Western Australia 4-8-0 Locomotives in Australia

Class F (1902) (Locobase 13598)

Data from Charles Rous-Martens, "British Locomotives for Abroad", Page's Magazine, Volume II, No 6 (June 1903), p. 505. See also Oberg, Locomotives of Australia 1854-2007, p. 120 and "Australia 3 ft 6 in Gauge Locomotives," The Locomotive Magazine, Volume 28 (15 August 1922), p. 224. Dubs works numbers were 4024-4036 in 1902. North British Locomotive Company works numbers were 19655-19665 in 1911, 20083-20112 in 1913.

This low-drivered design was delivered with Belpaire fireboxes, piston valves, and outside constant-lead radial valve gear. Oberg tells us that the first 15 delivered by Dubs in 1902 were so trouble-free "(albeit exhibiting a slow plodding gait)", the WAGR went back to Glasgow in 1911 to North British Locomotive Company in 1912-1913 for 42 more. They were rated to haul 275 tons up a 2% (1 in 50) grade.

The last two of the 1911 batch Schmidt superheaters as a trial; see Locobase 20890. The increased power gained by superheating was so apparent, says Oberg, that the other engines were superheated over a 21-year period beginning in 1924.

Class F (1911 (Locobase 21187)

Data from Charles Rous-Martens, "British Locomotives for Abroad", Page's Magazine, Volume II, No 6 (June 1903), p. 505. See also Oberg, Locomotives of Australia 1854-2007, p. 120 and "Australia 3 ft 6 in Gauge Locomotives," The Locomotive Magazine, Volume 28 (15 August 1922), p. 224. Dubs works numbers were 4024-4036 in 1902. North British Locomotive Company works numbers were 19655-19664 in 1912, 20083-20112 in 1913.

This low-drivered design was delivered with Belpaire fireboxes, piston valves, and outside constant-lead radial valve gear. Oberg wrote that the first fifteen delivered by Dubs in 1902 were so trouble-free "(albeit exhibiting a slow plodding gait)", the WAGR went back to Glasgow in 1911 to North British Locomotive Company in 1912-1913 for 42 more. They were rated to haul 275 tons up a 2% (1 in 50) grade.

Two of these were fitted with Schmidt superheaters as a trial; see Locobase 20890; 30 more followed in 1913. The increased power gained by superheating was so apparent, says Oberg, that the other engines were superheated over a 21-year period beginning in 1924.

Class Fs (Locobase 20890)

Data from D[ennis] Rock Carling, 4-8-0 Tender Locomotives (New York: Drake Publishers, Inc, 1972), p. 83 and serial 37 on table XIV [14], pp.108-109;. See also Oberg, Locomotives of Australia 1854-2007, p. 120 and "Australia 3 ft 6 in Gauge Locomotives," The Locomotive Magazine, Volume 28 (15 August 1922), p. 224. North British Locomotive Company works numbers were 19665-19666 in 1912, 20083-20112 in 1913.

As noted in Locobase 13598, the original batch of 4-8-0s from Dubs were quite satisfactory and WAGR went back to Glasgow in 1911 to North British Locomotive Company in 1912-1913 for 42 more. They were rated to haul 275 tons up a 2% (1 in 50) grade.

Two of these were fitted with Schmidt superheaters as a trial and the data above refer to that variant. Notice that NBLC's installation managed to insert a good amount of superheater area without sacrificing much evaporative heating surface area or altering the Belpaire firebox. In addition, cylinder diameter increased by 2" (50.8 mm), which more than compensated for a 15 psi (1.03 bar) drop in the boiler pressure setting.

. The increased power gained by superheating was so apparent, says Oberg, that the other engines were superheated over a 21-year period beginning in 1924.