| WAGR O class | |
| Powertype: | Steam |
| Builder: | Dübs & Co Neilson & Co Midland Railway Workshops |
| Builddate: | 1896-1912 |
| Totalproduction: | 56 |
| Whytetype: | 2-8-0 |
| Driverdiameter: | 3feet |
| Length: | 47feet |
| Fueltype: | Coal |
| Watercap: | 2000impgal |
| Boilerpressure: | 1602NaN2 |
| Cylindersize: | 15.5x |
| Tractiveeffort: | 172212NaN2 |
| Operator: | Western Australian Government Railways |
| Fleetnumbers: | O74-O100, O208-O226, Oa24, Oa171-173, Oa175-179, Oa219 |
| Preservedunits: | O218 |
| Disposition: | 1 preserved, 55 scrapped |
The Western Australian Government Railways (WAGR) O Class was a class consisting of fifty-six 2-8-0 steam locomotives which were introduced by the WAGR between 1896 and 1912. Despite them being tender locomotives, they also featured short boiler side tanks for additional water storage. A useful feature for the long distances required by operation on Western Australia's country lines.
Between 1896 and 1898, the WAGR took delivery of 36 O class locomotives from Neilson & Co with a further 10 built by Dübs & Co. They initially operated services on the Eastern Railway and on the South Western Railway to Collie before being superseded by the Ec and K classes and moving to branch line duties. In 1907/08, 10 O class were rebuilt as N Class suburban tank engines.[1] [2] [3]
Between 1909 and 1912, Midland Railway Workshops built a further 10 as the Oa class. The last examples of the O class were withdrawn from service in 1962.[1] [2] [3]
O218 has been preserved at the Western Australian Rail Transport Museum.[1] [4] In April 2015, it moved to the Walkaway Station Museum on a five-year loan.[5]