Class ??? (Locobase 9648)

Data from Locomotive Engineers Monthly Journal, Vol. XXV, No 4 (April, 1891), p. 315 and Thomas Fletcher Birrell, "The Railway System of New South Wales," Transactions of the American Society of Civil Engineers, August 1893, p.343.

Item notes: v.29 (1893). Works numbers ran 11643, 11647, 11649-11650, 11654, 11658, 11664,

11674, 11686, 11712, 11724, 11736.

Birrell discusses this engine class in terms of its boiler's low center of gravity. It was a long -lasting class, the first one heading for the scrapyard in May 1933, the last in September 1946.

Class C36 (Locobase 2412)

Data verified and supplemented from 2 Jan 1961 publicity handout from the NSW reproduced at http://homepages.ihug.com.au/~nickel/36class.htm

Total weight of engine and tender was 359,072 lb. NSW - Everleigh shops (10) and Clyde Engineering (65) produced these engines, which are based on the C35s but have outside piston valves. Many were rebuilt with Belpaire boilers, which produced the performance sketched in the specifications. Except for two that were retired early, all of them also had their copper fireboxes replaced with an all-steel version. Some data from Peter Cokley in Bryan Attewell (http://www.washingtonimaging.co.uk/index.html)'s Steam locomotive simulator (April 2000 edition).

Class NN-1027/C35 (Locobase 2411)

Data from 2 Jan 1961 publicity handout from the NSW reproduced at http://homepages.ihug.com.au/~nickel/35class.htm

Passenger engines with much taller drivers than heretofore seen on the NSW. Like many NSW engines of the time, the design had a Belpaire firebox and inside valves. Total weight of engine and tender was 286,720 lb.

Class P-6/C32 (Locobase 2410)

Data from the Powerhouse collection's entry http://www.powerhousemuseum.com/collection/database/?irn=87855 (accessed 6 September 2006)

106 of these express passenger and fast-freight engines were built by Beyer, Peacock & Co. Clyde Engineering added 45, Baldwin 20, and NSW's Everleigh shops 20. Baldwin's 20 had slightly different specifications; see Locobase 10978.

According to Powerhouse, the first 50 locomotives (BP builder's numbers 3400-3449) arrived in 1892-1893 and were nicknamed the "Manchester Engines". The NSW was satisfied enought to order 20 more (BP 4211-4230) in 1901

Powerhouse's detailed look at this class includes the following summary of reasons for their longevity: "Some of the reasons ...may lie in the fact that the 32 class were popular with train crews, being good steamers and capable of a "good turn of speed". Furthermore, mechanical staff found them simple and easy to maintain and repair while administrators considered them economical to run and failures were infrequent. They were so versatile that the 32 class could work anything from express trains to mixed traffic and even shunting."

Delivered with long, straight boiler barrels, Belpaire fireboxes and inside slide valves with Allan motion, many were later refitted with superheaters and piston valves; see Locobase 7831.

NB: Tube length is an estimate based on the calculation of tube surface area by subtracting reported firebox heating surface from reported total evaporative heating surface

Class P-6/C32 - Baldwin (Locobase 10978)

Data from Record of Recent Construction #54 (Baldwin Locomotive Works, 1905), p. 4-5 . Works numbers were 25750-25769 in May 1905.

See Locobase 2410 for the main C32 entry. This was the only batch to come from North America. The illustrations show how readily Baldwin would accommodate itself to other countries' requirements to gain export orders. Compared to the Anglo-Australian C32s, this batch had somewhat less boiler heating surface and a slightly smaller grate.

All but 2 (3278, scrapped in February 1957 and 3287, scrapped in May 1959) operated into the 1960s. 3289 was the only one to usher in the 1970s and it was scrapped in September of that year.

Class P-6/C32 - superheated (Locobase 7831)

In Locobase 2410, the P-6 as delivered is described. Data for the superheated engines shown in this entry comes from 2 Jan 1961 publicity handout from the NSW reproduced at http://homepages.ihug.com.au/~nickel/3265.htm and reflects the update. See also Powerhouse collection's detailed entry at http://www.powerhousemuseum.com/collection/database/?irn=87855 (accessed 6 September 2006)

Remarkably, every one of the 191 engines delivered was still in service as of 1954, when replacement by diesel engines began