New South Wales C30 class locomotive

The C30 class (formerly S.636) was a class of steam locomotives built by Beyer, Peacock and Company and Eveleigh Railway Workshops for the New South Wales Government Railways of Australia.[1][2][3]

New South Wales C30 class
Class 30 locomotive on a service to Camden in 1962
Type and origin
Power typeSteam
BuilderBeyer, Peacock and Company (95)
Eveleigh Railway Workshops (50)
Serial numberBP 4444–4478, 5034–5038, 5084–5088, 5140–5149, 5235–5244, 5971–5820
Build date1903–1917
Total produced145
Specifications
Configuration:
​
 • Whyte4-6-4T
 • UIC2'C2'nt
Gauge4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)
Driver dia.4 ft 7 in (1.397 m)
Adhesive weight86,000–95,000 lb (39–43 t)
Loco weight161,000 lb (73 t)
Fuel typeCoal
Firebox:
 • Firegrate area		24 sq ft (2.2 m2)
Boiler pressure160 psi (1.10 MPa)
Heating surface1,450 sq ft (135 m2)
SuperheaterNone
CylindersTwo, outside
Cylinder size18.5 in × 24 in (470 mm × 610 mm) or 19 in × 24 in (483 mm × 610 mm)
Performance figures
Tractive effort20,311–21,424 lbf (90.3–95.3 kN)
Factor of adh.4.22 or 4.42
Career
OperatorsNew South Wales Government Railways
ClassS636, C30 from 1924
Retired1957 - 1973
Preserved3013, 3046, 3085, 3112, 3137
Disposition77 converted to C30T class, 5 preserved, 63 scrapped

These 4-6-4T wheel arrangement locomotives were specifically designed to haul Sydney's ever increasing suburban traffic, particularly over the heavy grades on the Northern, North Shore and Illawarra lines.

Service

The first batch of 35 locomotives were built Beyer, Peacock and Company entering service in 1903/04. Between 1905 and 1917 Beyer, Peacock built a further 60 engines while the New South Wales Government Railways built 50 at their Eveleigh Railway Workshops.

The electrification of the inner suburban lines resulted in a surplus of the class too valuable to scrap. Accordingly, between August 1928 and July 1933, 77 of these locomotives were converted to C30T tender 4-6-0 type locomotives by Clyde Engineering and Eveleigh Railway Workshops to replace older locomotives on country branch lines.[2]:142–5[4]

The remaining tank locomotives were mostly employed on Sydney suburban services to Cowan, Penrith and Campbelltown as well as branches to Carlingford, Richmond and Camden.[5] They were also used on suburban services in Newcastle and Wollongong.[4]

A few drifted to the country areas, working on sections where no turntable was readily available, such as Casino to Border Loop on the North Coast line, Leeton and Merriwa and shunting at yards such as Bathurst. The daily passenger trains on the extremely steep Unanderra to Moss Vale line were operated by 30 class locomotives until February 1967.[2]

Following the electrification of the country platforms at Sydney Central station, the 30 class replaced the 26 class locomotives used to shunt carriages in the yard, they being not so dangerous to water under the traction wiring.[2]

Demise and preservation

The first was withdrawn in February 1957, by July 1965 the fleet was down to 33 and by mid-1971 down to three.[4] The last, 3085, was withdrawn on 22 February 1973.[6][7] It was the second last steam locomotive in service on the NSWGR.

Preserved C30 Class Locomotives
No.DescriptionManufacturerYearOrganisationLocationStatusRef
30134-6-4T passengerBeyer, Peacock and Company1903NSWPRCanberra Stored Dismantled 3013 Blog Page
30464-6-4T passengerBeyer, Peacock and Company1908Dorrigo Steam Railway and MuseumDorrigo Stored NSW Locomotive, Steam 3046
30854-6-4T passengerEveleigh Railway Workshops1912Transport Heritage NSWGoulburnStatic Exhibit NSW Locomotive, Steam 3085
31124-6-4T passengerBeyer, Peacock and Company1914Privately OwnedGoulburnUnder Restoration
31374-6-4T passengerEveleigh Railway Workshops1916Transport Heritage NSWThirlmereStatic Exhibit NSW Locomotive, Steam 3137

See also

References
  1. Preston, Ron G (1984). Tender into Tank. Sydney: New South Wales Rail Transport Museum. pp. 11–57. ISBN 0 909862 18 4.
  2. Grunbach, Alex (1989). A Compendium of New South Wales Steam Locomotives. Sydney: Australian Railway Historical Society, NSW Division. pp. 41–45. ISBN 0 909650 27 6.
  3. New South Wales Railways 1855-1955. Published by Department of Railways
  4. Oberg, Leon (1984). Locomotives of Australia 1850's - 1980's. Frenchs Forest: Reed Books. pp. 93–94. ISBN 0 730100 05 7.
  5. "Byways of Steam: Cowan to Hornsby" Roundhouse January 1985 page 14
  6. ″Steam Locomotive Data, John Forsyth, NSWPTC 1970, 1974
  7. Railway Digest March 1973
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