Power type Steam Total produced 78 Gauge 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) | Build date 1903-1917 Configuration 4-8-0 | |
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Builder Islington Railway Workshops
James Martin & Co
Walkers Limited | ||
The South Australian Railways T class was a class of 4-8-0 steam locomotives operated by the South Australian Railways.
Contents
History
Between February 1903 and September 1917, the South Australian Railways (SAR) placed 78 T class locomotives into service. They were built by Islington Railway Workshops (4), James Martin & Co, Gawler (34) and Walkers Limited, Maryborough (40). They were initially conceived to work on the Broken Hill line between Terowie and Peterborough and Port Pirie and Cockburn, but later operated across the SAR network, including on the isolated Eyre Peninsula Railway.
In 1922, six (219, 222, 223, 230, 235 & 237) were sold to the Tasmanian Government Railways, retaining their T class classification and road numbers. All were withdrawn between 1957 and 1961.
In 1922/23, five were converted at Islington Railway Workshops from 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) narrow gauge to 5 ft 3 in (1,600 mm) broad gauge for use on the lightly laid Murraylands branch lines out of Tailem Bend depot. They were reclassified as the Tx class. In 1949, they returned to the narrow gauge. Between 1925 and 1939 all remaining 78 received superheated boilers.
During World War II, many T class worked on the Central Australia Railway as far as Alice Springs. Five (46, 50, 212, 218 & 256) were temporarily transferred to the Commonwealth Railways as the NMA class and numbered 50 to 54. They returned to the SAR in 1942.
Most remained in service until replaced by the 830 class in the 1960s. The last examples were withdrawn when the Broken Hill line was converted to standard gauge in 1970.