New South Wales C30 class
3137 at the NSW Rail Museum, Thirlmere
Type and origin
Power typeSteam
BuilderBeyer, Peacock & Company (95)
Eveleigh Railway Workshops (50)
Serial numberBP 4444–4478, 5034–5038, 5084–5088, 5140–5149, 5235–5244, 5791–5820
Build date1903–1917
Total produced145
Specifications
Configuration:
​
 • Whyte4-6-4T
 • UIC2'C2'nt
Gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Driver dia.4 ft 7 in (1,397 mm)
Adhesive weight86,000–95,000 lb
(39,009–43,091 kg; 39–43 t)
Loco weight161,000 lb (73,028 kg; 73 t)
Fuel typeCoal
Firebox:​
 • Grate area24 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

The C30 class (formerly S.636 class) is a class of steam locomotives built by Beyer, Peacock & Company and Eveleigh Railway Workshops for the New South Wales Government Railways (NSWGR) of Australia.[1][2][3][4]

These 4-6-4 tank 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

Class 30 locomotive on a service to Camden in 1962

The Beyer, Peacock & Company built the first batch of 35 which entered service in 1903/04. Subsequently, between 1905 and 1917, Beyer, Peacock built an additional 60 while the Eveleigh Railway Workshops of the NSWGR built 50 more (3066-3095, 3126-3145).[5]

The inner-city lines' electrification made the locomotives obsolete, but they were too valuable to be withdrawn and scrapped at the time. Therefore, from August 1928 to July 1933, Clyde Engineering and Eveleigh Railway Workshops converted 77 of these locomotives to C30T class 4-6-0 tender locomotives to replace older locomotives on country branch lines.[2][6]

The remaining unaltered locomotives were primarily utilized on Sydney suburban services to Cowan, Penrith, and Campbelltown, as well as branches to Carlingford, Richmond, and Camden.[7] They were also employed on the suburban services in Newcastle and Wollongong.[6]

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. Until February 1967, these locomotives operated the daily passenger trains on extremely steep Unanderra to Moss Vale line.[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; being not as hazardous to water under the traction wiring.[2]

Demise and preservation

The first example was retired in February 1957, and the engine fleet gradually reduced to 33 by July 1965, and further down to only 3 by mid-1971.[6] Finally, the last engine, No. 3085, was taken out of service on 22nd February 1973, making it the second-last steam locomotive to remain in operation on the NSWGR.[8][9]

Preserved C30 class locomotives
No.ManufacturerYearOrganisationLocationStatusImageRef
3013Beyer, Peacock & Company1903Privately ownedCanberra Stored dismantled[10]
3046Beyer, Peacock & Company1908Dorrigo Steam Railway & MuseumDorrigo Stored [11]
3085Eveleigh Railway Workshops1912Transport Heritage NSWGoulburnStatic exhibit [12]
3112Beyer, Peacock & Company1914Privately ownedGoulburnUnder overhaul
3137Eveleigh Railway Workshops1916Transport Heritage NSWThirlmereStatic exhibit [13]

References

  1. ↑ Preston, Ron (1984). Tender into Tank. Sydney: New South Wales Rail Transport Museum. pp. 11–57. ISBN 0 909862 18 4.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Grunbach, Alex (1989). A Compendium of New South Wales Steam Locomotives. Sydney: Australian Railway Historical Society. pp. 142–145. ISBN 0 909650 27 6.
  3. ↑ New South Wales Railways 1855-1955. Published by Department of Railways New South Wales
  4. ↑ Two Colonies, Three Gauges: A Survey of the Locomotives of William Thow Australian Railway History issue 811 May 2005 pages 230/231
  5. ↑ Standard Passenger Locomotives of the New South Wales Railways Truck & Bus Transportation March 1939 page 32
  6. 1 2 3 Oberg, Leon (1984). Locomotives of Australia 1850's - 1980's. Frenchs Forest: Reed Books. pp. 93–94. ISBN 0 730100 05 7.
  7. ↑ Byways of Steam: Cowan to Hornsby Roundhouse January 1985 page 14
  8. ↑ ″Steam Locomotive Data, John Forsyth, Public Transport Commission 1970, 1974
  9. ↑ Railway Digest March 1973
  10. ↑ 3013 Blog Page
  11. ↑ NSW Locomotive, Steam 3046 Australian Steam
  12. ↑ NSW Locomotive, Steam 3085 Office of Environment & Heritage
  13. ↑ NSW Locomotive, Steam 3137 Office of Environment & Heritage

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