South Australian Railways E class

The South Australian Railways E class was a class of 2-4-0 steam locomotives acquired to work passenger and goods train services on the South Australian Railways broad gauge system.

South Australian Railways E class
E14 in August 1865
Type and origin Power type Steam Builder Slaughter Gruning & Co, Bristol Avonside Engine Company, Bristol Adelaide Locomotive Works Build date 1862-1882 Total produced 7 Rebuild date 1864-1889 Number rebuilt 7
Specifications Configuration: ​  • Whyte 2-4-0 Tank (1′B T) 2-4-0 Length 26 ft. 4 in. (Original) 42 ft. 4¼ in. (Rebuilt) Height 3.9497 Metres Axle load 9 tons 7 cwt (Original) 11 tons 14 cwt (Rebuilt) Loco weight 32 tons 10 cwt Total weight 44 tons 12 cwt Fuel type Coal Fuel capacity 12 cwt (Tank) 4 tons 3 cwt 1 qtr (Tender) Water cap 600 gallons (Tank) 1,500 gallons (Tender) Boiler pressure 130 lbs p.s.i. Heating surface:  • Tubes 805.2 square feet  • Firebox 89.5 square feet Cylinders 2
Performance figures Tractive effort 7,450 lbs (Original) 7,910 lbs (Rebuilt)
Career Operators South Australian Railways Class E Numbers 10, 13, 14, 42 (49), 50, 51 & 56 Withdrawn 1886-1929 Scrapped 1886-1929 Disposition all scrapped

History

In January 1862 Slaughter Gruning & Co, Bristol delivered two 2-4-0 locomotives to the Melbourne and Essendon Railway Company. Only one was required, so the second was sold to the South Australian Railways in April 1862 entering service numbered 10. It was joined by the other locomotive in January 1865 numbered 13. A third example was delivered by the Avonside Engine Company, Bristol in September 1865 and numbered 14.[1]

In 1878, a further three that had been made redundant by a gauge conversion project were purchased from the Canterbury Provincial Railways of New Zealand. All were aboard the ship Hyderabad which ran aground on Waitarere Beach between Otaki and Foxton on 24 June 1878. They eventually arrived at Port Adelaide on other ships. The first entered traffic in April 1880.[1]

In September 1881, 13 was converted to a tender locomotive for use on the Kapunda to Adelaide line. A seventh was built in 1882 by the Adelaide Locomotive Works using parts from other locomotives. Number 13 was the first withdrawn in September 1896, with the last, 49 and 51, withdrawn in April 1929.[1][2]

Class list

Road number Builder Builder's number In service Withdrawn Notes 10 Slaughter Gruning & Co 459 April 1862 December 1904 ex Melbourne and Essendon Railway Company 2 13 Slaughter Gruning & Co 458 January 1865 September 1896 ex Melbourne and Essendon Railway Company 1 14 Avonside Engine Company 587 September 1865 August 1899 purchased new 42 Avonside Engine Company 742 April 1880 April 1929 ex Canterbury Provincial Railways 4, renumbered 49 in 1889 50 Avonside Engine Company 699 January 1882 October 1900 ex Canterbury Provincial Railways 3 51 Slaughter Gruning & Co 532 December 1881 April 1929 ex Canterbury Provincial Railways 2 56 Adelaide Locomotive Works 1 May 1882 December 1904 frame and wheels from Canterbury Provincial Railways 1 which were ex Melbourne and Essendon Railway Company, assembled with parts from 2

References

1. Turner, Jim (2014). Australian Steam Locomotives 1855-1895. South Windsor: Jim Turner. pp. 17, 60, 61. ISBN 9780992497675.
2. "E class". comrails.com. Retrieved 22 June 2016.

Further reading

• "The E-Class Tank Engines of South Australia" Australian Railway Society Bulletin issue 373 November 1968 pages 375-380

External links

Media related to South Australian Railways E class at Wikimedia Commons