South Australian Railways 600 class

The South Australian Railways 600 class was a class of 4-6-2 steam locomotives operated by the South Australian Railways.

This article is about the South Australan Railways steam locomotive class. For the South Australian Railways diesel locomotive class, see South Australian Railways 600 class (diesel).

South Australian Railways 600 Class
South Australian Railways 600 Class Locomotive No. 605, c. 1926
Type and origin
Power typeSteam
BuilderArmstrong Whitworth
Serial number623-632
Build date1925
Total produced10
RebuilderIslington Railway Workshops
Rebuild date1939-1942
Number rebuilt10
Specifications
Configuration:
​
 • Whyte4-6-2
Gauge1,600 mm (5 ft 3 in)
Driver dia.6 ft 3 in (1.905 m)
Length79 ft. 3¼ in.
Height4.2545 Metres
Axle load23 tons 13 cwt 2 qtr
Adhesive weight70.555 tons
Loco weight116t 19c 2q
Tender weight83.55 tons
Total weight199 tons 11 cwt 2 qtr (as built)
196 tons 19 cwt 2qtr (rebuilt)
Fuel typeCoal
Fuel capacity12 tons (as built)
6 tons coal, 1,912 gallons oil (rebuilt)
Water cap7,130 gallons (as built)
7,250 (rebuilt)
Firebox:
 • Firegrate area		55 sq. ft.
Boiler pressure200 lbs. (as built)
215 lbs. (rebuilt)
Heating surface:
 • Firebox		270 sq. ft. (as built)
330 sq. ft. (rebuilt)
Superheater:
​
 • Heating area743 sq. ft.
Cylinders2
Cylinder size24 in × 28 in (610 mm × 711 mm)
Valve gearWalschaerts
Performance figures
Tractive effort36,600 lbf (162.80 kN) as built
39,300 lbf (174.82 kN) rebuilt
Career
OperatorsSouth Australian Railways
Class600
Numbers600-609
First run10/5/1926
Withdrawn1958-1961
Scrapped1961-1963
Dispositionall scrapped

History

The 600 class were part of larger order for 30 steam locomotives placed with Armstrong Whitworth, England in 1924 as part of the rehabilitation of the state's rail system being overseen by railways commissioner William Webb. The 600 class design was based on the USRA Light Pacific, although modifications were made by SAR's Chief Mechanical Engineer Fred Shea to allow them to fit South Australia's tighter loading gauge. They arrived in Adelaide in 1926.[1]

609 was named Duke of Gloucester after hauling the Duke's Royal Train in 1934 and so became Australia's first 'royal' engine.

The entire class received upgraded boilers and front ends from the late 1930s onwards and was reclassified as the 600C class. They were also fitted out with large smoke deflectors over their lifetime. Ten locomotives of the South Australian Railways 620 class were built at Islington Railway Workshops in 1936–1938 to a similar design.

All examples of the 600 class were withdrawn between 1955 and 1961. None were preserved.[1]

SAR 600-class locomotive in 1926

Class list
NumberDate in ServiceDate CondemnedName
60014 August 1926June 1959-
60110 May 1926September 1958-
60225 May 1926June 1959-
60318 May 1926July 1961-
60413 August 1926June 1959-
6056 July 1926September 1958-
6068 July 1926May 1960-
60722 June 1926June 1959-
60822 July 1926May 1960-
60921 August 1926June 1959Duke of Gloucester

References
  1. Oberg, Leon (1984). Locomotives of Australia 1850s-1980s. Frenchs Forest: Reed Books. p. 148. ISBN 0 7301 0005 7.
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