WAGR S class (1888)

The WAGR S class was a two-member class of 0-6-0WT tank locomotives operated by the Great Southern Railway (GSR) and later Western Australian Government Railways (WAGR).

WAGR S class
S162 at Prospect Quarry in the 1930s
Type and origin Power type Steam Builder Kitson & Co Serial number T231, T260 Build date 1888, 1892 Total produced 2
Specifications Configuration: ​  • Whyte 0-6-0WT Gauge 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) Length 20 ft 0 in (6.10 m) Loco weight 17 long tons 0 cwt (38,100 lb or 17.3 t) Fuel type Coal Fuel capacity 0.5 long tons 0 cwt (1,100 lb or 0.5 t) Water cap 350 imp gal (1,600 L; 420 US gal) Firebox:  • Firegrate area 7.3 sq ft (0.68 m^2) Boiler pressure 120 psi (827 kPa)
Performance figures Tractive effort 5,365 lbf (23.86 kN) Factor of adh. 7.1
Career Operators Great Southern Railway Western Australian Government Railways Disposition 2 scrapped

History

In August 1888, a Kitson & Co, Leeds built a 0-6-0WT locomotive named Princess entered service on the GSR for use in Albany, it was joined by a second named Duchess on 1 May 1892. Both were included in the December 1896 takeover of the GSR by the WAGR and became the S class, numbered S162 and S163.[1] They were withdrawn in 1915 and 1916 respectively, and later sold to the Commonwealth Government, operating construction trains at the Henderson Naval Base before moving to Canberra in 1923 during the construction of Parliament House.[2]

In 1927 both were sold to NSW Associated Blue Metal Quarries and numbered 1 and 2. The latter was scrapped in 1932 while the former having operated at Prospect Quarry, was scrapped at Bass Point Quarry, Shellharbour in 1938.[2][3]

Class list

The numbers, names and periods in service of each member of the class were as follows:[4]

Builder's number GSR in service GSR name WAGR number WAGR withdrawn T231 1 August 1888 Princess 162 18 November 1915 T260 1 May 1892 Duchess 163 6 January 1916

Namesakes

The S class designation was reused when the S class locomotives were introduced in 1943. It was reused again in the 1990s when the Westrail S class diesel locomotives entered service.

See also

• History of rail transport in Western Australia
• List of Western Australian locomotive classes

References

Notes

1. Gunzburg 1984, pp. 38, 60.
2. Turner, Jim (1997). Australian Steam Locomotives 1896-1958. Kenthurst: Kangaroo Press. p. 10. ISBN 086417778X.
3. Gunzburg 1984, pp. 59–60.
4. Gunzburg 1984, p. 60.

Cited works

• Gunzburg, Adrian (1984). A History of WAGR Steam Locomotives. Perth: Australian Railway Historical Society (Western Australian Division). ISBN 0959969039.

External links

Media related to WAGR S class at Wikimedia Commons