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Victorian Railways V class (1857)

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This article is about the 1857 V class steam locomotive. For the 1899 V class steam locomotives, see Victorian Railways V class. For the 1959 V class diesel-hydraulic locomotives, see Victorian Railways V class (diesel-hydraulic). For the 2002 V class diesel-electric locomotives, see Downer EDI Rail GT46C.

Victorian Railways V class (1857)
Type and origin
Power typeSteam
BuilderGeorge England and Co., Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
Serial number142 - 145
Build date1857
Total produced4
Specifications
Configuration:
​
 • Whyte0-6-0
Gauge5 ft 3 in (1,600 mm) Victorian broad gauge
Driver dia.5 ft 0 in (1,520 mm)[1]
Tender wheels3 ft 6 in (1.07 m)[1]
Wheelbase31 ft 11+1⁄2 in (9.741 m)[1] ​
 • Coupled15 ft 0 in (4.57 m)[1]
 • Tender10 ft 2 in (3.10 m)[1]
Length:
​
 • Over couplers42 ft 8+1⁄2 in (13.018 m)[1]
Height13 ft 3 in (4.04 m)[1]
Axle load10 long tons 12 cwt (23,700 lb or 10.8 t)[2]
Reboilered 1880's: 12 long tons 8 cwt (27,800 lb or 12.6 t)[1]
Loco weight30 long tons 6 cwt (67,900 lb or 30.8 t)[2]
Reboilered 1880's: 30 long tons 8 cwt 2 qr (68,150 lb or 30.91 t)[1]
Tender weight18 long tons 16 cwt (42,100 lb or 19.1 t)[2]
Reboilered 1880's: 19 long tons 2 cwt (42,800 lb or 19.4 t)[1]
Total weight49 long tons 2 cwt (110,000 lb or 49.9 t)[2]
Reboilered 1880's: 49 long tons 10 cwt 2 qr (110,940 lb or 50.32 t)[1]
Fuel capacity60 long cwt (6,700 lb or 3,000 kg)[1]
Water cap.1,646 imp gal (7,480 L; 1,977 US gal)[1]
Firebox:​
 • Grate area14.81 sq ft (1.376 m2)[2]
Boiler pressureReboilered 1880's: 130 psi (896 kPa)
Heating surface:​
 • Firebox90.89 sq ft (8.444 m2)[2]
 • Tubes1,287.77 sq ft (119.638 m2)[2]
 • Total surface1,378.66 sq ft (128 m2)[2]
Cylinders2, inside
Cylinder size16 in × 22 in (406 mm × 559 mm)[2]
Performance figures
Tractive effortReboilered 1880's: 9,386 lbf (41.75 kN) at 100 psi[2]
Career
OperatorsVictorian Railways
Number in class4
Numbers1-4, Later 2-5, 1860: 11-17 (odd only), 1895: 497
Delivered1858
First run16 September 1858
Last run13 September 1904
(45.7 years)
Withdrawn1891 - 1904
DispositionAll scrapped

The Victorian Railways V class of 1857 was a class of 0-6-0 goods locomotives operated by the Victorian Railways between 1858 and 1904, built by George England and Co., Newcastle upon Tyne, England.

History[edit]

Victorian Railways initially numbered passenger and goods locomotives separately. The goods engines were numbered 1-4 (the first passenger engine was also numbered 1). This was changed to consecutive numbering between June 1859 and March 1860 with the goods locos being numbers 2–5[3]. With the introduction of the J class in 1860, to avoid confusion these were temporarily altered to 2A-5A. The numbering was once again changed in the late 1860's to odd numbers for goods locomotives and even numbers for passenger locos with these locomotives taking the odd numbers 11-17[3]. This odd and even system remained in use until 1912. In 1886, the goods locos were allocated to Class V.

Production[edit]

The four locomotives were built in 1857 with builder's numbers 142–145 at a cost of £2300, +£900 freight and insurance, for each loco. The first arrived in Port Phillip on 12 May 1858 along with 2-2-2 passenger locomotive No. 1, the remaining three arrived in Port Phillip on 31 May 1858[4][3].

Regular service[edit]

In addition to regular goods service, some were loaned to contractors, like Cornish & Bruce, for line construction and ballasting purposes. In 1894, it was noted that three were allocated one each to Daylesford, Geelong, and Sale[3].

Design improvements[edit]

Over the years they were fitted with various new cabs. There were also various upgrades over the years; with constant improvements to safety — these including things like updates to safety valves (and domes), brakes, and cowcatchers — and improvements for their useability — handrails and footboards[3]. The original brakes provided was a hand brake on the tender with wood blocks on all six wheels. This was upgraded to steam brakes on the engines in 1884-1886, and at least two (V15 and V17) were later fitted with Westinghouse air brakes[3].
New boilers with a working pressure of 130psi were fitted, starting with V11 in 1880, and the remaining 3 locomotives in 1884-1885[3].

Accidents[edit]

  • December 1878 - V13 collided with L14 in the Melbourne Yard[3]
  • August 1879 - V17 collided with O65 in Melbourne Yard[3]
  • January 1883 - V13 ran off road on Dock Pier[3]
  • September 1890 - No 497 in shops after accident[3]
  • 29 November 1894 - V17 broke leading axle near Bairnsdale[3]

Withdrawal[edit]

All the locomotives were removed from the Victorian Railways register between 1891 and 1904. V13 was sold to an unknown buyer in 1893, then bought back and renumbered 497 (unclassed)[5][3]. V11 was sold in May 1891 to contractor Andrew O'Keefe for £1900($2700)[3]. The remaining locomotives were withdrawn in 1904, with the last V15 being withdrawn on 13 September.

Fleet summary[edit]

Key: In Service Preserved Stored or withdrawn Scrapped
Locomotive Previous numbers Builder No. Entered service Withdrawn Scrapped Status Notes
V11 1, 2, 2A 142 January 1859 May 1891 Scrapped Sold to O'Keefe[3]
V13 2, 3, 3A 143 January 1859 1893 - Sold[3]
V15 3, 4, 4A 144 January 1859 13 September 1904 Scrapped [3]
V17 4, 5, 5A 145 January 1859 8 August 1904 Scrapped [3]
497 (ex V13) 144 12 December 1895 7 September 1904 Scrapped Repurchased by Victorian Railway[3]

References[edit]

  • Dee; et al. (1981). Power Parade. Melbourne: VicRail Public Relations Division. p. 2. ISBN 0-7241-3323-2.
  • Cave, Norman; Buckland, John; Beardsell, David (2002). "Chapter 3". Steam Locomotives of the Victorian Railways. Vol. 1: The First Fifty Years. Melbourne, Vic: ARHS Victoria Division. pp. 18–22. ISBN 1876677384.

Specific[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Victorian Railways Rolling Stock Branch: Diagrams & Particulars of Locomotives, Cars, Vans & Trucks (1904 ed.). Vic: Victorian Railways. 1904. p. 11.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Cave, Norman; Buckland, John; Beardsell, David (2002). Steam Locomotives of the Victorian Railways. Vol. 1: The First Fifty Years. Melbourne, Vic: ARHS Victoria Division. p. 22. ISBN 1876677384.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s Cave, Norman; Buckland, John; Beardsell, David (2002). "Chapter 3". Steam Locomotives of the Victorian Railways. Vol. 1: The First Fifty Years. Melbourne, Vic: ARHS Victoria Division. ISBN 1876677384.
  4. ^ "George England Locos". Retrieved 17 November 2014.
  5. ^ Oberg, Leon (2010). Locomotives of Australia 1854–2010 (5th ed.). Dural, NSW: Rosenberg Publishing. p. 17. ISBN 978-1921719011.

External links[edit]

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