Victorian Railways J class
Encyclopedia
The J class was a branch line
steam locomotive
that ran on Victorian Railways
from 1954 to 1972. A development of the successful Victorian Railways K class
2-8-0
, it was the last new class of steam locomotive introduced on the VR. Introduced almost concurrently with the diesel-electric locomotives that ultimately superseded them, these locomotives were only in service on the VR for a relatively short time.
', an £
80 million program to rebuild a network badly run down by years of Depression-era underinvestment and wartime
overutilisation.
Victoria's branch line railway network, laid with 60 lb
/yd rail and featuring gradient
s of up to 1 in 30, was still largely served by the D1, D2 and D3 variants of the once 261-strong 1902-era Dd class
4-6-0
, which by the early 1950s was at the end of its life. These were supplemented by 53 K class 2-8-0
locomotives, some of which had been built as recently as 1946. Although highly successful, the K was unsuitable for potential conversion from broad gauge
to standard gauge
in the event of the Victorian network being standardised, and VR policy was for all new locomotives to be engineered for easy conversion. As such, the building of further K class was not a desirable option.
With mainline electric and diesel-electric locomotives already on order, Victorian Railways' design team opted for an updated, gauge-convertible K class as what would turn out to be their final steam locomotive design.
The key problem with the K class design was the placement of the firebox between the locomotive's frames and rear driving wheel
s, making conversion to a narrower gauge impossible without radical redesign of the firebox. A previous attempt to develop a gauge convertible K class, the N class
, utilised a 2-8-2
wheel arrangement and positioned the firebox above the frames and behind the driving wheels. However, the extra length of these locomotives (they were a total 67 ft long) made them unsuitable for a number of branch lines where only a 50 or 53 feet (16.2 m) turntable
was available.
The J class adopted an alternative approach to the problem by utilising a high-set boiler (with the boiler centre 9 ft 2½ in above rail level, compared with 8 in 4 in (2.54 m) for the K class) setting the firebox above the frames and driving wheels, and retaining the K class' short wheelbase.
The J class also featured a number of other design advances over the K class. It had a larger grate
, enabling grate sections to be compatible with those of the N class and permitting an increase in firebox volume sufficient to allow two arch tube
s to be installed. Another innovation was the use of a regulator valve incorporating a centrifugal steam separator (to draw away any water and thus provide the driest steam), rather than the simpler (though extremely reliable) D regulator valve
used in the K class. The J class also featured substantially redesigned cylinder porting to improve steam flow and efficiency. The innovative SCOA-P
type driving wheel centre developed for the Victorian Railways R class
was adapted for the 55 in diameter J class drivers.
The high-set boiler, together with the German-style smoke deflectors, gave the J class a distinctly European appearance.
in Lancashire, England. However, VR reassessed its motive power requirements and opted to sell ten of its brand-new, second generation N class locomotives to the South Australian Railways
, and increased the J class order to sixty locomotives.
With fluctuating oil prices and an unreliable supply of coal in the early 1950s, the VR appeared to take something of a bet either way, ordering thirty of the class as coal burners and thirty as oil burners.
By the time the contract for the J class had been awarded, the VR had already begun to receive deliveries of the B class mainline diesel-electric locomotives from GM-EMD licencee Clyde Engineering
. The B class locomotives proved to be a great success, such that the VR unsuccessfully attempted to cancel the J class contract in favour of an order for EMD branch line diesel locomotives.
Coal-fired J class locomotives were the regular engine on the 9:00am Melbourne to Yarram passenger service, with other duties being from Lilydale to Warburton and local services from Spencer Street to Werribee. The oil-fired J was also pressed into service hauling the final leg of The Gippslander
express from Sale
to Bairnsdale. In their later years J class locomotives also ran the Horsham
to Dimboola leg of the morning service from Melbourne, among the last regular steam-hauled passenger trains in Victoria.
Although the J class produced the same nominal tractive effort
as the K or N class, they had a slightly higher adhesive weight (and as such a better factor of adhesion
) and were permitted to haul heavier loads on gradients. They could be found in goods service on branch lines across the state, but were also found on mainlines running roadside goods services.
However, within a year of the J's introduction, the T class
(EMD G8
) diesel electric locomotive was also introduced. Although VR did not publicly indicate the T was intended to replace the J class, it proved to be such a successful design that further orders of this locomotive class were made during the late 1950s and 1960s, gradually displacing the J class from many of its normal duties.
Locomotive J 546 was selected for installation of a Laidlaw Drew oil firing system in place of the convention weir-type burner following recommendations from the 1957 Australian and New Zealand Railway Conference. However, the locomotive was found to steam poorly under load using the system and was converted back to weir burner operation, with no further locomotives converted.
(EMD G6B) diesel electrics saw the J class superseded in this role, and in November 1967, J 523 became the first J class to be scrapped. Scrappings continued until June 1978, with J 538 the last to go.
J 550 holds the distinction of being the very last steam of locomotive in normal revenue service on Victorian Railways, being rostered on the 6:00am Bendigo pilot on 25 May 1972.
in Maldon, Victoria
from Seymour Railway Heritage Centre
and has been since December 2006. Out of service as of October 2010 due to failed boiler exam.
J541: Leased to the Victorian Goldfields Railway
after being restored by the Puffing Billy Railway in 2007. Come 2011, 541 will be transferred to the Yarra Valley Tourist Railway
. 541 was recently purchased by a private syndicate, which includes Yarra Valley members as well as the railway itself.
J549: Owned and operated by the Victorian Goldfields Railway
. The locomotive has been out of service since March 2004 undergoing a major overhaul and is expected to return to service in the later part of 2010.
Branch line
A branch line is a secondary railway line which branches off a more important through route, usually a main line. A very short branch line may be called a spur line...
steam locomotive
Steam locomotive
A steam locomotive is a railway locomotive that produces its power through a steam engine. These locomotives are fueled by burning some combustible material, usually coal, wood or oil, to produce steam in a boiler, which drives the steam engine...
that ran on Victorian Railways
Victorian Railways
The Victorian Railways operated railways in the Australian state of Victoria from 1859 to 1983. The first railways in Victoria were private companies, but when these companies failed or defaulted, the Victorian Railways was established to take over their operations...
from 1954 to 1972. A development of the successful Victorian Railways K class
Victorian Railways K class
The K class was a branch line steam locomotive that ran on Victorian Railways from 1922 to 1979. Although its design was entirely conventional and its specifications unremarkable, the K class was in practice a remarkably versatile and dependable locomotive...
2-8-0
2-8-0
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 2-8-0 represents the wheel arrangement of two leading wheels on one axle , eight powered and coupled driving wheels on four axles, and no trailing wheels...
, it was the last new class of steam locomotive introduced on the VR. Introduced almost concurrently with the diesel-electric locomotives that ultimately superseded them, these locomotives were only in service on the VR for a relatively short time.
History
During the early 1950s, Victorian Railways embarked on a massive upgrading of its ageing locomotive fleet as part of 'Operation PhoenixOperation Phoenix (railway)
Operation Phoenix was a post World War II rehabilitation program carried out by the Victorian Railways in Australia. The program commenced in 1950 and was originally planned to take 10 years and cost £80 million pounds...
', an £
Australian pound
The pound was the currency of Australia from 1910 until 13 February 1966, when it was replaced by the Australian dollar. It was subdivided into 20 shillings, each of 12 pence.- Earlier Australian currencies :...
80 million program to rebuild a network badly run down by years of Depression-era underinvestment and wartime
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
overutilisation.
Victoria's branch line railway network, laid with 60 lb
Pound (mass)
The pound or pound-mass is a unit of mass used in the Imperial, United States customary and other systems of measurement...
/yd rail and featuring gradient
Slope
In mathematics, the slope or gradient of a line describes its steepness, incline, or grade. A higher slope value indicates a steeper incline....
s of up to 1 in 30, was still largely served by the D1, D2 and D3 variants of the once 261-strong 1902-era Dd class
Victorian Railways Dd class
The Dd class was a passenger and mixed traffic steam locomotive that ran on Victorian Railways from 1902 to 1974...
4-6-0
4-6-0
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 4-6-0 represents the wheel arrangement of four leading wheels on two axles in a leading truck, six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles, and no trailing wheels. This wheel arrangement became the second-most popular...
, which by the early 1950s was at the end of its life. These were supplemented by 53 K class 2-8-0
2-8-0
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 2-8-0 represents the wheel arrangement of two leading wheels on one axle , eight powered and coupled driving wheels on four axles, and no trailing wheels...
locomotives, some of which had been built as recently as 1946. Although highly successful, the K was unsuitable for potential conversion from broad gauge
Broad gauge
Broad-gauge railways use a track gauge greater than the standard gauge of .- List :For list see: List of broad gauges, by gauge and country- History :...
to standard gauge
Standard gauge
The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
in the event of the Victorian network being standardised, and VR policy was for all new locomotives to be engineered for easy conversion. As such, the building of further K class was not a desirable option.
With mainline electric and diesel-electric locomotives already on order, Victorian Railways' design team opted for an updated, gauge-convertible K class as what would turn out to be their final steam locomotive design.
Design features
Driving wheel
On a steam locomotive, a driving wheel is a powered wheel which is driven by the locomotive's pistons...
s, making conversion to a narrower gauge impossible without radical redesign of the firebox. A previous attempt to develop a gauge convertible K class, the N class
Victorian Railways N class
The N class was a branch line steam locomotive that ran on Victorian Railways from 1925 to 1966. A development of the successful K class 2-8-0, it was the first VR locomotive class designed for possible conversion from 5 ft 3 in broad gauge to 4 ft 8½ in standard gauge.-History:In 1923, in...
, utilised a 2-8-2
2-8-2
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 2-8-2 represents the wheel arrangement of two leading wheels on one axle , eight powered and coupled driving wheels on four axles, and two trailing wheels on one axle...
wheel arrangement and positioned the firebox above the frames and behind the driving wheels. However, the extra length of these locomotives (they were a total 67 ft long) made them unsuitable for a number of branch lines where only a 50 or 53 feet (16.2 m) turntable
Turntable (railroad)
A railway turntable is a device for turning railroad rolling stock. When steam locomotives were still in wide use, many railroads needed a way to turn the locomotives around for return trips as their controls were often not configured for extended periods of running in reverse and in many...
was available.
The J class adopted an alternative approach to the problem by utilising a high-set boiler (with the boiler centre 9 ft 2½ in above rail level, compared with 8 in 4 in (2.54 m) for the K class) setting the firebox above the frames and driving wheels, and retaining the K class' short wheelbase.
The J class also featured a number of other design advances over the K class. It had a larger grate
Grate
*A grate is a frame of iron bars to hold fuel for a fire.*It may also refer to a covering of a drain, also called a grating.*The act of using a grater, a kitchen utensil.- People :*Don Grate US sportsman....
, enabling grate sections to be compatible with those of the N class and permitting an increase in firebox volume sufficient to allow two arch tube
Thermic syphon
Thermic siphons are heat-exchanging elements in the firebox or combustion chamber of some steam boiler and steam locomotive designs. As they are directly exposed to the radiant heat of combustion, they have a high evaporative capacity relative to their size...
s to be installed. Another innovation was the use of a regulator valve incorporating a centrifugal steam separator (to draw away any water and thus provide the driest steam), rather than the simpler (though extremely reliable) D regulator valve
D slide valve
The slide valve is a rectilinear valve used to control the admission of steam into, and emission of exhaust from, the cylinder of a steam engine.-Use:...
used in the K class. The J class also featured substantially redesigned cylinder porting to improve steam flow and efficiency. The innovative SCOA-P
SCOA-P wheel
thumb|SCOA-P driving wheelsthumb|SCOA-P wheel centre detail SCOA-P pattern wheels are a type of steam locomotive wheel. Rather than having traditional solid spokes, the SCOA-P spoke is hollow, with a 'U' shaped cross section...
type driving wheel centre developed for the Victorian Railways R class
Victorian Railways R class
The R class was an express passenger steam locomotive that ran on Australia's Victorian Railways from 1951 to 1974. A long overdue replacement for the 1907-era A2 class 4-6-0, their development and construction was repeatedly delayed due to financial constraints caused by the Great Depression and...
was adapted for the 55 in diameter J class drivers.
The high-set boiler, together with the German-style smoke deflectors, gave the J class a distinctly European appearance.
Production
A total of fifty J class locomotives were initially ordered from the Vulcan FoundryVulcan Foundry
Vulcan Foundry was a British locomotive builder sited at Newton-le-Willows, Lancashire .-History:It was originally opened in 1832 as Charles Tayleur and Company to produce girders for bridges, switches and crossings, and other ironwork following the opening of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway...
in Lancashire, England. However, VR reassessed its motive power requirements and opted to sell ten of its brand-new, second generation N class locomotives to the South Australian Railways
South Australian Railways
South Australian Railways built and operated railways in South Australia from 1854 to the incorporation of its non-urban railways into the Australian National Railways Commission in 1975, together with the former Commonwealth Railways and the former Tasmanian Government Railways...
, and increased the J class order to sixty locomotives.
With fluctuating oil prices and an unreliable supply of coal in the early 1950s, the VR appeared to take something of a bet either way, ordering thirty of the class as coal burners and thirty as oil burners.
By the time the contract for the J class had been awarded, the VR had already begun to receive deliveries of the B class mainline diesel-electric locomotives from GM-EMD licencee Clyde Engineering
Clyde Engineering
Clyde Engineering was the name of part of the business now known as Downer EDI Rail. Clyde Engineering were involved in the construction of railway locomotives and rolling stock, as well as larger scale engineering projects on behalf of the governments of Australia...
. The B class locomotives proved to be a great success, such that the VR unsuccessfully attempted to cancel the J class contract in favour of an order for EMD branch line diesel locomotives.
Regular Service
The J class was introduced for both passenger and goods traffic on Victoria's branch line network, with a maximum permissible speed of 45 mph (72 km/h), later raised to 50 mph (80 km/h). Dynamometer tests showed the locomotive developed 930 hp at the drawbar at around 20-25 mph (32-40 km/h), which suited the relatively low speed limits of much of the Victorian branch line network.Coal-fired J class locomotives were the regular engine on the 9:00am Melbourne to Yarram passenger service, with other duties being from Lilydale to Warburton and local services from Spencer Street to Werribee. The oil-fired J was also pressed into service hauling the final leg of The Gippslander
The Gippslander
The Gippslander was a named passenger train that operated by the Victorian Railways from state capital Melbourne, through the Gippsland region, to Bairnsdale, Victoria, Australia...
express from Sale
Sale railway station, Victoria
Sale is a railway station on the Bairnsdale railway line in Sale, Victoria, Australia. The station is located on Pettit Drive and has a single platform, two loop sidings parallel to the platform, and a number of dead end sidings...
to Bairnsdale. In their later years J class locomotives also ran the Horsham
Horsham railway station, Victoria
Horsham is a railway station located in the town of Horsham, Victoria, Australia. The station is located between Railway Avenue and Mill Street and is next to Urquhart Street.-History:...
to Dimboola leg of the morning service from Melbourne, among the last regular steam-hauled passenger trains in Victoria.
Although the J class produced the same nominal tractive effort
Tractive effort
As used in mechanical engineering, the term tractive force is the pulling or pushing force exerted by a vehicle on another vehicle or object. The term tractive effort is synonymous with tractive force, and is often used in railway engineering to describe the pulling or pushing capability of a...
as the K or N class, they had a slightly higher adhesive weight (and as such a better factor of adhesion
Factor of adhesion
In railroad engineering, the factor of adhesion of a locomotive is the weight on the driving wheels divided by the starting tractive effort.A common rule is that for a steam locomotive a good factor of adhesion equals or exceeds 4, but not by too much...
) and were permitted to haul heavier loads on gradients. They could be found in goods service on branch lines across the state, but were also found on mainlines running roadside goods services.
However, within a year of the J's introduction, the T class
Victorian Railways T class (diesel)
The Victorian Railways T class diesel electric locomotive are a small branch line and shunting unit built by Clyde Engineering . They were the most numerous class of diesel locomotives in the state....
(EMD G8
EMD G8
The EMD G8 was a General Motors-built diesel locomotive of which 382 were built between 1954 and 1965 for both export and domestic use. They were built by both Electro-Motive Division in the United States and by General Motors Diesel Division in Canada for use in ten countries, being equipped to...
) diesel electric locomotive was also introduced. Although VR did not publicly indicate the T was intended to replace the J class, it proved to be such a successful design that further orders of this locomotive class were made during the late 1950s and 1960s, gradually displacing the J class from many of its normal duties.
Design Improvements
Together with the K and N classes, the J class had its boiler pressure raised in the early 1960s from 175 psi (1,207 kPa) to 180 psi (1,241 kPa), which raised their nominal tractive effort to 29500 lbf (131.2 kN).Locomotive J 546 was selected for installation of a Laidlaw Drew oil firing system in place of the convention weir-type burner following recommendations from the 1957 Australian and New Zealand Railway Conference. However, the locomotive was found to steam poorly under load using the system and was converted back to weir burner operation, with no further locomotives converted.
Demise
By the late 1960s the J class was largely relegated to shunting at various country yards, with many losing their cowcatchers and gaining shunter's steps on the tender sides. The introduction of the Y classVictorian Railways Y class (diesel)
The Victorian Railways Y class diesel electric locomotive is a small branch line and shunting unit built by Clyde Engineering . Three separate orders were delivered...
(EMD G6B) diesel electrics saw the J class superseded in this role, and in November 1967, J 523 became the first J class to be scrapped. Scrappings continued until June 1978, with J 538 the last to go.
J 550 holds the distinction of being the very last steam of locomotive in normal revenue service on Victorian Railways, being rostered on the 6:00am Bendigo pilot on 25 May 1972.
Preservation
The J class lasted as a complete class later than any other VR steam locomotive. By the time that scrapping commenced, interest in railway preservation was sufficient for eleven examples to be preserved.Operational
J515: Currently on long term loan to the Victorian Goldfields RailwayVictorian Goldfields Railway
The Victorian Goldfields Railway is a broad gauge tourist railway in Victoria, Australia. It operates along a formerly disused branch line between the towns of Maldon and Castlemaine.-History:...
in Maldon, Victoria
Maldon, Victoria
Maldon is a town in Victoria, Australia, in the Shire of Mount Alexander local government area. It has been designated "Australia's first notable town" and is celebrated for its 19th-century appearance, maintained since gold-rush days...
from Seymour Railway Heritage Centre
Seymour Railway Heritage Centre
The Seymour Railway Heritage Centre is a railway preservation group based in Seymour, Victoria, Australia. The volunteer non-profit incorporated association was established in 1983 to restore and preserve locomotives and rolling stock as used on the railways of Victoria.The group is an accredited...
and has been since December 2006. Out of service as of October 2010 due to failed boiler exam.
J541: Leased to the Victorian Goldfields Railway
Victorian Goldfields Railway
The Victorian Goldfields Railway is a broad gauge tourist railway in Victoria, Australia. It operates along a formerly disused branch line between the towns of Maldon and Castlemaine.-History:...
after being restored by the Puffing Billy Railway in 2007. Come 2011, 541 will be transferred to the Yarra Valley Tourist Railway
Yarra Valley Tourist Railway
The Yarra Valley Railway is a tourist railway operating on a section of the former Healesville railway which operated between Lilydale and Healesville in the Yarra Valley area northeast of Melbourne, Australia.- History :...
. 541 was recently purchased by a private syndicate, which includes Yarra Valley members as well as the railway itself.
J549: Owned and operated by the Victorian Goldfields Railway
Victorian Goldfields Railway
The Victorian Goldfields Railway is a broad gauge tourist railway in Victoria, Australia. It operates along a formerly disused branch line between the towns of Maldon and Castlemaine.-History:...
. The locomotive has been out of service since March 2004 undergoing a major overhaul and is expected to return to service in the later part of 2010.
Static
- J 556 (wearing the historically significant plates of scrapped J 559, the last steam locomotive to enter service on the VR) is preserved at the ARHSAustralian Railway Historical SocietyThe Australian Railway Historical Society was founded in Sydney in 1933 as The Australasian Railway and Locomotive Historical Society. It aims to foster an interest in the railways, and record and preserve many facets of railway operations. Membership now exceeds 2,500, with Divisions in every...
North Williamstown Railway Museum.
- J 507 is on public display at Mulwala, New South WalesMulwala, New South WalesMulwala is a town in the Corowa Shire Local Government Area in the Riverina district of New South Wales, Australia. The town is situated on Lake Mulwala, an artificial lake formed by the damming of the Murray River. At the 2006 census, Mulwala had a population of 1,986 people...
.
- J 512 is owned by Seymour Railway Heritage Centre and is pending restoration. As part of the restoration, it has converted from broad to standard gauge. As of March 2010, the engine frames have been converted.
- J 516 is owned by the Yarra Valley Tourist RailwayYarra Valley Tourist RailwayThe Yarra Valley Railway is a tourist railway operating on a section of the former Healesville railway which operated between Lilydale and Healesville in the Yarra Valley area northeast of Melbourne, Australia.- History :...
and in June 2009 was being stripped down for a restoration assessment.
- J 524 is on public display at Donald, VictoriaDonald, VictoriaDonald is a town in Victoria, Australia, located on the Richardson River, at the junction of Sunraysia Highway and Borung Highway, in the Shire of Buloke. The town is named after William Donald, a Scottish pastoralist who was the first settler in the area in 1844...
.
- J 536 was until 1998, on public display at Colac, VictoriaColac, VictoriaColac is a small city located in the Western District of Victoria, Australia, situated approximately 150 kilometres south-west of Melbourne on the southern shore of Lake Colac and the surrounding volcanic plains, approximately 40 km inland from Bass Strait. Colac is the largest city in and...
. It was acquired by West Coast RailwayWest Coast Railway (Victoria)West Coast Railway was the trading name of The Victorian Railway Company Pty Ltd, a railway company operating in Victoria, Australia. The company operated passenger services between Melbourne and Warrnambool from 1993 to 2004.-History:...
for restoration. Following the demise of WCR, the loco was sold to heritage group 707 Operations Incorporated for eventual restoration to operating service.
- J 539 is on public display at Dimboola, VictoriaDimboola, VictoriaDimboola is located in Shire of Hindmarsh in the Wimmera region of Western Victoria, Australia, 334 kilometres north-west of Melbourne.Situated on the Wimmera River in the State of Victoria,the town of Dimboola was previously known as 'Nine Creeks'.Following a survey conducted in late 1862 by...
.
- J 550 is on public display at Warragul, VictoriaWarragul, VictoriaWarragul is a rural centre with a population of 12,943 people east-southeast of Melbourne in Victoria. Warragul lies between the Strzelecki Ranges to the south and the Mount Baw Baw Plateau of the Great Dividing Range to the north...
.
External links
- victorianrailways.net J class locomotive page Details and further photographs of J class locomotives
- Seymour Railway Heritage Centre operators of J 515
- Victorian Goldfields Railway operators of J 549 (under major overhaul) and J 541.