Beyer-Garratt Steam Locomotives in Australia

Class AD60++ (Locobase 21259)

Data from 2 January 1961 publicity handout from the NSWGR reproduced at [] []; and O S Nock, Railways in the Transition from Steam-1940-1965 (NY: Macmillan, 1974-originally London: Blandford Press), pl 40 and p.108. (Thanks to Alexander Blessing for his 11 July 2023 email supplying the builder's card and noting some differences in the specs.Thanks as well to Jonathon Kelley's 31 July 2025 noting discrepancies in this entry. His comments inspired Locobase to add this entry ).

Locobase 542 shows the 42 massive Beyer-Garratts delivered from Beyer-Peacock's Openshaw Works in Manchester. Their constructrion

When first put in service the design had 19 1/4" (489 mm)-diameter cylinders, generating a tractive effort of 59,560 lb (27,016 kg or 264.93 kN.)

This entry describes 30 of the 42 in the class whose cylinders were later bored out to an unusual 19 7/8" shown here.. They also added duplicated controls that allowed the driver to look over each end of thiis long assembly, and asset to banking engines. So loud were the locomotives, Dunn reported, the crew often failed hear even detonators placed trackside during an emergency. So the shops fitted "sound intensifier tubes" during the update "which ran from cones ahead of the leading truck wheels, across the top of the tank and alongside the boiler to the cab" Piston valves measuring 10" (254 mm) in diameter admitted steam to each of four cylinders.

According to the [] (consulted July 2002; link no longer active), website of the then-owner of 6029, an AD60 burned 37 kg (82 lb) of coal each minute when pressed and evaporated 430 liters (114 US gal) of water. The site also notes that these locomotives filled the loading gauge to its last inch. They were not allowed in single-line tunnels because a breakdown would trap the crew, which wouldn't be able to squeeze through the 20-cm (8") gap between locomotive and tunnel wall.

On other hand, AD60s readily exceeded the maximum specified speed of 40 mph (64 kph), being "quite capable" of hitting 60 mph (96 kph) or more "and have hauled the `Newcastle Flyer' in emergency without significant loss of time!" Dunn runs down a long list of tonnage ratings on various NSWR segments, illustrating his point that the "...loads hauled by the Beyer-Garratts were substantial."

Originally operated on the Sydney main lines until these were electrified, later on the Cowan bank.

On 2 March 1973, #6042 made the last run of any steam locomotive in revenue service in New South Wales. In the final accounting, AD6009 rang up the highest number of miles at 989,719 miles (1,593,450 km) or about 81,381 miles (131,023 km) per year.

Class AD60-original (Locobase 542)

Data from builder's card forwarded to Locobase 21 July 2023 by Alexander Blessing, used with thanks. See also Ian A Dunn, "A Potted History of the NSWGR's Garratt" posted 7 January 2006 at [] (later link [], last accessed 10 August 2025. (Thanks to Alexander Blessing for his 11 July 2023 email supplying the builder's card and noting some differences in the specs. Thanks as well to Johnathan Kelley's 31 July 2025 noting discrepancies in this entry. His comments inspired Locobase to add the AD60++ entry at Locobase 21259.). Works numbers were 7473-7497 in 1952, 7528-7539 in 1953-1954, 7540-7549 in 1956.

First Beyer-Garratts to have a cast-steel engine bed; each of the two weighed 13 tons and all 84 castings came from General Steel Castings Corporation of the United States. Firebox had arch tubes or thermic syphons. Self-cleaning smokebox, rocker grate, mechanical stoker, SKF double-row, self-aligning roller bearings. Piston valves measuring 10" (254 mm) in diameter admitted steam to each of four cylinders. Known as "Big-Boy" Garratts because of the double Northern wheel arrangement.

AD60s entered service trailing 14 long tons (15.68 short tons) of coal in the bunker; Beyer, Peacock established the engine weight fully loaded as 254 tons 15 cwt 2 quarters (570,696 lb/258,654 kg). The NSWR rounded that figure up to 256 tons 0 0 (572,440 lb/260,108 kg). In service, AD60s would run short of fuel short of Coulburn on its run from Enfield. So the railway enlarged bunker capacity to the 18 tons (20.16 short tons/18.29 metric tons) shown in the specs. Axle loading thus broke through the desired 16 ton (35,840 lb/16,257 kg) limit to the 16 1/2 long tons shown in the specs.

According to the [] (consulted July 2002), website of the then-owner of 6029, an AD60 burned 37 kg (82 lb) of coal each minute when pressed and evaporated 430 liters (114 US gal) of water. The site also notes that these locomotives filled the loading gauge to its last inch. They were not allowed in single-line tunnels because a breakdown would trap the crew, which wouldn't be able to squeeze through the 20-cm (8") gap between locomotive and tunnel wall.

Originally operated on the Sydney main lines until these were electrified, later on the Cowan bank.

Beyer, Peacock delivered two more batches in 1952 -- 7528-7544 and 7545-7549. According to Nock, this class were among the last steam locomotives to operate in New South Wales. On 2 March 1973, #6042 made the last run of any steam locomotive in revenue service in New South Wales.