South Australian Railways 740 class

The South Australian Railways 740 class was a class of 2-8-2 freight locomotives built by Clyde Engineering, Granville for the South Australian Railways in 1951-1952.

South Australian Railways 740 Class
740 at Mlle End in March 1952
Type and origin
Power typeSteam
BuilderClyde Engineering
Serial number520-533
Build date1951-1953
Total produced10
Specifications
Configuration:
​
 • Whyte2-8-2 1′D1′ 2′2′
Gauge1,600 mm (5 ft 3 in)
Leading dia.2 ft 9 in (838 mm)
Driver dia.4 ft 9 in (1,448 mm)
Trailing dia.3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm)
Length73 ft 1 1⁄2 in (22.29 m)
Height14 ft 0 in (4,254.5 mm)
Axle load17 long tons 17 cwt (40,000 lb or 18.1 t)
Loco weight93.95 long tons 0 cwt (210,400 lb or 95.5 t)
Tender weight71.10 long tons 0 cwt (159,300 lb or 72.2 t)
Total weight165 long tons 1 cwt (369,700 lb or 167.7 t)
Fuel typeCoal
Fuel capacity10 long tons 0 cwt (22,400 lb or 10.2 t)
Water cap6,350 imp gal
(7,630 US gal; 28,900 L)
Firebox:
 • Firegrate area		47 sq ft (4.4 m2)
Boiler pressure200 psi (1,379 kPa)
Heating surface:
 • Tubes		2,400 sq ft (220 m2)
 • Firebox194 sq ft (18.0 m2)
Superheater:
​
 • Heating area620 sq ft (58 m2)
Cylinders2
Cylinder size22 in × 28 in
(559 mm × 711 mm)
Valve gearWalschaerts
Valve typePiston
Performance figures
Tractive effort40,454 lbf (179,950 N)
Factor of adh.3.81
Career
OperatorsSouth Australian Railways
Class740
Number in class10
Numbers740-749
First run1/3/1952
Withdrawn1963-1965
Scrapped1963-1966
DispositionAll scrapped

History

In the late 1940s, the Federal Government placed an order with Clyde Engineering, Granville for fifty 2-8-2 locomotives. These were ordered as part of Australia's contribution to the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration rehabilitation of China. With the first locomotives under construction, China fell to the Communists and Australia's obligations ceased.[1]

The government was able to renegotiate the contract, with only twenty built. Ten were taken by the Commonwealth Railways as the L class, with the other ten going to the South Australian Railways as the 740 class after being converted for broad gauge operation. The 740 class remained in service until the early 1960s when replaced by diesels. The last was condemned in November 1965.[1]

References
  1. Oberg, Leon (1984). Locomotives of Australia 1850s-1980s. Frenchs Forest: Reed Books. p. 198. ISBN 0 730100 05 7.

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