2-4-2 Steam Locomotives in Australia

Victorian Government Rlys


Class Details by Steve Llanso of Sweat House Media

Class E (Locobase 9553)

Data from Howell, Comparative Statistics of the Australasian Railways, Journal of the Royal Statistical Society, March 1899, pp. 94-95; and "Standard Rolling Stock on the Victorian Railways", Engineering, Volume LVI [56] (15 December 1893), pp. 724-726, 732; and "Victorian Railways E class" in Wikipedia at [], last accessed 19 December 2024. Phoenix Foundry works numbers were 251, 253-256 in 1889, 257-276 in 1890, 290-297 in 1892, 298-309 in 1893. 310-314 delivered as 0-6-2Ts in 1893. David Munro & Company works numbers were 1-13 in 1892, 14-21 in 1893, 22-25 in 1894.

Sharing the same boiler with the Class D 4-4-0s (Locobase 9551) and New A (Locobase 2431), and the Class Y 0-6-0s (Locobase 2395), this was yet another class designed by Edward Alexander Jeffreys at the instigation of VR's commissioner Richard Speight.Their goal was to establish a standard set of locomotives and rolling stock. Engineering's 1893 report shows diagrams of locomotives and depctions of typical rakes of carriages and goods wagons.

The all-inside motion drove on the lead adhesion axle's crank. The elevation shows an oddly shaped sloping firebox with back corner sections curved around the rear driving axle. A relatively short and low brick arch lengthened the combustion path.

The Howell Report, the original source for Locobase's data until the discovery of the contemporaneous Engineering report, said that 38 Es were built by Robison, Campbell & Sloss. Instead, the class actually consisted of 45 built at the Phoenix Foundry and 25 at David Munro & Company. Munro's engine numbers started at 1.)

Phoenix delivered five of the E class as six-coupled radial tank locomotives ( Whyte system 0-6-2Ts to perform shunting duties. 4 more lost the front truck to an additional driven axle for a similar purpose. When Melbourne electrified their suburban service, the E class quickly shrank and 20 of the class received the 0-6-2T conversion.

The last was scrapped in 1920.

Principal Dimensions by Steve Llanso of Middle Run Media
ClassE
Locobase ID9553
RailroadVictorian Government Rlys
CountryAustralia
Whyte2-4-2T
Number in Class70
Road Numbers346-394, 428-460, 472-520 (even only)
Gauge5'3"
Number Built70
Builderseveral
Year1889
Valve GearStephenson
Locomotive Length and Weight
Driver Wheelbase (ft / m) 6.67 / 2.03
Engine Wheelbase (ft / m)20.67 / 6.30
Ratio of driving wheelbase to overall engine wheelbase 0.32
Overall Wheelbase (engine & tender) (ft / m)20.67 / 6.30
Axle Loading (Maximum Weight per Axle) (lbs / kg)36,700 / 16,647
Weight on Drivers (lbs / kg)65,632 / 29,770
Engine Weight (lbs / kg)112,000 / 50,802
Tender Loaded Weight (lbs / kg)
Total Engine and Tender Weight (lbs / kg)
Tender Water Capacity (gals / ML)1920 / 7.27
Tender Fuel Capacity (oil/coal) (gals/tons / Liters/MT) 2.80 / 2.50
Minimum weight of rail (calculated) (lb/yd / kg/m)55 / 27.50
Geometry Relating to Tractive Effort
Driver Diameter (in / mm)60 / 1524
Boiler Pressure (psi / kPa)140 / 970
High Pressure Cylinders (dia x stroke) (in / mm)17" x 26" / 432x660
Tractive Effort (lbs / kg)14,903 / 6759.90
Factor of Adhesion (Weight on Drivers/Tractive Effort) 4.40
Heating Ability
Tubes (number - dia) (in / mm)191 - 1.75" / 44
Flues (number - dia) (in / mm)
Flue/Tube length (ft / m)10.88 / 3.20
Firebox Area (sq ft / m2)83 / 7.71
Grate Area (sq ft / m2)17.80 / 1.65
Evaporative Heating Surface (sq ft / m2)1054 / 97.92
Superheating Surface (sq ft / m2)
Combined Heating Surface (sq ft / m2)1054 / 97.92
Evaporative Heating Surface/Cylinder Volume154.31
Computations Relating to Power Output (More Information)
Robert LeMassena's Power Computation2492
Same as above plus superheater percentage2492
Same as above but substitute firebox area for grate area11,620
Power L13011
Power MT202.28

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