 July 1926July 1962RL Butler
50418 October 1926July 1962Tom Barr-Smith
50528 October 1926July 1962Sir Tom Bridges
50625 October 1926July 1962Sir George Murray
50712 October 1926March 1958Margaret Murray
50814 September 1926July 1962Sir Lancelot Stirling
50924 August 1926July 1961WA Webb

References
  1. Oberg, Leon (1984). Locomotives of Australia 1850s-1980s. Frenchs Forest: Reed Books. p. 147. ISBN 0 7301 0005 7.
  2. "Tom Barr Smith". National Railway Museum. Retrieved 31 October 2016.

Further reading
  • Douglas Colquhoun; Ronald Stewien; Adrian Thomas (1969). 500 The 4-8-2 and 4-8-4 Locomotives of The South Australian Railways. Australian Railway Historical Society, SA.
  • David Burke (2000). Giants of Steam. Australian Railway Historical Society, NSW.
  • Leon Oberg (2007). Locomotives of Australia. Rosenberg Publishing, NSW.
  • Ron Stewien (2011). A History of the South Australian Railways, Volume 5: Controversy and Mr Webb. Eveleigh Press, NSW.
  • Ron Stewien (2010). A History of the South Australian Railways, Volume 6: Mountains, Mikados and Pacifics. Eveleigh Press, NSW.
  • Drymalik, Chris. "Broad Gauge 500-class 4-8-2 (later 500B-class 4-8-4) locomotives". comrails.com. Retrieved 19 March 2013.
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