Victorian Railways X class
Encyclopedia
The X class was a mainline goods locomotive of the 2-8-2
'Mikado' type that ran on the Victorian Railways
between 1929 and 1961. They were the most powerful goods locomotive on the VR until the advent of diesel-electric traction, and operated over the key Bendigo, Wodonga, and Gippsland
mainlines.
2-8-0
goods locomotive, designed to be gauge convertible from 5 in 3 in (1,600.2 mm) broad gauge
to 4 foot standard gauge
in the event of the Victorian Railways network being converted to standard gauge. (The C class, with a narrow firebox between the frames, could not be easily converted.)
The 2-8-2 layout of the X class allowed a wide, deep firebox and large, free steaming boiler. This improved on some key shortcomings of the C class, which were regarded as poor steaming and featured a very long 9 in 7 in (292.1 cm) manually stoked firebox that was difficult to fire and prone to clinkering.
All but two of the X class (X 35 & 36) featured a Franklin Booster engine
on the trailing truck axle, which allowed an additional 9000 lbf (40 kN) tractive effort at starting and low speeds to increase the hauling power of the locomotive. X 35 eventually gained the booster engine that had been originally fitted to light Mikado N 110
in 1927.
, the X class was initially confined to the Bendigo and Wodonga lines, with the occasional journey on the Ballarat or Geelong lines. In later years after they were allowed to cross the viaduct between Spencer Street Station and Flinders Street Station
, they worked goods trains of over 1,000 ton
s between Morwell
and Melbourne, and even worked the South Gippsland line as far as Korumburra
.
The X class locomotive was a marked improvement on the C class in terms of performance, and was renowned for its ability to be driven extremely hard. As with the C class, it was also pressed into mainline passenger service on key intercity routes, particularly during Christmas and Easter peak times.
draughting and blastpipe dimensions referred to as 'Modified Front End', as well as other improvements such as the fitting of smoke deflectors, Automatic Staff Exchange apparatus and cross-compound air compressors. The copper firebox round-top boilers the original eleven locomotives were built with, prone to priming
if too much water was carried, were replaced with all-steel boilers featuring Belpaire pattern fireboxes
. The new boiler design also featured combustion chamber
s and thermic syphon
s to increase power and efficiency. The VR was so satisfied with the performance of the revised X class all-steel boiler design, a shortened barrel version was considered during the design phase of the R class
4-6-4
express passenger locomotives of 1951.
In July 1938, X 39 became the first VR locomotive to be equipped with A6-ET brake equipment, a feature subsequently incorporated into all new VR steam locomotives.
In 1949, X 32 was fitted with German 'Stug' (Studiengesellschaft) equipment and a specially modified tender for the burning of Pulverised Brown Coal (PBC). The trial was successful and the locomotive was considerably more powerful as a result of the conversion, and is even credited with hauling the Spirit of Progress
on one occasion, without loss of time. Victorian Railways went as far as placing tenders for the construction of a further 15 brown-coal fired X class locomotives. However, the successful introduction of mainline diesel-electric locomotives, coupled with a drop in the price of oil against the high cost of installing storage and transport facilities for PBC, saw the discontinuation of the experiment and the additional X class order cancelled. X 32 was taken out of service in 1956 pending repairs, but was instead scrapped in 1957.
and S
classes quickly proved their superiority. The X class locomotives were relegated to short-hop transfer goods haulage, a role that as mainline goods locomotives they were unsuitable for. In 1957 X 43 became the first of the class to be scrapped, and the remainder of the class was rapidly withdrawn during the next four years.
By November 1960, just two X class locomotives remained in service when X 29 was withdrawn and quickly cut up for scrap shortly afterwards. Members of the Australian Railway Historical Society
, aware that the X class was about to vanish just as the S class
4-6-2
had six years earlier, approached the Victorian Railway Commissioners suggesting that last remaining X class locomotive X 36 and an example of each of the various other classes still in existence be preserved in a railway museum. They received the support of the Commissioners, who provided locomotives, land, and tracks for the establishment of the museum, as well as the support of companies and individuals who donated time, labour, materials and finance to complete the project.
X 36, withdrawn in May 1961 after 741609 miles (1,193,501 km) of service, is today preserved alongside dozens of other former VR locomotives and rolling stock at the ARHS
North Williamstown Railway Museum.
In April 2006 the boiler from scrapped locomotive X 30, obtained by CSR Limited
in 1959 to provide steam for Australia's first particle board
factory in Oberon, New South Wales
, was finally retired from service after 47 years service and allocated to a preservation group.
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...
'Mikado' type that ran on the 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...
between 1929 and 1961. They were the most powerful goods locomotive on the VR until the advent of diesel-electric traction, and operated over the key Bendigo, Wodonga, and Gippsland
Orbost railway line
The Orbost railway line is a railway serving the Latrobe Valley and Gippsland regions of Victoria, Australia...
mainlines.
History
The X class was a development of the earlier C classVictorian Railways C class
The C class was a mainline goods locomotive of the 2-8-0 'Consolidation' type that ran on the Victorian Railways between 1918 and 1962. Although its original design had some key shortcomings, a number of improvements were made over the class' long career on the VR, many of which were subsequently...
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...
goods locomotive, designed to be gauge convertible from 5 in 3 in (1,600.2 mm) 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 4 foot 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 Railways network being converted to standard gauge. (The C class, with a narrow firebox between the frames, could not be easily converted.)
The 2-8-2 layout of the X class allowed a wide, deep firebox and large, free steaming boiler. This improved on some key shortcomings of the C class, which were regarded as poor steaming and featured a very long 9 in 7 in (292.1 cm) manually stoked firebox that was difficult to fire and prone to clinkering.
All but two of the X class (X 35 & 36) featured a Franklin Booster engine
Booster engine
A booster engine for steam locomotives is a small two-cylinder steam engine back-gear-connected to the trailing truck axle on the locomotive or, if none, the lead truck on the tender. A rocking idler gear permits it to be put into operation by the engineer...
on the trailing truck axle, which allowed an additional 9000 lbf (40 kN) tractive effort at starting and low speeds to increase the hauling power of the locomotive. X 35 eventually gained the booster engine that had been originally fitted to light Mikado N 110
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...
in 1927.
Production
The success of the original eleven locomotives delivered in 1929 led to a further eight X class locomotives being built in 1937-38, a further six built in 1942-43, with a final four X class delivered by 1947.Regular service
With their relatively heavy axle loadAxle load
The axle load of a wheeled vehicle is the total weight felt by the roadway for all wheels connected to a given axle. Viewed another way, it is the fraction of total vehicle weight resting on a given axle...
, the X class was initially confined to the Bendigo and Wodonga lines, with the occasional journey on the Ballarat or Geelong lines. In later years after they were allowed to cross the viaduct between Spencer Street Station and Flinders Street Station
Flinders Street Station
Flinders Street Station is the central railway station of the suburban railway network of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It is on the corner of Flinders and Swanston Streets next to the Yarra River in the heart of the city, stretching from Swanston Street to Queen Street and covering two city...
, they worked goods trains of over 1,000 ton
Long ton
Long ton is the name for the unit called the "ton" in the avoirdupois or Imperial system of measurements, as used in the United Kingdom and several other Commonwealth countries. It has been mostly replaced by the tonne, and in the United States by the short ton...
s between Morwell
Morwell, Victoria
-Transport:The main form of transport in Morwell is the automobile. The Princes Freeway now bypasses the town to the south while the old Princes Highway which once passed through east-west through its centre is now Princes Drive and Commercial Road. The highway connects Morwell with other...
and Melbourne, and even worked the South Gippsland line as far as Korumburra
Korumburra railway station, Victoria
Korumburra is a heritage Listed railway station on the former South Gippsland line in South Gippsland, Victoria, Australia. The station has been part of the South Gippsland tourist railway since passenger operations on the line ceased beyond Cranbourne station in July 1993.-History:Between 1999 and...
.
The X class locomotive was a marked improvement on the C class in terms of performance, and was renowned for its ability to be driven extremely hard. As with the C class, it was also pressed into mainline passenger service on key intercity routes, particularly during Christmas and Easter peak times.
Design improvements
The X class, in common with all broad gauge VR steam locomotives built from 1907 onwards, underwent design modifications to the smokeboxSmokebox
A smokebox is one of the major basic parts of a Steam locomotive exhaust system. Smoke and hot gases pass from the firebox through tubes where they pass heat to the surrounding water in the boiler. The smoke then enters the smokebox, and is exhausted to the atmosphere through the chimney .To assist...
draughting and blastpipe dimensions referred to as 'Modified Front End', as well as other improvements such as the fitting of smoke deflectors, Automatic Staff Exchange apparatus and cross-compound air compressors. The copper firebox round-top boilers the original eleven locomotives were built with, prone to priming
Priming (steam engine)
Priming is a condition in the boiler of a steam engine in which water is carried over into the steam delivery. It may be caused by impurities in the water, which foams up as it boils, or simply too high a water level...
if too much water was carried, were replaced with all-steel boilers featuring Belpaire pattern fireboxes
Belpaire firebox
The Belpaire firebox is a type of firebox used on steam locomotives. It was invented by Alfred Belpaire of Belgium. It has a greater surface area at the top of the firebox, improving heat transfer and steam production...
. The new boiler design also featured combustion chamber
Combustion chamber
A combustion chamber is the part of an engine in which fuel is burned.-Internal combustion engine:The hot gases produced by the combustion occupy a far greater volume than the original fuel, thus creating an increase in pressure within the limited volume of the chamber...
s and thermic syphon
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 increase power and efficiency. The VR was so satisfied with the performance of the revised X class all-steel boiler design, a shortened barrel version was considered during the design phase of the 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...
4-6-4
4-6-4
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 4-6-4 represents the wheel arrangement of four leading wheels on two axles , six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles, and four trailing wheels on two axles .Other equivalent classifications are:UIC classification:...
express passenger locomotives of 1951.
In July 1938, X 39 became the first VR locomotive to be equipped with A6-ET brake equipment, a feature subsequently incorporated into all new VR steam locomotives.
Experimental use of Pulverised Brown Coal
Spirit of Progress
The Spirit of Progress was the premier express train passenger service on the Victorian Railways in Australia, running from Melbourne to the Victorian border, and later through to Sydney.-Route:...
on one occasion, without loss of time. Victorian Railways went as far as placing tenders for the construction of a further 15 brown-coal fired X class locomotives. However, the successful introduction of mainline diesel-electric locomotives, coupled with a drop in the price of oil against the high cost of installing storage and transport facilities for PBC, saw the discontinuation of the experiment and the additional X class order cancelled. X 32 was taken out of service in 1956 pending repairs, but was instead scrapped in 1957.
Demise
The rapid dieselisation and electrification of Victorian Railways' mainline operations in the 1950s meant that the X class was rendered obsolete as the new B, LVictorian Railways L class (electric)
The Victorian Railways L class was a class of mainline electric locomotive that ran on the Victorian Railways and its successor V/Line from 1953 until 1987...
and S
Victorian Railways S class (diesel)
The Victorian Railways S class mainline diesel electric locomotive were built from 1957 by Clyde Engineering for the Victorian Railways of Australia...
classes quickly proved their superiority. The X class locomotives were relegated to short-hop transfer goods haulage, a role that as mainline goods locomotives they were unsuitable for. In 1957 X 43 became the first of the class to be scrapped, and the remainder of the class was rapidly withdrawn during the next four years.
Preservation
Efforts by railway enthusiasts to save the last remaining X class locomotive from being scrapped led to the establishment of a railway museum and the preservation of examples of many other VR locomotive classes.By November 1960, just two X class locomotives remained in service when X 29 was withdrawn and quickly cut up for scrap shortly afterwards. Members of the Australian Railway Historical Society
Australian Railway Historical Society
The 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...
, aware that the X class was about to vanish just as the S class
Victorian Railways S class
The S class was an express passenger steam locomotive that ran on Victorian Railways from 1928 to 1954. Built when the VR was at its zenith and assigned to haul premier interstate express passenger services, the S class remained the VR's most prestigious locomotive class until the advent of diesel...
4-6-2
4-6-2
4-6-2, in the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, represents the wheel arrangement of four leading wheels on two axles , six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles, and two trailing wheels on one axle .These locomotives are also known as Pacifics...
had six years earlier, approached the Victorian Railway Commissioners suggesting that last remaining X class locomotive X 36 and an example of each of the various other classes still in existence be preserved in a railway museum. They received the support of the Commissioners, who provided locomotives, land, and tracks for the establishment of the museum, as well as the support of companies and individuals who donated time, labour, materials and finance to complete the project.
X 36, withdrawn in May 1961 after 741609 miles (1,193,501 km) of service, is today preserved alongside dozens of other former VR locomotives and rolling stock at the ARHS
Australian Railway Historical Society
The 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.
In April 2006 the boiler from scrapped locomotive X 30, obtained by CSR Limited
CSR Limited
CSR Limited is a major Australian industrial company, producing aluminium and building products. It is publicly traded on the Australian Securities Exchange. In 2009, it has approximately 10,000 employees and during a period of a major cyclical downturn the company made an after-tax profit of...
in 1959 to provide steam for Australia's first particle board
Particle board
Particle board, or particleboard , is an engineered wood product manufactured from wood particles, such as wood chips, sawmill shavings, or even saw dust, and a synthetic resin or other suitable binder, which is pressed and extruded...
factory in Oberon, New South Wales
Oberon, New South Wales
-See also:*Oberon Correctional Centre*Mount Trickett*Mount Bindo*Shooters Hill-External links:***...
, was finally retired from service after 47 years service and allocated to a preservation group.
External links
- X class locomotive history and photographs
- VPRS 12800/P1 H 1015 - PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE VICTORIA Steam locomotive X 32, as built with original round-top boiler and prior to modifications for PBC firing
- VPRS 12800/P1 H 1543 - PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE VICTORIA Photograph of X class locomotive hauling goods train across viaduct from Spencer Street to Flinders Street stations, Melbourne
- VPRS 12800/P1 H 5074 - PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE VICTORIA X 29, hauling freight
- VPRS 12800/P4 RS 0324 - PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE VICTORIA Detail photograph of X class trailing truck and booster engine frame
- VPRS 12903/P1 Box 298/05 - PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE VICTORIA Diagram of booster engine as fitted to X class locomotive
- VPRS 12903/P1 Box 298/01 - PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE VICTORIA Schematic diagram of booster engine operation
- VPRS 12903/P1 Box 454/10 - PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE VICTORIA Steam locomotive X 32 being refuelled with brown coal dust, North Melbourne
- VPRS 12903/P1 Box 496/02 - PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE VICTORIA Dynamometer car test results showing theoretical speeds (in mph) up various grades for locomotive X 32 running on Yallourn brown coal precipitator dust. Note additional low speed increments below line indicating use of booster engine