Western Australia 4-6-2 Locomotives in Australia

Class E (Locobase 20887)

Data from "Nasmyth's Centenary", Engineer, Volume 106 (25 September 1908), pp. 315-316. Works numbers were 641-655 in 1902.

Baldwin delivered some 4-6-0s in the same year (Locobase 12595) as this Nasmyth Wilson batch. Compared to the Philadelphia Vauclain compounds, the NWs were somewhat larger in every respect, used simple-expansion, and were the first 15 of 65 E-class locomotives built in the UK. (See Locobase 6382 for the 30 Vulcans. The 20 North British Locomotive Company engines of 1911 very likely shared the same specifications.)

The design featured a Belpaire firebox, piston valves actuated by outside constant-lead radial radial valve gear, a built-out cab with extended roof over the footplate

Class Ec (Locobase 4085)

Data from "Vauclain Compound Six-Coupled Freight Locomotive for West Australia", Railroad Gazette, Volume XXXIII [33], No. 20 (17 May 1901), p.335; and DeGolyer, Volume 23, p. 257. Also see Leon Oberg, Locomotives of Australia: 1850s - 2007 (Australia: Rosenberg Publishing Pty, 2007), pp. 112-113. Works numbers included 18826-18835 in March 1901 and 18857-18866 in April.

In February 2008, Steve Gunnell emailed Wes Barris of steamlocomotive.com, long-time host of Locobase's North American, Caribbean, and Australian entries. Gunnell was able to supply the designation for this class. Upon further investigation, Locobase determined that what he listed as a Ten-wheeler was in fact the first Pacific class built in any number by Baldwin for anyone. (It just preceded a simple-expansion batch for New Zealand's Government Railways that is often credited with being the first Pacifics.)

Typical Vauclain compounds, each set of one HP and one LP cylinder was cast with one 10 1/2" (267 mm) piston valve that served each cylinder in turn. A copper firebox burned lignite coal.

Both trucks traversed. The lead bogie used a swing bolster with a center bearig, the rear two-wheel truck used side-bearing swing bolsters. Max axle loading was prescribed in the specifications not to exceed the figure given in Locobase's specs.

Oberg said the WAGR bought these "Bull Yanks" from Baldwin as "emergency power" to pull trains on the Eastern Goldfields route, which Baldwin's spec notes had "bad water.". Oberg wrote that the class - which entered service in August 1901 -- could pull a 40% heavier train than existing goods engines and accomplish the task in an hour to hour-and-a-half less time. As the Christmas rush approached, the Ecs were pressed into passenger service where the railway found that one Ec could easily deputize for two of the locomotives previously used.

One defect that appeared in this class was stress-fracturing in the frames such that eight out of the class of 20 had their frames replaced within five years. The source of the stress was the thrust of LP cylinders into which high-pressure steam had been introduced to raise starting tractive effort.

Ecs were converted to simple-expansion engines by 1925 and were superheated in the bargain. Redesignated L class, they proved highly useful in branch-line service and were only withdrawn when X-class diesels were ready to replace them in 1954.