The South Australian Railways F class is a class of 4-6-2T steam locomotives operated by the South Australian Railways.

South Australian Railways F class
F240 in 1952
Type and origin Power type Steam Builder Islington Railway Workshops (21) James Martin & Co (12) Perry Engineering (10) Build date 1902-1922 Total produced 43
Specifications Configuration: ​  • Whyte 4-6-2T 1′C2′ Gauge 1,600 mm (5 ft 3 in) Leading dia. 2 ft 11 in (889 mm) Driver dia. 5 ft 3 in (1,600 mm) Trailing dia. 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) Length 40 ft 7.25 in (12.38 m) Height 13 ft 3 in (4,038.6 mm) Axle load 12 long tons 6 cwt (27,600 lb or 12.5 t) Adhesive weight 35.25 long tons 0 cwt (79,000 lb or 35.8 t) Loco weight 59 long tons (66 short tons; 60 t) Fuel type Coal Oil Fuel capacity 2.25 long tons (3 short tons; 2 t) 375 imp gal (450 US gal; 1,705 L) oil Water cap. 1,160 imp gal (1,393 US gal; 5,273 L) Firebox:  • Firegrate area 18 sq ft (1.7 m2) Boiler pressure 185 psi (1,276 kPa) Heating surface:  • Tubes 1,204 sq ft (111.9 m2)  • Firebox 130.7 sq ft (12.14 m2) Cylinders 2 Cylinder size 17+1⁄2 in × 24 in (444 mm × 610 mm) Valve gear Allan Straight Link Valve type Piston
Performance figures Tractive effort 18,335 lbf (81.56 kN) Factor of adh. 4.35
Career Operators South Australian Railways Class F Number in class 43 Numbers F167-F189, F236-F255 First run 30/04/1902 Withdrawn 1955-1969 Preserved F245, F249 (Boiler), F251 & F255 Scrapped 1956-1968 Disposition 3 preserved, 41 scrapped

History

The F class hauled the majority of Adelaide's suburban passenger trains from its introduction in 1902. The first 22 were built by the Islington Railway Workshops. James Martin & Co built 12 units, with the remaining 10 built by Perry Engineering, the last entering service in October 1922.[1]

The type replaced the smaller P class 2-4-0T engines, which were struggling with the increasing sizes of suburban passenger trains. From the 1930s, F class locomotives were replaced by 55 and 75 class Brill railcars on lightly patronized routes. They continued to see extensive service on popular routes until their displacement in 1955/56 by the diesel multiple unit Redhen railcars. Some engines were retained for shunting duties at Port Adelaide and Mile End with F225, the final member of the class being condemned in 1969.[1]

The locomotives had saturated steam boilers and were considered attractive. While slow to accelerate away from stations, the locomotives were capable of reaching speeds of up to 60 mph (100 km/h). They were a capable locomotive, they faced few restrictions, except for the Belair line operations which were limited to three carriages.[1]

Preserved examples

Three members of the class have been preserved:

• F177(re-numbered to 245): plinthed at Gawler railway station[2]
• F251: by SteamRanger Heritage Railway[3][4]
• F255 by the National Railway Museum, Port Adelaide[1][5]

References

External links

Media related to South Australian Railways F class (1902) at Wikimedia Commons