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Victorian Railways V class (1857)

This article is about the 1857 V class steam locomotive. For the 1899 V class steam locomotives, see Victorian Railways V class. For the 1959 V class diesel-hydraulic locomotives, see Victorian Railways V class (diesel-hydraulic). For the 2002 V class diesel-electric locomotives, see Downer EDI Rail GT46C.

Victorian Railways V class (1857)
Type and origin
Power typeSteam
BuilderGeorge England and Co., Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
Serial number142 - 145
Build date1857
Total produced4
Specifications
Configuration:
​
 • Whyte0-6-0
Gauge5 ft 3 in (1,600 mm) Victorian broad gauge
Driver dia.5 ft 0 in (1,520 mm)[1]
Tender wheels3 ft 6 in (1.07 m)[1]
Wheelbase31 ft 11+1⁄2 in (9.741 m)[1] ​
 • Coupled15 ft 0 in (4.57 m)[1]
 • Tender10 ft 2 in (3.10 m)[1]
Length:
​
 • Over couplers42 ft 8+1⁄2 in (13.018 m)[1]
Height13 ft 3 in (4.04 m)[1]
Axle load10 long tons 12 cwt (23,700 lb or 10.8 t)[2]
Reboilered 1880's: 12 long tons 8 cwt (27,800 lb or 12.6 t)[1]
Loco weight30 long tons 6 cwt (67,900 lb or 30.8 t)[2]
Reboilered 1880's: 30 long tons 8 cwt 2 qr (68,150 lb or 30.91 t)[1]
Tender weight18 long tons 16 cwt (42,100 lb or 19.1 t)[2]
Reboilered 1880's: 19 long tons 2 cwt (42,800 lb or 19.4 t)[1]
Total weight49 long tons 2 cwt (110,000 lb or 49.9 t)[2]
Reboilered 1880's: 49 long tons 10 cwt 2 qr (110,940 lb or 50.32 t)[1]
Fuel capacity60 long cwt (6,700 lb or 3,000 kg)[1]
Water cap.1,646 imp gal (7,480 L; 1,977 US gal)[1]
Firebox:​
 • Grate area14.81 sq ft (1.376 m2)[2]
Boiler pressureReboilered 1880's: 130 psi (896 kPa)
Heating surface:​
 • Firebox90.89 sq ft (8.444 m2)[2]
 • Tubes1,287.77 sq ft (119.638 m2)[2]
 • Total surface1,378.66 sq ft (128 m2)[2]
Cylinders2, inside
Cylinder size16 in × 22 in (406 mm × 559 mm)[2]
Performance figures
Tractive effortReboilered 1880's: 9,386 lbf (41.75 kN) at 100 psi[2]
Career
OperatorsVictorian Railways
Number in class4
Numbers1-4, Later 2-5, 1860: 11-17 (odd only), 1895: 497
Delivered1858
First run16 September 1858
Last run13 September 1904
(45.7 years)
Withdrawn1891 - 1904
DispositionAll scrapped

The Victorian Railways V class of 1857 was a class of 0-6-0 goods locomotives operated by the Victorian Railways between 1858 and 1904, built by George England and Co., Newcastle upon Tyne, England.

History

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Victorian Railways initially numbered passenger and goods locomotives separately. The goods engines were numbered 1–4 (the first passenger engine was also numbered 1). This was changed to consecutive numbering between June 1859 and March 1860 with the goods locos being numbers 2–5.[3] With the introduction of the J class in 1860, to avoid confusion these were temporarily altered to 2A–5A. The numbering was once again changed in the late 1860's to odd numbers for goods locomotives and even numbers for passenger locos with these locomotives taking the odd numbers 11–17.[3] This odd and even system remained in use until 1912. In 1886, they were allocated to Class V.

Production

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The four locomotives were built in 1857 with builder's numbers 142–145 at a cost of £2300, +£900 freight and insurance, for each loco. The first arrived in Port Phillip on 12 May 1858 along with 2-2-2 passenger locomotive No. 1, the remaining three arrived in Port Phillip on 31 May 1858.[4][3]

Regular service

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In addition to regular goods service, some were loaned to contractors, like Cornish & Bruce, for line construction and ballasting purposes. In 1894, it was noted that three were allocated one each to Daylesford, Geelong, and Sale.[3]

Design improvements

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Over the years they were fitted with various new cabs. There were also various upgrades over the years; with constant improvements to safety — these including things like updates to safety valves (and domes), brakes, and cowcatchers — and improvements for their useability — handrails and footboards.[3] The original brakes provided was a hand brake on the tender with wood blocks on all six wheels. This was upgraded to steam brakes on the engines in 1884-1886, and at least two (V15 and V17) were later fitted with Westinghouse air brakes[3].
New boilers with a working pressure of 130psi were fitted, starting with V11 in 1880, and the remaining 3 locomotives in 1884-1885.[3]

Accidents

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Demise

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All the locomotives were removed from the Victorian Railways register between 1891 and 1904. V13 was sold to an unknown buyer in 1893, then bought back and renumbered 497 (unclassed).[5][3] V11 was sold in May 1891 to contractor Andrew O'Keefe for £1900($2700).[3] The remaining locomotives were withdrawn in 1904, with the last V15 being withdrawn on 13 September.

Fleet summary

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Key: In Service Preserved Stored or withdrawn Scrapped
Locomotive Previous numbers Builder No. Entered service Withdrawn Scrapped Status Notes
V11 1, 2, 2A 142 January 1859 May 1891 Scrapped New cab - 1880. Sold to O'Keefe (£1900) - May 1891[3]
V13 2, 3, 3A 143 January 1859 1893 - Sold - 1893[3]
V15 3, 4, 4A 144 January 1859 13 September 1904 Scrapped New chimney - 23 October 1882. Reboilered - 9 May 1884[3]
V17 4, 5, 5A 145 January 1859 8 August 1904 Scrapped [3]
497 (ex V13) 144 12 December 1895 7 September 1904 Scrapped Repurchased by Victorian Railway[3]

References

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Specific

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Victorian Railways Rolling Stock Branch: Diagrams & Particulars of Locomotives, Cars, Vans & Trucks (1904 ed.). Vic: Victorian Railways. 1904. p. 11.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Cave, Norman; Buckland, John; Beardsell, David (2002). Steam Locomotives of the Victorian Railways. Vol. 1: The First Fifty Years. Melbourne, Vic: ARHS Victoria Division. p. 22. ISBN 1876677384.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s Cave, Norman; Buckland, John; Beardsell, David (2002). "Chapter 3". Steam Locomotives of the Victorian Railways. Vol. 1: The First Fifty Years. Melbourne, Vic: ARHS Victoria Division. ISBN 1876677384.
  4. ^ "George England Locos". Retrieved 17 November 2014.
  5. ^ Oberg, Leon (2010). Locomotives of Australia 1854–2010 (5th ed.). Dural, NSW: Rosenberg Publishing. p. 17. ISBN 978-1921719011.
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