Western Australia 4-4-0 Locomotives in Australia
Class Details by Steve Llanso of Sweat House Media
Class B (Locobase 9561)
Data from Howell, Comparative Statistics of the Australasian Railways, Journal of the Royal Statistical Society, March 1899, pp. 96-97. Builders were Beyer, Peacock and Dubs & Co.
Class R (Locobase 9566)
Data from Howell, Comparative Statistics of the Australasian Railways, Journal of the Royal Statistical Society, March 1899, pp. 96-97. See also "R152, Boorabbin, ca. 1905.jpg"
photograph in Wikimedia at [
]; and "R 174 The Railway Museum Bassendam", Australiansteam.com at [
], both last accessed 20 March 2025.
Impressively large passenger engines for the light rail and the times, these Eight-wheeler Americccan types served for decades. Boorabbin's photograph shows a straight boiler, low running board, brilliantly polished steam dome, and bulky stack-arresting stack top. The tallest drivers on a WAGR locomotive indicate their express role in which an R might hit 50 mph (81 kph).
Several were converted to five-axle tank engines in a 4-4-2 layout to reduce axle loading. R152's photograph.
Long-lived and well-used, the last of the class was retired in 1953.
| Principal Dimensions by Steve Llanso of Middle Run Media | ||
|---|---|---|
| Class | B | R |
| Locobase ID | 9561 | 9566 |
| Railroad | Western Australia | Western Australia |
| Country | Australia | Australia |
| Whyte | 4-4-0T | 4-4-0 |
| Number in Class | 24 | |
| Road Numbers | ||
| Gauge | 3'6" | 3'6" |
| Number Built | 24 | |
| Builder | several | Dubs & Co |
| Year | 1885 | 1898 |
| Valve Gear | Stephenson | Stephenson |
| 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) | ||
| Axle Loading (Maximum Weight per Axle) (lbs / kg) | ||
| Weight on Drivers (lbs / kg) | ||
| Engine Weight (lbs / kg) | 71,680 / 32,514 | 71,232 / 32,310 |
| Tender Loaded Weight (lbs / kg) | 53,648 / 24,334 | |
| Total Engine and Tender Weight (lbs / kg) | 124,880 / 56,644 | |
| Tender Water Capacity (gals / ML) | 1440 / 5.45 | 2400 / 9.09 |
| Tender Fuel Capacity (oil/coal) (gals/tons / Liters/MT) | 2.20 / 2 | 5.50 / 5 |
| Minimum weight of rail (calculated) (lb/yd / kg/m) | ||
| Geometry Relating to Tractive Effort | ||
| Driver Diameter (in / mm) | 37 / 940 | 57 / 1448 |
| Boiler Pressure (psi / kPa) | 140 / 970 | 160 / 1100 |
| High Pressure Cylinders (dia x stroke) (in / mm) | 14" x 21" / 356x533 | 16" x 22" / 406x559 |
| Tractive Effort (lbs / kg) | 13,238 / 6004.66 | 13,438 / 6095.38 |
| Factor of Adhesion (Weight on Drivers/Tractive Effort) | ||
| Heating Ability | ||
| Tubes (number - dia) (in / mm) | ||
| Flues (number - dia) (in / mm) | ||
| Flue/Tube length (ft / m) | ||
| Firebox Area (sq ft / m2) | 75 / 6.97 | 88 / 8.18 |
| Grate Area (sq ft / m2) | 12.50 / 1.16 | 16.28 / 1.51 |
| Evaporative Heating Surface (sq ft / m2) | 712 / 66.17 | 907 / 84.29 |
| Superheating Surface (sq ft / m2) | ||
| Combined Heating Surface (sq ft / m2) | 712 / 66.17 | 907 / 84.29 |
| Evaporative Heating Surface/Cylinder Volume | 190.30 | 177.16 |
| Computations Relating to Power Output (More Information) | ||
| Robert LeMassena's Power Computation | 1750 | 2605 |
| Same as above plus superheater percentage | 1750 | 2605 |
| Same as above but substitute firebox area for grate area | 10,500 | 14,080 |
| Power L1 | 2508 | 3999 |
| Power MT | ||