WAGR S class (1888) explained

WAGR S class
Powertype:Steam
Builder:Kitson & Co
Serialnumber:T231, T260
Builddate:1888, 1892
Totalproduction:2
Whytetype:0-6-0WT
Length:20feet
Fueltype:Coal
Watercap:350impgal
Boilerpressure:1200NaN0
Firearea:7.3square feet
Tractiveeffort:53652NaN2
Factorofadhesion:7.1
Operator:Great Southern Railway
Western Australian Government Railways
Disposition:2 scrapped

The WAGR S class was a two-member class of 0-6-0WT tank locomotives operated by the Great Southern Railway (GSR) and later Western Australian Government Railways (WAGR).

History

In August 1888, a Kitson & Co, Leeds built a 0-6-0WT locomotive named Princess entered service on the GSR for use in Albany, it was joined by a second named Duchess on 1 May 1892. Both were included in the December 1896 takeover of the GSR by the WAGR and became the S class, numbered S162 and S163. They were withdrawn in 1915 and 1916 respectively, and later sold to the Commonwealth Government, operating construction trains at the Henderson Naval Base before moving to Canberra in 1923 during the construction of Parliament House.[1]

In 1927 both were sold to NSW Associated Blue Metal Quarries and numbered 1 and 2. The latter was scrapped in 1932 while the former having operated at Prospect Quarry, was scrapped at Bass Point Quarry, Shellharbour in 1938.[1]

Class list

The numbers, names and periods in service of each member of the class were as follows:

Builder's
number
GSR
in service
GSR
name
WAGR
number
WAGR
withdrawn
T231Princess162
T260Duchess163

Namesakes

The S class designation was reused when the S class locomotives were introduced in 1943. It was reused again in the 1990s when the Westrail S class diesel locomotives entered service.

See also

References

Cited works

Notes and References

  1. Book: Turner, Jim. Australian Steam Locomotives 1896-1958. 1997. Kangaroo Press. Kenthurst. 086417778X. 10.