Victorian Government Rlys 4-4-0 Locomotives in Australia

Class AA (Locobase 10649)

Data from diagram held in Victoria State Public Records Office and available on line at [], last accessed 12 July 2009 and Wikipedia's entry on the AA class, []

This class was made up of the largest 4-4-0s to operate in Victoria, in large part because their axle loadings reached the maximum for the relatively light rail on which they rode. The first 10 were delivered in 1900 with three-axle tenders and 185-psi boilers; the 10 produced in 1903 had 200-psi boilers and bigger tenders riding on 2 bogie trucks.

Their immediate service area was the mainline expresses, but the growing weight of the trailing load, coupled with the AA's low factor of adhesion, led to the development of the A2 4-6-0, which replaced the AAs in service on those runs.

The class continued to be useful in a variety of duties and 4 -- 542, 544, 566, and 570 -- were given Robinson superheaters and had their boiler pressure reduced to 175 psi.

The non-superheated engines began leaving service in 1919; they were all gone by 1926. Wikipedia notes that a number of these retired boilers were later used in river boats. The 4 superheated AAs were all withdrawn by 1932.

Class D (Locobase 9551)

Data from Howell, Comparative Statistics of the Australasian Railways, Journal of the Royal Statistical Society, March 1899, pp. 94-95. Road numbers included 82, 92, 122, 242, 244, 248, 250, 260, 322-344 (even only).

Built at the same time as the "New As" (Locobase 2341) and by the same shop, these were also passenger 4-4-0s, but of smaller dimensions and drivers.

Class G (Locobase 10648)

Data from diagram held in Victoria State Public Records Office and available on line at [], last accessed 12 July 2009.

Locobase can't identify this locomotive - for that matter, he can't firmly establish either the cylinder dimensions or the driver diameters.

Class New A (Locobase 2431)

Data from Howell, Comparative Statistics of the Australasian Railways, Journal of the Royal Statistical Society, March 1899, pp. 94-95.

These "New As" were built on the same boiler as the more numerous Y class (Locobase 2395) and substantially taller drivers. They served the Victorian until 1925, by which time they had been refitted with boilers offering a heating surface of 1,424 sq ft.

Class Old A (Locobase 1104)

Data from "Drawing of Old A Class Steam Locomotive," Public Records of Victoria, [], last accessed 30 August 2009. Works numbers were 2344-2353.

Ten built, based on New South Wales' Peacock Highflyers (Locobase 1105).