South Australian Railways N class

These new N class locomotives were imported from Baldwin Locomotive Works USA, also with two O class locomotives for the South Australian Railways. The other two O class locomotives were more of a goods locomotive and the N class locomotives were made for working passenger trains along the new "Intercolonial Railway", which ran through the Adelaide Hills. These new locomotives imported from the United States were the first to be fitted with bogie tenders. When they were first issued into service in 1881 they were allocated to run passenger and mixed trains between Adelaide and Kapunda. On the 14th of March 1883 N class locomotive No. 52 was rostered to haul a train to officially open the line between Adelaide and Aldgate. Though with a great deal of difficulty it managed to haul the official train which had the State Governor on board and made it to Blackwood, where it finally broke down. N class locomotive No. 52 eventually finished the trip to Aldgate with only the Vice-Regal and Ministerial carriages later on that day. The N class locomotives continued their service through the Adelaide Hills and on some occasions worked to Strathalbyn. In 1904 both N classes were rebuilt at Islington Railway Workshops, which completely changed their appearance from the classic American design of that period to a more conventional British outline. Along with the rebuilding of these locomotives, they also got new bogie tenders built as well. After the rebuilding the primary duty of the N class was now hauling livestock trains between Adelaide and Terowie. Though now the N class locomotives were capable of the duties of the Rx class locomotives, they still worked on livestock trains. The rebuilt N class roamed their way around the S.A.R. system until they were both withdrawn in the mid 1920s.[2]