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Victorian Railways G class

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For the 1877 BG steam locomotives, see Victorian Railways G class (1877).
For the 1984 diesel locomotives, see V/Line G class.

Victorian Railways G class
G42 at Puffing Billy Railway in August 2007
Type and origin
Power typeSteam
BuilderBeyer, Peacock & Company
Serial number6267–6268
Build date1925
Specifications
Configuration:
​
 • Whyte2-6-0+0-6-2
Gauge2 ft 6 in (762 mm)
Leading dia.24.25 in (0.616 m)
Driver dia.36 in (0.914 m)
Wheelbase44 ft 6 in (13.56 m) ​
 • Engine12 ft 3 in (3.73 m) per engine unit
 • Drivers6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) per engine unit
Pivot centres24 ft 9 in (7.54 m)
Length:
​
 • Over couplers49 ft 10 in (15.19 m)
Width9 ft 1 in (2.77 m)
Height10 ft 8 in (3.25 m)
Frame typeOutside
Axle load9.45 long tons (9.60 t; 10.58 short tons)
Adhesive weight55.35 long tons (56.24 t; 61.99 short tons)
Loco weight69 long tons (70 t; 77 short tons)
Fuel typeCoal
Fuel capacity3.5 long tons (3.6 t; 3.9 short tons)
Water cap.1,250 imp gal (5,700 L; 1,500 US gal) front unit
430 imp gal (2,000 L; 520 US gal) rear unit
1,680 imp gal (7,600 L; 2,020 US gal) total
Firebox:​
 • Grate area22.6 sq ft (2.10 m2)
Boiler:
​
 • TypeBelpaire firebox
Boiler pressure180 psi (1.24 MPa)
Heating surface:​
 • Firebox99 sq ft (9.2 m2)
 • Tubes and flues951 sq ft (88.4 m2)
 • Total surface1,230 sq ft (114 m2)
Superheater:
​
 • TypeMelesco
 • Heating area180 sq ft (17 m2)
Cylinders4
Cylinder size13+1⁄4 in × 18 in (337 mm × 457 mm)
Valve gearWalschaerts
Train brakesWestinghouse Air Brakes
Safety systemsFlaman Speed Recorder
CouplersM.C.B. auto-couplers
Performance figures
Tractive effort23,690 lbf (105.38 kN) at 75% pressure
26,850 lbf (119.43 kN) at 85% pressure
Career
OperatorsVictorian Railways, Puffing Billy Railway
Number in class2
Numbers41-42
Preserved42
Current ownerPuffing Billy Railway
Above data is from Speed Limit 20 Plus.[1]: 19 

The Victorian Railways G class is a class of steam locomotives built for the Victorian Railways 2 ft 6 in gauge branch lines by Beyer, Peacock & Company. They were introduced in 1926 to increase train sizes, eliminate the practice of double heading NA locomotives and reduce losses on these lines. Their tractive effort was comparable to the most powerful branch line locomotives on the Victorian Railways 5 ft 3 in (1,600 mm), the K class.

Origins

[edit]
G41 stored at Colac in 1962
G42 at Walhalla station in 1926
G41 Shunting NQR wagons at Colac 1959

The design was based on the earlier M and Ms class Garratts constructed for the Western Australian Government Railways. This design was amongst the earliest of the Garratts, and first entered service in 1911. The major modification was the use of outside frames to allow for the reduction of gauge from 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) to 2 ft 6 in (762 mm). The design proved durable as two further examples were built for the Australian Portland Cement 3 ft 6 in gauge railway at Fyansford in the 1930s.

The two locomotives were built in 1925 with builders numbers 6267 and 6268 respectively and shipped to Australia, arriving at Newport Workshops in March 1926. G41 entered service on 5 June 1926, followed by G42 on 28 June 1926.[1]: 19 

Working lives

[edit]

The locomotives were allocated numbers G41 and G42. G41 was put to work on the Colac to Beech Forest and Crowes line, while G42 was placed on the Moe to Walhalla railway.[2][3] The locomotives stayed on these lines, returning to Newport Workshops for heavy repairs when necessary.

Introduction of the Garratt locomotives allowed significantly longer and heavier trains to operate. Capacity on the Colac - Crowes line was as below,[1]: 94–95  e.g. a single NA locomotive could haul 16 vehicles or a maximum of 85 tons between Colac and Barongarook. In 1922 the line had a daily return service scheduled for the whole length, plus another one on Mondays and Thursdays between Beech Forest and Colac, and a number of other trains built into the schedule if required. By 1933, between the introduction of the Garratt and reduction in traffic due to the depression, this had fallen to three trains per week Colac to Beech Forest, only two of those continuing to Crowes, plus a postal motor in the opposite direction to the steam train.

Similarly, train capacity increased significantly when G42 was introduced on the Walhalla line:[1]: 116 

The engines ran more or less unaltered until 1941, when G41 had its chimney replaced with a "stove-pipe" style unit, and G42 in 1955. In 1958 both engines were fitted with electric generators and lighting, including front and rear headlights, marker lights and cab interior lighting. The cowcatchers were later removed from G42.[1]: 19 

After the closure of the Walhalla line in 1955 G42 was moved west to Colac, where it worked the line in conjunction with G41. Both engines were used on special excursion trains from 1959 to 1962, using eight NBH carriages which had previously operated on the Gembrook line.

In the final months of the line G41 was out of use, having been cannibalised for parts to keep G42 working.[4][5] G42 hauled the last regular train on the Colac line on 27 June 1962, and the last tour train on 30 June 1962.[1]: 99  The engine, and the line, were both taken out of service because that was when G42's boiler certificate was due to expire.[1]: 153 

Disposal and preservation

[edit]

After closure of the narrow gauge line from Colac, the whole of G42 and the engine units of G41 were removed to Newport Workshops, while the boiler unit of G41 was sent to Ballarat North Workshops and scrapped in 1962.[1]: 19  The engine units of G41 were scrapped in October 1964, though the number plates, whistle and headlights were recovered and are housed at the Menzies Creek Museum.[6] G42 was bought from the Victorian Railways in July 1964 by the Puffing Billy Preservation Society, being transferred by rail to Belgrave in January 1968 and arriving at the Menzies Creek Steam Museum on 10 February 1968. The museum also acquired one of the Australian Portland Cement Garratts along with an unused spare boiler.

In 1978 a decision was made to restore G42, with an appeal for funds opening in June 1979[1]: 150  and the task completed in April 2004.[1]: 133, 152  The spare boiler from Australian Portland Cement was used instead of G42's original boiler as this had had its copper inner fire-box and boiler tubes removed by the V.R. before sale to the Puffing Billy Preservation Society in 1963. G42 was withdrawn from service in February 2009 pending a "D" exam as part of the Puffing Billy Railway's regular maintenance program. On 16 August 2009, G42 returned to service for one day only to celebrate "100 years of the Garratt locomotive design" with a special to Cockatoo and return[7] before returning to storage pending the mentioned "D" exam.

On 12 December 2010, G42 moved under its own steam after extensive repairs including turning more than 1 in (25 mm) from the wheel tyres. It was put to a test with a difficult shunt of 20 cars into different roads. The locomotive was then used on the "Green time table" service which otherwise calls for the double heading of NA class locomotives on one of the trips, enabling its greater hauling capacity to substitute for the two NAs.

As of April 2023, G42 is on display in the Menzies Creek Museum "for a period of at least five years".

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Puffing Billy Preservation Society (2017). Speed Limit 20 Plus. Puffing Billy Preservation Society. ISBN 978-0-9579792-8-4.
  2. ^ A Brief History of the Garratt Locomotive in Australia Australian Railway Historical Society Bulletin issue 188 June 1953 pages 61/62
  3. ^ Narrow Gauge Branch Lines of the Victorian Railways Australian Railway Historical Society Bulletin issue 231 January 1957 pages 14/15
  4. ^ Durrant, AE (1981). Garratt Locomotives of the World. London: Hamlyn. pp. 68, 70. ISBN 0-7153-7641-1.
  5. ^ Anchin, Nick (2011). Rails to Old Walhalla. Ferntree Gully: Sierra Publishing. p. 40. ISBN 978-0-9807640-1-7.
  6. ^ steam on the 2 foot 6
  7. ^ PBPS "Narrow Gauge" magazine

Further reading

[edit]
  • Hocking, P; Peach, R; Thompson, J (1981). G42 Puffing Billy's Big Brother. Belgrave: Puffing Billy Preservation Society.
[edit]

Media related to Victorian Railways G class steam locomotives at Wikimedia Commons