Victorian Railways J class

Infobox Locomotive
name = Victorian Railways J class

---

caption = Victorian Railways photograph of coal-fired J 503
powertype = steam
data for = Victorian Railways J class
builder = flagicon|United Kingdom Vulcan Foundry
whytetype = 2-8-0
numinclass = 60
length = 60 ft 5½ in
driversize = 55 in
weight = 66 t 19 cwt (engine)
45 t 16 cwt (tender)
112 t 15 cwt (total)
tenderc

1,500 gal oil, 4,100 gal water (oil burners)
weightondrivers = 57 t 7 cwt
cylindercount = 2
cylindersize = 20×26 in
tractiveeffort = 28,650 lbf at 85% boiler pressure
axleload = 14 t 10 c
totalsurface = convert|1682|sqft|m2|abbr=on
boilerpressure = 175 psi
firearea = convert|31|sqft|m2|abbr=on

The J class was a branch line steam locomotive that ran on Victorian Railways from 1954 to 1972. A development of the successful Victorian Railways K class 2-8-0, it was the last new class of steam locomotive introduced on the VR. Introduced almost concurrently with the diesel-electric locomotives that ultimately superseded them, these locomotives were only in service on the VR for a relatively short time.

History

During the early 1950s, Victorian Railways embarked on a massive upgrading of its ageing locomotive fleet as part of 'Operation Phoenix', an £80 million program to rebuild a network badly run down by years of Depression-era underinvestment and wartime overutilisation. [cite web|url=http://www.railwaymuseum.org.au/history3.html|title=ARHS Railway Museum: History 1950 - 2000|accessdate=2006-12-31|]

Victoria's branch line railway network, laid with 60 lb/yd rail and featuring gradients of up to 1 in 30, was still largely served by the D1, D2 and D3 variants of the once 261-strong 1902-era Dd class 4-6-0, which by the early 1950s was at the end of its life.cite web|url=http://www.vgr.com.au/stocksteam.html|title=Victorian Goldfields Railway Steam Locomotives|accessdate=2006-11-11|] These were supplemented by 53 K class 2-8-0 locomotives, some of which had been built as recently as 1946. Although highly successful, the K was unsuitable for potential conversion from RailGauge|63 broad gauge to RailGauge|ussg standard gauge in the event of the Victorian network being standardised, and VR policy was for all new locomotives to be engineered for easy conversion.cite book |last=Pearce |coauthors=et al |title=North Williamstown Railway Museum |edition=Third Edition |date= |year=1980 |month= |publisher= ARHS |location=Melbourne |isbn= 0-85849-018-8 |pages=p.14 |quote= ] As such, the building of further K class was not a desirable option.

With mainline electric and diesel-electric locomotives already on order, Victorian Railways' design team opted for an updated, gauge-convertible K class as what would turn out to be their final steam locomotive design.

Design Features

The key problem with the K class design was the placement of the firebox between the locomotive's frames and rear driving wheels, making conversion to a narrower gauge impossible without radical redesign of the firebox. A previous attempt to develop a gauge convertible K class, the N class, utilised a 2-8-2 wheel arrangement and positioned the firebox above the frames and behind the driving wheels. However, the extra length of these locomotives (they were a total 67 ft long) made them unsuitable for a number of branch lines where only a 50 or convert|53|ft|m|sing=on turntable was available.

The J class adopted an alternative approach to the problem by utilising a high-set boiler (with the boiler centre 9 ft 2½ in above rail level, [cite web|url=http://www.prov.vic.gov.au/images/12903/12903-p00001-000583-040.asp|title= DIAGRAM J CLASS STEAM LOCOMOTIVE (VPRS 12903/P1 Box 470/01)|publisher=Public Record Office Victoria|accessdate=2006-12-31|] compared with convert|8|ft|4|in|m|abbr=on for the K class [cite web|url=http://www.prov.vic.gov.au/images/12903/12903-p00001-000499-100.asp|title= DRAWING OF K CLASS STEAM LOCOMOTIVE (VPRS 12903/P1 Box 85/03)|publisher=Public Record Office Victoria|accessdate=2006-12-31|] ) setting the firebox above the frames and driving wheels, and retaining the K class' short wheelbase.

The J class also featured a number of other design advances over the K class. It had a larger grate, as well as substantially redesigned cylinder porting to improve steam flow and efficiency.cite journal | year = 1954 | month = May | title = The New J Class | journal = The Victorian Railways Newsletter | pages = pp.4–5 | url = http://www.victorianrailways.net/motive%20power/jsteam.html | accessdate = 2006-12-31 ] The innovative SCOA-P type driving wheel centre developed for the Victorian Railways R class was adapted for the 55 in diameter J class drivers.

The high-set boiler, together with the German-style smoke deflectors, gave the J class a distinctly European appearance.

Production

A total of fifty J class locomotives were initially ordered from the Vulcan Foundry in Lancashire, England. However, VR reassessed its motive power requirements and opted to sell ten of its brand-new, second generation N class locomotives to the South Australian Railways, and increased the J class order to sixty locomotives.cite web | title = J class steam locomotives | url = http://www.victorianrailways.net/motive%20power/jsteam.html | |publisher = victorianrailways.net | accessdate = 2006-12-31 ]

With fluctuating oil prices and an unreliable supply of coal in the early 1950s, the VR appeared to take something of a bet either way, ordering thirty of the class as coal burners and thirty as oil burners.

Regular Service

The J class was introduced for both passenger and goods traffic on Victoria's branch line network, with a maximum permissible speed of 50 mph (80 km/h).

Although the J class produced the same nominal tractive effort as the K or N class, they had a slightly higher adhesive weight (and as such a better factor of adhesion) and were permitted to haul heavier loads on gradients. [cite book| author=Carlisle, R M & Abbott, R L| title=Hudson Power| publisher=ARHS | year=1985| pages=p.36| id=ISBN 0-85849-028-5 |]

However, within a year of the J's introduction, the T class (EMD G8) diesel electric locomotive was also introduced. Although VR did not indicate the T was intended to replace the J class,cite journal | year = 1955 | month = October | title = And now the T's | journal = The Victorian Railways Newsletter | pages = p.3 | url = http://www.victorianrailways.net/motive%20power/articles/tart.jpg| accessdate = 2007-01-01 ] it proved to be such a successful design that further orders of this locomotive class were made during the late 1950s and 1960s, displacing the J class from many of its normal duties.

Demise

By the late 1960s the J class was largely relegated to shunting at various country yards, with many losing their cowcatchers and gaining shunter's steps on the tender sides. The introduction of the Y class (EMD G6B) diesel electrics saw the J class superseded in this role, and in November 1967, J 523 became the first J class to be scrapped.cite book |last=Dee |coauthors=et al |title=Power Parade |date= |year=1981 |publisher= VicRail Public Relations Division |location=Melbourne |isbn= 0-7241-3323-2 |pages=p.35 ] Scrappings continued until June 1978, with J 538 the last to go. J 550 holds the distinction of being the very last steam of locomotive in normal revenue service on Victorian Railways, being rostered on the 6:00am Bendigo pilot on 25 May 1972.

Preservation

The J class lasted as a complete class later than any other VR steam locomotive. By the time that scrapping commenced, interest in railway preservation was sufficient for eleven examples to be preserved.cite web | title = VICSIG - Locomotives - J Class Steam | url = http://www.vicsig.net/index.php?page=locomotives&class=J&orgstate=V&type=Steam | accessdate = 2006-12-31 ]

Operational

* J 515 is currently in service, operated by Seymour Railway Heritage Centre. This locomotive hauls various enthusiast specials across the remaining broad gauge network. As of April 2007, J 515 is currently on loan to the Victorian Goldfields Railway in Maldon, Victoria. Named "Harold P Ward" after a well-respected former locomotive depot foreman, in Seymour, Victoria.Fact|date=April 2007

* J 549 was until recently in service on the Victorian Goldfields Railway, hauling passenger services between Castlemaine and Maldon in Central Victoria. However, as of April 2007, the locomotive is currently out of service for overhaul. [cite web | title = WORK DAYS, PROGRESS & NEWS | url = http://web.archive.org/web/20060820073405/www.vgr.com.au/workdays.shtml | publisher = web.archive.org | accessdate = 2007-01-01 ] It is named "Brian Frewin" after a well-respected and long serving member of the Victorian Goldfields Railway.Fact|date=April 2007

* J 541 Has returned to service on the Victorian Goldfields Railway, after being restored by the Puffing billy railway.

tatic

J 556 (wearing the historically significant plates of scrapped J 559, the last steam locomotive to enter service on the VR) is preserved at the ARHS North Williamstown Railway Museum.
* J 507 is on public display at Mulwala, New South Wales.
* J 512 is owned by Seymour Railway Heritage Centre and is currently being restored to operating condition. As part of the restoration, it is being converted from broad to standard gauge. [cite press release | title = GIVING MORE STEAM TO VICTORIA’S RAILWAYS | publisher = MINISTER FOR TRANSPORT | date = 2001-02-08 | url = http://www.dtf.vic.gov.au/domino/Web_Notes/MediaRelArc02.nsf/3a3fd087b7891fcc4a25688e00141c97/78478507aa56d3bb4a2569ed0078657f!OpenDocument&Click=
format = pdf | language = English | accessdate = 2007-04-29 | quote = ]
* J 516 is owned by the Yarra Valley Tourist Railway and is currently stored, pending future restoration.
* J 524 is on public display at Donald, Victoria.
* J 536 was until 1998, on public display at Colac, Victoria. It was acquired by West Coast Railway for restoration. Following the demise of WCR, the loco was sold to heritage group 707 Operations Incorporated for eventual restoration to operating service. [cite web| url=http://www.colacotway.vic.gov.au/files/agenda/special/august312004.pdf| title=SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING OF THE COLAC-OTWAY SHIRE COUNCIL| format=pdf| date=2004-08-31| accessdate=2007-04-29]
* J 539 is on public display at Dimboola, Victoria.

* J 550 is on public display at Warragul, Victoria.

References

External links

* [http://www.victorianrailways.net/motive%20power/jsteam.html victorianrailways.net J class locomotive page] Details and further photographs of J class locomotives
* [http://www.srhc.org.au Seymour Railway Heritage Centre] operators of J 515
* [http://www.vgr.com.au Victorian Goldfields Railway] operators of J 549 (under major overhaul) and J 541.