South Australian Railways S class

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South Australian Railways S class
S131 at Murray Bridge in March 1951
Type and origin
Power typeSteam
BuilderJames Martin & Co
Serial number71–76, 93–98, 176–181
Build date1894 (12), 1903–1904 (6)
Total produced18
Specifications
Configuration:
 • Whyte4-4-0
Gauge1,600 mm (5 ft 3 in)
Driver dia.6 ft 6 in (1.981 m)
Length57 ft 58 in (17.389 m)
Loco weight87,360 lb (39,625.829 kg)
Tender weight96,746 lb (43,883.247 kg)
Total weight184,106 lb (83,509.077 kg)
Fuel typeCoal
Fuel capacity7 tons 16 cwt, 4 tons 18 cwt 3qtr (6 wheel tender)
Water cap.4,120 gallons, 2,040 gallons (6 wheel tender)
Boiler pressure150 psi (1,034 kPa)
Heating surface:
 • Tubes1,038 square feet
 • Tubes and flues100 square feet
Cylinders2
Cylinder size18 in × 24 in (457 mm × 610 mm)
Valve gearStephenson
Performance figures
Tractive effort12,711 lbf (56.54 kN)
Career
OperatorsSouth Australian Railways
Numbers11, 13, 14, 17, 26, 50, 127-137, 154
Scrapped1956-1961
Dispositionall scrapped

The South Australian Railways S class was a class of 4-4-0 steam locomotives operated by the South Australian Railways.

History

The S Class locomotives were designed as an express locomotive for the route between Murray Bridge and the border with Victoria. The first 12 were delivered by James Martin & Co in 1894, followed by a further six in 1903/04. They type was notably used to haul the Melbourne Express. The S class had 6'6" driving wheels, the largest of any Australian locomotive, to give it high speeds on low grades.[1][2][3]

The engines were pushed out of main line service in the 1920s by 600 class locomotives and Brill railcars. They continued to serve on secondary services into the 1950s. Some locomotives even served in shunting duties despite being unsuitable due to their large wheel diameter. The last examples were retired in 1961.[1][3]

S136 was set aside for preservation at Islington Railway Workshops while moves were made to preserve it. These fell through and it was scrapped.[3]

References

  1. ^ a b Llanso, Steve. "South Australian Railways 4-4-0 Locomotives". SteamLocomotive.com. Retrieved 2015-07-20.
  2. ^ Drymalik, Chris. "S class". Chris's Commonwealth Railways Information (ComRails). Retrieved 2015-07-20.
  3. ^ a b c Oberg, Leon (1984). Locomotives of Australia 1850s-1980s. Frenchs Forest: Reed Books. pp. 72/73. ISBN 0 7301 0005 7.

External links

Media related to South Australian Railways S class at Wikimedia Commons