South Australian Railways R class

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South Australian Railways R & Rx class
Rx149 with a load of wine barrels at McLaren Vale, 1920
Type and origin
Power typeSteam
BuilderDübs & Co (6)
James Martin & Co (24)
Islington Railway Workshops (14)
North British Locomotive Company (15)
Walkers Limited (25)
Build date1885–1916
Total produced84
RebuilderIslington Railway Workshops
Rebuild date1899–1913 as Rx
Number rebuilt30 to Rx
Specifications
Configuration:
​
 • Whyte4-6-0 (2′C 3) (2′C 2′2′)
Gauge1,600 mm (5 ft 3 in)
Leading dia.2 ft 11 in (889 mm)
Driver dia.4 ft 6 in (1,372 mm)
Length49 ft 11 in (15.215 m)
Height13 ft 4 in (4,064 mm)
Axle load9 long tons 17 cwt (22,100 lb or 10 t) (R)
11 long tons 8 cwt (25,500 lb or 11.6 t) (Rx)
Adhesive weight28.50 long tons 0 cwt (63,800 lb or 29 t)
Loco weight40 long tons (45 short tons; 41 t) (R)
Tender weight22 long tons (25 short tons; 22 t) (R)
Total weight65 long tons (73 short tons; 66 t) (R), 88 long tons (99 short tons; 89 t)
Fuel typeCoal
Fuel capacity4 long tons 18 cwt (11,000 lb or 5 t) (R), 7 long tons 16 cwt (17,500 lb or 7.9 t) (Rx),
6 long tons 17 cwt (15,300 lb or 7 t)
(Rx 6 wheel tender)
Water cap.2,040 imp gal
(2,450 US gal; 9,300 L) (R)
3,750 imp gal
(4,500 US gal; 17,000 L) (Rx),
3,200 imp gal
(3,800 US gal; 15,000 L) (Rx 6 wheel tender)
Firebox:​
 • Grate area17.6 sq ft (1.64 m2) (R)
20.37 sq ft (1.892 m2) (Rx)
Boiler pressure145 psi (1,000 kPa) (R)
175 psi (1,207 kPa) (Rx)
Heating surface:​
 • Firebox98.3 sq ft (9.13 m2). (R)
105 sq ft (9.8 m2) (Rx)
 • Tubes1,196 sq ft (111.1 m2) (R)
1,208 sq ft (112.2 m2) (Rx)
Superheater:
​
 • Heating area178 sq ft (16.5 m2) (Rx)
(not fitted to some locos)
Cylinders2
Cylinder size18 in × 24 in
(457 mm × 610 mm)
Valve gearAllan Straight Link
Valve typePiston
Performance figures
Tractive effort17,700 lbf (78.73 kN) (R)
21,420 lbf (95.28 kN) (Rx)
Factor of adh.3.49
Career
OperatorsSouth Australian Railways
ClassR/Rx
Number in class84
Numbers5, 9, 10, 15, 20*, 25*, 48, 55, 56, 91*-96*, 102*-107*, 138*-153*, 155, 158, 160, 190-203, 206-235 (* originally built as R class)
First run10 February 1886
Last run5 September 1969
Withdrawn1927–1969
PreservedRx 5, Rx 55, Rx 93, Rx, 160, Rx 191, Rx 201, Rx 207, Rx 217, Rx 224 & Rx 231
Scrapped1928-1974
DispositionTen preserved, remainder scrapped

The South Australian Railways R class was a class of 4-6-0 steam locomotives operated by the South Australian Railways. The initial 30 of the class were upgraded and reclassified as the Rx class; the 54 later acquisitions were built to Rx specifications.

History

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In 1886, Dübs and Company of Glasgow, UK delivered the first six R class locomotives. A further 24 were built by James Martin & Co, of Gawler SA by November 1895. Starting in 1899, all of the class were rebuilt with Belpaire boilers, achieving a 20 per cent increase in tractive effort. They were reclassified as Rx class engines. A further 54 locomotives were built as Rx class by the Islington Railway Workshops, North British Locomotive Company, Glasgow and Walkers Limited, Maryborough, Queensland. All were in service by May 1916.[1]

Backhead and cab of an Rx class locomotive after rebuild from R class
Backhead and cab of an Rx class locomotive after rebuild from R class

At the outset, the locomotives were the predominant class used on broad-gauge mainline services in South Australia. After railways commissioner William Webb introduced large locomotives of contemporary American design in the early 1920s, their roles were reduced to hauling freight and mixed (passenger and freight) trains on secondary mainlines, Adelaide suburban passenger trains and regional branchline passenger trains; and shunting in freight yards. A large group of Rx class locomotives, mainly early builds, were withdrawn from service in 1934; the remainder continued to serve into the mid-1960s.[1][2]

Preservation

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Ten members of the class remain in various states of preservation.

References

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  1. ^ a b Oberg, Leon (1984). Locomotives of Australia 1850s-1980s. Frenchs Forest: Reed Books. p. 54. ISBN 0-7301-0005-7.
  2. ^ a b "Locomotive Rx93". National Railway Museum, Port Adelaide. 2025. Retrieved 6 October 2025.
  3. ^ Anonymous (2025). "Rx5". Australian Steam. Retrieved 4 October 2025.
  4. ^ Anonymous (2025). "Rx55". Australian Steam. Retrieved 4 October 2025.
  5. ^ Anonymous (2025). "Rx160". Australian Steam. Retrieved 4 October 2025.
  6. ^ Anonymous (2025). "Rx191". Australian Steam. Retrieved 4 October 2025.
  7. ^ Anonymous (2025). "Rx201". Australian Steam. Retrieved 4 October 2025.
  8. ^ a b "Our locomotive fleet". SteamRanger Heritage Railway. 2025. Retrieved 4 October 2025.
  9. ^ Anonymous (2025). "Rx217". Australian Steam. Retrieved 4 October 2025.
  10. ^ Anonymous (2025). "Rx231". Australian Steam. Retrieved 4 October 2025.
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Media related to South Australian Railways R class at Wikimedia Commons