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Victorian Railways E class

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This article is about the 1888 E class steam locomotive. For the 1928 E class electric locomotives, see Victorian Railways E class (electric).

Victorian Railways E class
Builders photo of Tasmania, 1888
Type and origin
Power typeSteam
DesignerEdward Alexander Jeffreys
BuilderKitson & Company, David Munro & Co, Phoenix Foundry
Build date1888-1894
Total produced76
RebuilderVictorian Railways, Newport Workshops
Number rebuilt24
Specifications
Configuration:
​
 • Whyte2-4-2T (71) & 0-6-2T (5), later 24x 2-4-2 converted to 0-6-2.
Gauge5 ft 3 in (1,600 mm)
Driver dia.5 ft 0 in (1,524 mm)
Length33 ft 8 in (10.26 m)
Height12 ft 9+1⁄2 in (3,898.9 mm)
Axle load16 long tons 8 cwt (36,700 lb or 16.7 t) ​
 • Coupled16 long tons 8 cwt (36,700 lb or 16.7 t)
Loco weight53 long tons 8 cwt (119,600 lb or 54.3 t)
Fuel typeCoal
Fuel capacity2 long tons 10 cwt (5,600 lb or 2.5 t)
Water cap.1,600 imp gal (1,900 US gal; 7,300 L)
Career
OperatorsVictorian Railways, South Australian Railways
Numbers426 (Kitson), 346 to 394 (even numbers, Phoenix Foundry), 12, 34, 36, 428 to 460 (even numbers, Phoenix Foundry) and 472 to 520 (even numbers, David Munro)
Delivered1888
First run1889
Last run1972
PreservedE369, E371, 236
Scrapped1915-1960s
Current ownerVicTrack Heritage, Victorian Goldfields Railway.
Disposition3 preserved, remainder scrapped

The E class was a class of suburban tank steam locomotive that ran on Australia's Victorian Railways (VR).

History

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During the late 19th century, Victorian Railways had ended up with a mixed fleet of locomotives of various designs, which had caused maintenance difficulties. To solve this, Richard Speight, a VR commissioner who had worked for the Midland Railway, set out a program to adopt standardized locomotive designs based on British practices. Tasked with designing locomotives for the scheme was Edward Alexander Jeffreys, who designed 5 classes of locomotive for Victorian Railways, all using standard parts. These would become the D class and New A class 4-4-0s, the New R class and Y class 0-6-0s, and the E class 2-4-2T.

After the design for Jeffreys' 2-4-2T design was finalized by VR, a contract was awarded to the Phoenix Foundry of Ballarat for construction of 25 locomotives in 1887, while an example was built by Kitson & Co of Leeds in 1888 for the Melbourne Centennial Exhibitions at the Royal Exhibitions Building, built to Jeffreys' original design without the local changes done by VR. The engine, named Tasmania, was displayed alongside an example of Jeffery’s 0-6-0 goods engine design (later Y class) named Victoria, also built by Kitson. In 1889, Tasmania entered service as E426. 20 more locomotives would also be built by the Phoenix Foundry from 1892.

Although considered to be a prototype due to it being the first E class delivered, Tasmania did not serve as the pattern engine of the class, as the Phoenix Foundry examples were already ordered by the time it was built.[1]

In April 1890, Victorian Railways awarded another contract to David Munro & Company of South Melbourne. They would finish their first locomotive in 1892 and built more locomotives until the last one was completed in 1894.

Seventy engines were eventually built locally. They were numbered 346 to 394 (even numbers, Phoenix Foundry), 12, 34, 36, 428 to 460 (even numbers, Phoenix Foundry), and 472 to 520 (even numbers, David Munro).[2]

Phoenix delivered five additional locomotives designated as the EE class, numbered 462, 464, 466, 468, and 470. These had a new wheel arrangement of 0-6-2T, specifically designed for shunting use. After evaluation, engines 482 and 496 in 1898, followed by 490 and 478 in 1906-1907, were converted to the same format, although the latter two used 170psi boilers and 18-inch cylinders in place of the earlier 140psi boilers and 17-inch cylinders.[2]

E426 (the Kitson locomotive) was the first E class to be withdrawn in 1915, and two more units in 1917. Melbourne's suburban electrification project made the 2-4-2T engines quickly obsolete. Between 1919-1923, twenty were converted to match the nine existing shunters' 0-6-2T configuration (all bar 494 upgraded to 18-inch cylinders), while another twenty-five were withdrawn. Of the latter group, twenty were sold to the South Australian Railways to become their second M class.[2] An additional eighteen were withdrawn in 1924, leaving only a single 2-4-2T type in service.

In the 1923 locomotive renumbering scheme, the EE class engines were reclassified in the 350-379 group. By 1929, this had expanded to 390, and the group was reclassified as E.[2]

The original 2-4-2T engines were intended to take numbers 236-245 without a class letter. However, only one engine survived long enough to have the new number applied. Thus, 506 became 236.[2]

Class table

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Builder No. Type On register E Convert Renumber New EE no. Reclass as E Sold to SAR New M no. Off register Notes
Kitson 3088 2-4-2T 1889 426 1915 Pattern engine
Phoenix 251 2-4-2T 1889 346 1920 Damaged in accident 1891. Phoenix No.252 was not of this class.
Phoenix 253 2-4-2T 1889 348 1923 1923 380 1929 1959
Phoenix 254 2-4-2T 1889 350 1920 256
Phoenix 255 2-4-2T 1889 352 1920 262
Phoenix 256 2-4-2T 1890 354 1924
Phoenix 257 2-4-2T 1890 356 1917
Phoenix 258 2-4-2T 1890 358 1924
Phoenix 259 2-4-2T 1890 360 1924
Phoenix 260 2-4-2T 1890 362 1922 - 362 1931 1954
Phoenix 261 2-4-2T 1890 364 1922 - 364 Unknown[2] 1955 Collision with engine M 316, 1903
Phoenix 262 2-4-2T 1890 366 1921 267
Phoenix 263 2-4-2T 1890 368 1924 Accident 1890, derailed 1900, collision 1902
Phoenix 264 2-4-2T 1890 370 1922 - 370 1929 1959
Phoenix 265 2-4-2T 1890 372 1920 257 Fitted with Gibson patented link-motion 1893; in Richmond 1908 accident
Phoenix 266 2-4-2T 1890 374 1921 - 374 1930 1961 At Ararat 1915-1916; first engine (with E386) painted red and chocolate livery in 1903.
Phoenix 267 2-4-2T 1890 376 1921 - 376 1930 1955
Phoenix 268 2-4-2T 1890 378 1922 - 378 Unknown[2] 1951
Phoenix 269 2-4-2T 1890 380 1921 268
Phoenix 270 2-4-2T 1890 382 1920
Phoenix 271 2-4-2T 1890 384 1921 269
Phoenix 272 2-4-2T 1890 386 1921 270 First engine (with E374) painted red and chocolate livery in 1903.
Phoenix 273 2-4-2T 1890 388 1924
Phoenix 274 2-4-2T 1890 390 Unknown[2] - 390 Unknown</ref> 1955 Assume upgraded, else it would have been renumbered 237-245 range?
Phoenix 275 2-4-2T 1890 392 1920
Phoenix 276 2-4-2T 1890 394 1924
Phoenix 290 2-4-2T 1892 12 1924
Phoenix 291 2-4-2T 1892 34 1921 1925 350 1929 1953
Phoenix 292 2-4-2T 1892 36 1921 266
Phoenix 293 2-4-2T 1892 428 1922 1925 351 1929 1954
Phoenix 294 2-4-2T 1892 430 1921 271
Phoenix 295 2-4-2T 1892 432 1924
Phoenix 296 2-4-2T 1892 434 1920 258
Phoenix 297 2-4-2T 1892 436 1923 1923 377 Unknown[2] 1962
Phoenix 298 2-4-2T 1893 438 1923 1923 381 1929 1954 Casualty at Jolimont 1901 with E 494
Phoenix 299 2-4-2T 1893 440 1920 263
Phoenix 300 2-4-2T 1893 442 1924 Ran off end of siding, Hawthorn, 1899
Phoenix 301 2-4-2T 1893 444 1924
Phoenix 302 2-4-2T 1893 446 1920 264
Phoenix 303 2-4-2T 1893 448 1924
Phoenix 304 2-4-2T 1893 450 1920
Phoenix 305 2-4-2T 1893 452 1920 259
Phoenix 306 2-4-2T 1893 454 1920 1923 352 1931 1954
Phoenix 307 2-4-2T 1893 456 1921 272
Phoenix 308 2-4-2T 1893 458 1921 273
Phoenix 309 2-4-2T 1893 460 1917
Phoenix 310 0-6-2T 1893 462 As built 1923 353 1929 1954 17in cylinders from new.
Phoenix 311 0-6-2T 1893 464 As built 1923 355 1929 1956 17in cylinders from new.
Phoenix 312 0-6-2T 1893 466 As built 1923 356 1929 1954 17in cylinders from new.
Phoenix 313 0-6-2T 1893 468 As built 1923 357 1929 1960 17in cylinders from new. Ran into North Melbourne Depot turntable pit
Phoenix 314 0-6-2T 1893 470 As built 1923 359 1929 1937 17in cylinders from new.
Munro 01 2-4-2T 1892 472 1924
Munro 02 2-4-2T 1892 474 1924 Ran through South Yarra floods 1907
Munro 03 2-4-2T 1892 476 1924
Munro 04 2-4-2T 1892 478 1907 1923 361 1929 1954 EE upgrade used 18in cylinders. Ran off end of siding at Ringwood and overturned, 1908
Munro 05 2-4-2T 1892 480 1924 Fitted with Gibson patented link-motion 1893
Munro 06 2-4-2T 1892 482 1898 1924 363 Unknown[2] 1955 EE upgrade used 17in cylinders; 18in cylinders fitted in 1929. Collision with engine R 324, 1927
Munro 07 2-4-2T 1892 484 1921 1924 365 1930 1954
Munro 08 2-4-2T 1892 486 1920 1924 366 Unknown[2] 1956
Munro 09 2-4-2T 1892 488 1924 Damaged in Newport Yards 1896
Munro 10 2-4-2T 1892 490 1906 1923 367 Unknown[2] 1956 EE upgrade used 18in cylinders.
Munro 11 2-4-2T 1892 492 1921 274
Munro 12 2-4-2T 1892 494 1919 1923 369 1931 1972 (Preserved) EE upgrade used 17in cylinders. Accident with E 438 at Jolimont 1901 and Richmond 1908
Munro 13 2-4-2T 1892 496 1898 1923 371 1929 1972 (Preserved) EE upgrade used 17in cylinders; 18in cylinders fitted in 1929.
Munro 14 2-4-2T 1893 498 1920 1925 372 1931 1959
Munro 15 2-4-2T 1893 500 1920 Accident at Spencer Street Station 1910
Munro 16 2-4-2T 1893 502 1924
Munro 17 2-4-2T 1893 504 1920 260
Munro 18 2-4-2T 1893 506 1953 (Preserved) Renumbered 236 (unclassed) in 1923
Munro 19 2-4-2T 1893 508 1920 265
Munro 20 2-4-2T 1893 510 1922 1924 373 1929 1956 Broken connecting rod pierced boiler, 1899
Munro 21 2-4-2T 1893 512 1924
Munro 22 2-4-2T 1894 514 1923 1923 379 1931 1962 Hauled royal train from Port Melbourne, 1901
Munro 23 2-4-2T 1894 516 1920 261
Munro 24 2-4-2T 1894 518 1920 1922 375 Unknown[2] 1955
Munro 25 2-4-2T 1894 520 1921 275

Retirements and preservation

[edit]

In November 1937, E359 became the first 0-6-2T type to be taken off the register, while the remaining engines stayed on the register until the 1950s, with six of them continued to operate until the early 1960s.

The last original 2-4-2T engine, 236, was used as a shunter at Newport Workshops until it was taken out of service in 1953. The locomotive was then selected for display at Spencer Street Station for the 100th anniversary of Victoria's railways as it was in good enough condition, ultimately sparing it from immediate scrapping. The engine was eventually restored and displayed from the 11th to the 25th of September, 1954.[3] It was then stored at Newport Workshops and later allocated to the newly established ARHS Railway Museum in Newport as one of its first display pieces, where it resides today.

The last two locomotives in service, 369 and 371, worked as yard pilots at Newport Workshops until their withdrawal in 1972. After retirement, E369 was transferred to the Newport Railway Museum.

E371 was moved to storage at Newport Workshops until the 1980s when it was bought by the Castlemaine & Maldon Railway Group. It would be transferred to Spotswood so it could be dismantled for future restoration. It was eventually found out that the locomotive had sustained significant damage to parts of its frames and boiler, which was considered too costly to repair at the time. Therefore, E371 was reassembled sometime in the 1990s and transferred to Maldon Railway Station for display.[original research?]

Around April 2022, E371 was cosmetically overhauled with a brand-new coat of black paint, including painted cab and number plates in the form of stickers, and was moved to the station’s Dock Platform for display.

  • 236 at Newport Workshops, 1950
    236 at Newport Workshops, 1950
  • E369 at the Newport Railway Museum
    E369 at the Newport Railway Museum
  • 236 at the Newport Railway Museum
    236 at the Newport Railway Museum
  • David Munro & Company locomotive builders plate as seen on 236
    David Munro & Company locomotive builders plate as seen on 236
  • E371 on display at Maldon
    E371 on display at Maldon

References

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  1. ^ Newsrail April 2024 Volume 52-Number 4. ISSN 0310-7477.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Cave, N.; Buckland, J.; Beardsell, D. (2002). Steam Locomotives of the Victorian Railways. Vol. 1: The First 50 Years. Australian Railway Historical Society, Victorian Division. pp. 150–158. ISBN 1876677384.
  3. ^ Newsrail April 2023 Volume 51-Number 4. ISSN 0310-7477.
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