Commonwealth 2-8-2 Locomotives in Australia


Class Details by Steve Llanso of Sweat House Media

Class L (Locobase 3319)

Data from [link], last accessed 26 March 2012.

Based on the South Australian's 700 class, 50 of these engines were originally intended to replace war-destroyed engines in China. Once the Nationalist government fled to Taiwan, however, that deal was cancelled (although the new Communist government could undoubtedly have used the engines). South Australian took 10 and the Commonwealth bought another 10; the other 30 were cancelled.

As Chris Drymalik pointed out, however, the Commonwealth didn't really want more steamers as the available coal was quite poor. Only a reluctance on the government's part to finance diesel purchases led them to adopt the Ls. Delivery was held up by strikes and shortages as well as a preference for South Australian (doubtless because they already had 700s in service) and in the interim the Commonwealth Government changed its financing policy to allow diesel purchases. As a result, most of the Ls never actually pulled a train. They were scrapped in the mid 1960s.

Principal Dimensions by Steve Llanso of Middle Run Media
ClassL
Locobase ID3319
RailroadCommonwealth
CountryAustralia
Whyte2-8-2
Number in Class10
Road Numbers80-89
GaugeStd
Number Built10
BuilderClyde Engineering
Year1951
Valve GearWalschaert
Locomotive Length and Weight
Driver Wheelbase (ft / m)
Engine Wheelbase (ft / m)
Ratio of driving wheelbase to overall engine wheelbase
Overall Wheelbase (engine & tender) (ft / m)73.12 / 22.29
Axle Loading (Maximum Weight per Axle) (lbs / kg)40,320 / 18,289
Weight on Drivers (lbs / kg)161,280 / 73,155
Engine Weight (lbs / kg)215,264 / 97,642
Tender Loaded Weight (lbs / kg)168,112 / 76,254
Total Engine and Tender Weight (lbs / kg)383,376 / 173,896
Tender Water Capacity (gals / ML)7920
Tender Fuel Capacity (oil/coal) (gals/tons / Liters/MT)11.20 / 10
Minimum weight of rail (calculated) (lb/yd / kg/m)67 / 33.50
Geometry Relating to Tractive Effort
Driver Diameter (in / mm)57 / 1448
Boiler Pressure (psi / kPa)204.50 / 1410
High Pressure Cylinders (dia x stroke) (in / mm)22" x 28" / 559x711
Tractive Effort (lbs / kg)41,328 / 18746.09
Factor of Adhesion (Weight on Drivers/Tractive Effort) 3.90
Heating Ability
Tubes (number - dia) (in / mm)
Flues (number - dia) (in / mm)
Flue/Tube length (ft / m)
Firebox Area (sq ft / m2)195 / 18.12
Grate Area (sq ft / m2)47 / 4.37
Evaporative Heating Surface (sq ft / m2)2595 / 241.17
Superheating Surface (sq ft / m2)619 / 57.53
Combined Heating Surface (sq ft / m2)3214 / 298.70
Evaporative Heating Surface/Cylinder Volume210.65
Computations Relating to Power Output (More Information)
Robert LeMassena's Power Computation9612
Same as above plus superheater percentage11,438
Same as above but substitute firebox area for grate area47,454
Power L114,416
Power MT788.24

All material Copyright © SteamLocomotive.com
Wes Barris