South Australian Railways 500 class (steam)

South Australian Railways
500 class

500 class engine No.502 hauling a freight train in at Eden Hills, August 1953.

Type and origin Power type Steam Builder Armstrong Whitworth Serial number 633-642 Build date 1925 Total produced 10

Specifications Configuration 4-8-2 UIC class 2′D1′ h2 Gauge 5 ft 3 in (1,600 mm) Driver diameter 5 ft 3 in (1.600 m) Fuel type Coal Fuel capacity 12 long tons 0 cwt (26,900 lb or 12.2 t) Boiler pressure 200 psi (1,379 kPa) Cylinders Two, Cylinder size 26 in × 28 in (660 mm × 711 mm) Valve gear Walschaerts

Performance figures Tractive effort 51,000 lbf (226.86 kN)

Career Operators South Australian Railways Numbers 500–509 Withdrawn 1958–1963 Scrapped 1961–1965 Disposition One Preserved, Nine scrapped

The South Australian Railways 500 class is a class of ten 4-8-2 Mountain steam locomotives built in 1925, designed to operate on 1,600 mm (5 ft 3 in) gauge lines.

History

These locomotives were part of larger order for thirty modern steam locomotives placed with Armstrong Whitworth in Great Britain in 1924 as part of the rehabilitation of the state's rail system being overseen by railways commissioner W. A. Webb. Built to replace the underpowered 4-4-0 S Class and 4-6-0 Rx Class locomotives, many dating back to 1894 that were still performing mainline duties, where double and even triple heading was common. All ten of the 500 class Mountains arrived to Adelaide in 1926 and all ten were placed into service the same year. During the late twenties all ten locomotives were named after notable South Australians.

Rebuilding

In May 1928 Locomotive 506 was experimentally fitted with a booster, fitted to a newly created four wheel trailing truck. This American inspired modification proved highly successful, increasing the locomotives tractive effort from 51,000 lbf to 59,000 lbf. This modification was subsequently fitted to the nine remaining locomotives in the class, resulting in the class becoming the 4-8-4 class 500B.

Throughout the mid thirties a number of the locomotives in the class were semi-streamlined and had valances fitted.

All of the class were withdrawn by 1963, with locomotive 504 being preserved as a static exhibit National Railway Museum, Port Adelaide.

Stocklist

Engine Number	Builder	Date in Service	Date Condemned	Name
500	Sir W G Armstrong Whitworth & Co Ltd	04/06/1926	May 1963	James McGuire
501	Sir W G Armstrong Whitworth & Co Ltd	02/07/1926	September 1958	Sir Henry Barwell
502	Sir W G Armstrong Whitworth & Co Ltd	22/05/1926	July 1961	John Gunn
503	Sir W G Armstrong Whitworth & Co Ltd	23/07/1926	July 1962	R. L Butler
504	Sir W G Armstrong Whitworth & Co Ltd	18/10/1926	Static Display	Tom Barr-Smith
505	Sir W G Armstrong Whitworth & Co Ltd	28/10/1926	July 1962	Sir Tom Bridges
506	Sir W G Armstrong Whitworth & Co Ltd	25/10/1926	July 1962	Sir George Murray
507	Sir W G Armstrong Whitworth & Co Ltd	12/10/1926	September 1958	Margaret Murray
508	Sir W G Armstrong Whitworth & Co Ltd	14/09/1926	July 1962	Sir Lancelot Stirling
509	Sir W G Armstrong Whitworth & Co Ltd	24/08/1926	July 1961	W. A. Webb

References

• Douglas Colquhoun, Ronald Stewien, Adrian Thomas (1969). 500 The 4-8-2 and 4-8-4 Locomotives of The South Australian Railways. Australian Railway Historical Society, SA.
• David Burke (2000). Giants of Steam. Australian Railway Historical Society, NSW.
• Leon Oberg (2007). Locomotives of Australia. Rosenberg Publishing, NSW.
• Ron Stewien (2011). A History of the South Australian Railways, Volume 5: Controversy and Mr Webb. Eveleigh Press, NSW.
• Ron Stewien (2010). A History of the South Australian Railways, Volume 6: Mountains, Mikados and Pacifics. Eveleigh Press, NSW.

• Drymalik, Chris. "Broad Gauge 500-class 4-8-2 (later 500B-class 4-8-4) locomotives". comrails.com. Retrieved 2013-03-19.