Posts Tagged ‘consolation’

C15 – Originally Large Consolation Class

Sunday, April 18th, 2010
Total Number of Engines Built 2
First Engine Built 1879
Last Engine Built 1880
First Engine Written Off 1916
Last Engine Written Off 1926

Notes

These engines were referred to as Large Consolations before the introduction of the new classification system.

They were the first eight coupled engines to run in Queensland and were also the first to have a bogie tenders. An early problem experienced with them was that they were too long for existing turntables and could only be turned on fork lines. They were built by Baldwin and were typical of that company’s products of the time with a large oil headlight, pepper pot steam dome and sandbox and also a wooden cab with glazed windows.

N° 41 was put to good use on the Main Range where it could haul 120 tons compared with 75 tons for the E (B12) Class although it had originally been purchased with the intention of being used on the line beyond Chinchilla. It was shipped to Townsville in June 1881 and was later returned to Ipswich in 1890.

N°42 was imported by the contractors working on the Stanthorpe Extension and named “Queenslander”. It was later bought by the railway after the new line opened in May 1881.

The engines had their original wagon top boilers replaced with round top ones in 1900. Apparently engine loads were not increased even though the new boilers had an increased pressure of 140 psi.

Both finished their days working in the Rockhampton District.

In 1889 locomotives and rollingstock were consolidated into one rollingstock register. This resulted in most items, except those operating on the original Southern and Western Railway (from Ipswich), being renumbered. Numbers shown are state (or former S & W) numbers. Those in brackets are former numbers of individual railways.

Abbreviations

S&W – Southern & Western Railway based on Ipswich
GNR – Great Northern Railway based on Townsville
Baldwin – Baldwin Locomotive Works, Philadelphia USA

C13 Dubs – Originally Small Consolation Class

Sunday, April 18th, 2010
Total Number of Engines Built 6
First Engine Built 1883
Last Engine Built 1883
First Engine Written Off 1922
Last Engine Written Off 1927

Notes

These engines were originally referred to as Small Consolations and later as C13 (Dubs) to distinguish them from the C13 engines built by Baldwin.

They were acquired for use on the Bundaberg and Maryborough Railways. Although based on the American designed 2-8-0, they were obtained from a British manufacturer to comply with government policy of the time. They were original built with diamond shaped chimneys, shallow fireboxes and short smokeboxes.

There were complaints that when the Bundaberg engines entered service they were pushing curves out of alignment on the Mount Perry Railway. This is not surprising as most of the line still consisted of 30lb rail as relaying with 41¼lb material had only recently commenced

The class was modified in 1904-05 with a raised boiler with deep firebox and extended smokebox. This improved their performance and gave them an appearance similar to the B13 Class.

In 1889 locomotives and rollingstock were consolidated into one rollingstock register. This resulted in most items, except those operating on the original Southern and Western Railway (from Ipswich), being renumbered. Numbers shown are state (or former S & W) numbers. Those in brackets are former numbers of individual railways.

Abbreviations

MR – Maryborough Railway
BR – Bundaberg Railway based on (North) Bundaberg
Dubs – Dubs & Co, Glasgow