Queensland Government Rlys 4-4-0 Locomotives in Australia


Class Details by Steve Llanso of Sweat House Media

Class A14 (Locobase 13758)

Data from the Queensland Railways Interest Group's website at [link], last accessed 21 January 2012. Works numbers were 16 in June 1894, 17 in July, 18 in November, and 19-23 in 1895 (January, March, June, September, and December, respectively).

The QRIG explain that the A14 was an enlarged version of the earlier American-influenced A12 and showed an increase in trailing load of 45 tons (54 short tons) over the earlier engines. They hauled the passenger and mail trains between Brisbane and Ipswich some 40 km (25 miles) away.

They were reboilered in 1909; see Locobase 13759.


Class A14 - reboilered (Locobase 13759)

Data from the Queensland Railways Interest Group's website at [link], last accessed 21 January 2012.

Locobase 13758 shows the A14s as they were delivered. The QRIG website does not spell out why, but 15 years after they entered service, the class received new boilers and new fireboxes. Both were bigger, although the firebox's grate area shrank slightly in the redesign.

By this time, 281, 285-286 had been transferred to the Central District. A few were used to operate the Belmont Tramway in southeastern Brisbane from 1916 to 1924. The last service use for the 283-284, 287-288 was to haul the Poison Trains, which roamed up and down QLD tracks spraying poison on the weeds that grew between the rails. The Australian blog Australian Song a Day entry for 19 December 2011 ([link], last accessed 201 January 2012) reproduced a Mick O'Rourke song called Poison Train that emphasizes the lethality of the service in two of its stanzas:

"still hear the tall man say?

To the children at their play

'You'd better go home early?

And you'd better stay away

Stay away from the line?

Can't you hear the railway humming?

The grass has grown too tall

And the poison train is coming

You feel sorry for the grass?

All it did was grow too fast?

All the weapons used against it?

It was never made to last?

And the man and his offsider

Are all dressed in black?

As the poison train goes through the town

And blisters all the track"

The first of the A14s retired in 1922, the last in 1930.

Principal Dimensions by Steve Llanso of Middle Run Media
ClassA14A14 - reboilered
Locobase ID13758 13759
RailroadQueensland Government RlysQueensland Government Rlys
CountryAustraliaAustralia
Whyte4-4-04-4-0
Number in Class88
Road Numbers281-288281-288
Gauge3'6"3'6"
Number Built8
BuilderPhoenix EngineQLD
Year18941909
Valve GearStephensonStephenson
Locomotive Length and Weight
Driver Wheelbase (ft / m)5 / 1.525 / 1.52
Engine Wheelbase (ft / m)12 / 3.6612 / 3.66
Ratio of driving wheelbase to overall engine wheelbase 0.42 0.42
Overall Wheelbase (engine & tender) (ft / m)12 / 3.6612 / 3.66
Axle Loading (Maximum Weight per Axle) (lbs / kg)
Weight on Drivers (lbs / kg)38,976 / 17,67938,976 / 17,679
Engine Weight (lbs / kg)61,376 / 27,84061,376 / 27,840
Tender Loaded Weight (lbs / kg)45,360 / 20,57545,360 / 20,575
Total Engine and Tender Weight (lbs / kg)106,736 / 48,415106,736 / 48,415
Tender Water Capacity (gals / ML)1680 / 6.361680 / 6.36
Tender Fuel Capacity (oil/coal) (gals/tons / Liters/MT) 4.40 / 4 4.40 / 4
Minimum weight of rail (calculated) (lb/yd / kg/m)32 / 1632 / 16
Geometry Relating to Tractive Effort
Driver Diameter (in / mm)51 / 129551 / 1295
Boiler Pressure (psi / kPa)140 / 970140 / 970
High Pressure Cylinders (dia x stroke) (in / mm)14" x 20" / 356x50814" x 20" / 356x508
Tractive Effort (lbs / kg)9147 / 4149.019147 / 4149.01
Factor of Adhesion (Weight on Drivers/Tractive Effort) 4.26 4.26
Heating Ability
Tubes (number - dia) (in / mm)
Flues (number - dia) (in / mm)
Flue/Tube length (ft / m)
Firebox Area (sq ft / m2)73 / 6.7887 / 8.08
Grate Area (sq ft / m2)13 / 1.2112.80 / 1.19
Evaporative Heating Surface (sq ft / m2)690 / 64.10729 / 67.73
Superheating Surface (sq ft / m2)
Combined Heating Surface (sq ft / m2)690 / 64.10729 / 67.73
Evaporative Heating Surface/Cylinder Volume193.64204.58
Computations Relating to Power Output (More Information)
Robert LeMassena's Power Computation18201792
Same as above plus superheater percentage18201792
Same as above but substitute firebox area for grate area10,22012,180
Power L135233887
Power MT398.55439.72

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