Queensland D17 class locomotive

The Queensland Railways D17 class locomotive was a class of 4-6-4T steam locomotives operated by the Queensland Railways.

Queensland Railways D17 class
Type and origin
Power typeSteam
BuilderWalkers Limited (10)
North Ipswich Railway Workshops (20)
Build date1924-1942
Total produced30
Specifications
Configuration:
​
 • Whyte4-6-4T
Gauge1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
Driver dia.4 ft 3 in (1,295 mm)
Fuel typeCoal
Fuel capacity3 t (3.0 long tons; 3.3 short tons)
Water cap1,200 imp gal (5,500 l; 1,400 US gal)
Boiler pressure160 or 170 lbf/in2 (1,103 or 1,172 kPa)
Cylinders2
Cylinder size17 in × 22 in (432 mm × 559 mm)
Valve gearWalschaerts
Performance figures
Tractive effort16,940 or 18,000 lbf (75.35 or 80.07 kN)
Career
OperatorsQueensland Railways
Numbers26, 47, 53, 56, 60, 75-77, 85, 112-114, 122, 137, 260, 262, 266-269, 853-857, 882-886
Preserved268, 855
Disposition2 preserved, 28 scrapped

History

Between 1924 and 1926, Walkers Limited and North Ipswich Railway Workshops each built 10 to assist the 6D16 class with increasing suburban traffic. Between 1937 and 1942 a further 10 were built at Ipswich. Per Queensland Railway's classification system they were designated the D17 class, D representing they were a tank locomotive, and the 17 the cylinder diameter in inches.[1][2][3]

They were the only Queensland Railways class to be fitted as a whole, from new, with two sand-domes. They were restricted to the Brisbane suburban area with boundaries of Ipswich, Ferny Grove, Pinkenba, Shorncliffe, Petrie, Kingston and Lota. This area was later extended beyond Ipswich to Grandchester. Initially, all were attached to Mayne depot but later several were transferred to Woolloongabba.[1]

Cylinder and steam chest castings are identical to C17 Class. The ‘6’ was dropped from the classification in 1937. The engines were often unofficially referred to as ‘black tanks’ after the introduction of the DD17 class. Engines constructed in 1937 had boilers with a pressure of 170 pounds-force per square inch (1,172 kPa). Earlier engines were altered to that pressure as they passed through workshops. A wooden crate was fixed to the centre of the bunker to slightly increase the coal capacity from the original 3 long tons (3.0 t; 3.4 short tons).

Engines of this class were some of the last to receive electric headlights due to them being restricted to running in the Brisbane suburban area. Fitting of electric headlights commenced in 1951.

The entire class was displaced from suburban duties by diesels during the 1960s. The first was withdrawn in November 1961 with the bulk of the class withdrawn during 1967 and 1968.[1]

Preservation

Two have been preserved:

gollark: No.
gollark: They're not *terribly* expensive except land/housing.
gollark: "From each according to ability" sounds like... forcing people to work as much as possible.
gollark: Probably. But there's lots of cheaper places.
gollark: * do

References
  1. Armstrong, John (1994). Locomotives in the Tropics Volume 2. Brisbane: Australian Railway Historical Society. pp. 71–77. ISBN 9780909937263.
  2. Turner, Jim (1997). Australian Steam Locomotives 1896-1958. Kenthurst: Kangaroo Press. p. 86. ISBN 086417778X.
  3. Clark, Peter (2012). An Australian Locomotive Guide. Rosenberg Publishing. p. 45. ISBN 9781921719554.
  4. "Preserved Steam Locomotives Down Under - D17 268". www.australiansteam.com. Retrieved 21 March 2020.
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