Queensland Government Rlys 0-4-2 Locomotives in Australia

Class B/A10 (Locobase 20498)

Data from "Locomotive Engines for the Queensland Railway", Engineer, Volume 22 (7 December 1866), pp. 450-451. See also "A10 Neilson v Originally B Class" at [], last accessed 20 January 2019; "A10 No.6" at [], also last accessed 20 January 2019; and "Class A10 No. 6", Queensland Government's Workshop Rail Museum Information Sheet, also 20 January 2019. Works numbers were 1167-1170 in 1865, 1208-1215 in 1866.

These small, mixed-traffic locomotives represent the small scale of QR operations in its early days. The design readily recalled its origins in the British Isles and included such modern conveniences as injectors and Adams radial axle boxes when delivered, but a nod to the tropical conditions of most QR operation appeared in the form of a large flat roof that rested on four struts.

Qrig's account notes a difference between the five 1865 locomotives number 4-8 and the other eight delivered in 1866. Locobase has entered the adhesion and engine weights from the 1865 engines. The later batch put less weight on the drivers (21,392 lb or 9,703 kg), but more on the trailing axle to bring engine weight to 32,928 lb (14,935 kg). The tender weighed more as well. Its 20,944 lb (9,500 kg) loaded weight included 2.5 long tons of coal (2.8 short tons/2.54 metric tons) and 560 Imperial gallons of water (672 US gallons or 2,543 litres).

One of the most numerous classes, the first dozen engines were parceled out. Eight went to the Southern & Western Railway based at Ipswich and Four served the Central Railway's line from Rockhampton. The latter four were sent to the S&W later. The thirteenth engine supported Toowoomba line construction as a Peto, Brassey and Betts construction locomotive. It went to the QR in 1876.

Four--7 and 9-11-- were converted to a 2-4-4T wheel arrangement in 1887-1890 and redesignated 4D10.

Only five remained on the roster in 1900 and four of those were withdrawn in 1902. The 6 was sold in 1896 to Gibson & Howe for its Bundaberg Sugar Mill. The WM's information sheet tells us it "worked hauling sugar cane on a private branch line connecting to the Queensland Railways, Mount Perry Branch, at Watawa. No 6 would take the wagons of sugar cane to Watawa Siding." A QR locomotive would then take the train to Bingera Siding and a second Bingera Mill locomotive would move them to the mill itself.

Remarkably, the 6 remained in service for decades and was refitted with a boiler set at 180 psi in 1955. Donated to the QR in 1965 to celebrate the railways centenary, the 6 pulled excursion trains until 1969, when it was placed on static display in a museum at Redbank. Restored to operating condition in 1991, the locomotive remained available for limited operation well into the 21st century.

No 3 (works 1214) worked as a shunter at the Bowen Jetty, which made it available for preservation.