South Australian Railways T class

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South Australian Railways T class
Factor of adh.
3.54
Career
OperatorsSouth Australian Railways and Tasmanian Government Railways
ClassT and Tx
Number in class78
NumbersT23–T24, T44–T48, T50-T51, T180-T186, T197–T258
First run13 February 1903
Last run1970
PreservedT181, T186, T199, T224, T251, T253
Disposition6 preserved, 72 scrapped

The South Australian Railways T class was a class of 4-8-0 steam locomotives operated by the South Australian Railways. Several were sold to the Tasmanian Government Railways; some others operated on the Commonwealth Railways.

History

Between 1903 and 1917, the

Port Lincoln Division.[1][2]

The T class were versatile: although designed for freight and ore traffic, the class was also used on so-called "express" passenger services, including the East-West passenger service connecting with the Trans-Australian via Quorn until 1937, and on mixed (combined passenger and freight) services and shunting.[3]: 4-93 

For more than 50 years the T class the backbone of the SAR's narrow-gauge motive power. As smaller SAR narrow-gauge locomotives were withdrawn in the 1920s, the T class became dominant until the early 1950s, when they were gradually superseded by the

Garratt locomotives on the Barrier ore traffic and, in the 1960s, by 830 class diesel-electrics. The need to convert the latter locomotives from narrow to standard gauge in readiness for the opening of the new Broken Hill line resulted in many of the steam locomotives being released from storage to haul ore trains in 1968–69.[3]
: 4-91 

Design and modifications

The T class's three main configurations over time

During their life, T class locomotives were improved with additional equipment, resulting in dramatic visual changes from the original, well-proportioned locomotive with clean lines to a form that appeared much larger and more purposeful if not slightly eccentric.

Belpaire boiler, ornate copper-topped chimney, inclined cylinders and a single large steam dome. Later on, its appearance became more utilitarian. Equipment was fitted to the top of the boiler and footplate, the chimneys were replaced with a plain "stovepipe" version, and the pilots (cowcatchers), originally made from tubes, were replaced with steel plate versions. The additional equipment included headlamp, Westinghouse air brake pump, snifter valve, blowdown muffler, air compressor exhaust muffler, re-railing jacks, larger sandboxes, and eight lead adhesion blocks (weights fitted to the footplates). The smokebox was extended in two stages to, first, accommodate a superheater header and, later, a front-end cyclone spark arrestor. All but two T class locomotives received the final extension, giving them a characteristically ungainly, "front-heavy" appearance. The greatly increased height of the extended tender sides and fuel oil tank that towered over the cab produced an appearance distinctly different from the original version.[3]
: 4-92 

Deployment to other railways

In 1969, the year before narrow-gauge traffic ended in the Mid North, T class locomotive no. 185 was hauling grain vehicles on the Wilmington railway line
Cab of T class loco no. 186, operated by the Pichi Richi Railway

In 1920–21, six were sold to the Tasmanian Government Railways, retaining their T class classification. All were withdrawn between 1957 and 1961.[2][4][5]

In 1922–23, five were converted at Islington Works from 1067 mm (3 ft 6 in) to 1600 mm (5 ft 3 in) gauge to run on the lightly laid Murraylands branch lines out of Tailem Bend; they were reclassified as the Tx class. In 1949 all were converted back to narrow gauge. Between 1925 and 1939 all remaining 78 locomotives were upgraded to superheated boilers.[2][5]

During the Second World War, four T class locomotives were sold to the Commonwealth Railways and reclassified as the NMA class. However, the agreement was almost immediately reversed in favour of hiring 32 T class locomotives to operate from Terowie and Quorn to Alice Springs on the Central Australia Railway. Commonwealth Railways employees crewed the locomotives and the SAR undertook servicing and maintenance. Hiring continued post-war for the clean-up of military equipment and removal of wartime infrastructure on the Alice Springs line. T class locomotives were also hired for the Leigh Creek coal traffic until the completion of the Port Augusta to Brachina section of the Marree standard gauge line in 1956.[3]: 4-96 

For some time after 1954, the T class locomotives were regularly scheduled to double-head

Broken Hill line when it was converted to standard gauge.[6]

Preserved locomotives

As of 2022[update], six T class locomotives were preserved – of which four were on static display, T186 was under overhaul and T251 was operational:

Number Owner Status Location
T181 Sulphide Street Railway and Historical Museum Static display outdoors Broken Hill, NSW [7]
T186 Pichi Richi Railway Under overhaul for eventual return to operation Quorn, SA[8][9]
T199 District Council of Peterborough Static display indoors Steamtown Heritage Rail Centre, Peterborough, SA[10]
T224
National Trust of South Australia
 Static display under cover Millicent Museum, SA[11][12]
T251 Bellarine Railway Operational Queenscliff, Victoria[13]
T253 History Trust of South Australia Static display indoors National Railway Museum, Port Adelaide, SA[14][15]

References

  1. ISBN 086417778X
    .
  2. ^
    ISBN 9781921719011
    .
  3. ^ a b c d e f Wilson, John (2006). "The South Australian T class 4-8-0s". Proceedings of the 2006 Convention. Modelling the Railways of South Australia. Adelaide.
  4. ^ "T Class 4-8-0 Locomotive" Australian Model Railway Magazine December 1982 page 117
  5. ^ a b "Steam Locomotives of the Tasmanian Government Railways and its constituents" Australian Railway History issue 917 March 2014 page 11
  6. ^ "Locomotive T253". National Railway Museum, Port Adelaide. 2022. Retrieved 13 October 2022.
  7. ^ "T181". Australian Steam. (Publisher not named). 2022. Retrieved 12 October 2022.
  8. ^ "T186". Australian Steam. (Publisher not named). 2015. Retrieved 27 September 2022.
  9. ^ "South Australian Railways T class locomotives". Pichi Richi Railway. 2022. Retrieved 12 October 2022.
  10. ^ "T224". Australian Steam. (Publisher not named). 2014. Retrieved 27 September 2022.
  11. ^ "Millicent Museum". Millicent Museum. National Trust of South Australia. 2022. Retrieved 12 October 2022.
  12. ^ "T224". Australian Steam. (Publisher not named). 2014. Retrieved 27 September 2022.
  13. ^ "T251". Australian Steam. (Publisher not named). 2014. Retrieved 27 September 2022.
  14. ^ "Locomotive T253". National Railway Museum. 2022. Retrieved 12 October 2022.
  15. ^ "T253". Australian Steam. (Publisher not named). 2014. Retrieved 27 September 2022.

Additional reading

  • Evans, John (2012). T199: Celebration of a Centenarian. Elizabeth, SA: Railmac Publications.
    ISBN 9781864770872
    .
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