WAGR Pr Class

Infobox Locomotive
powertype=Steam
name = WAGR Pr Class 4-6-2 "Pacific" Type Locomotive

---

caption = The P class shown here, P508, is an example of the class which immediately preceded the Pr class. Externally they were almost identical, the most notable exception being the absence of nameplates on the boiler-side running boards.
designer =
builder = WAGR Midland Workshops
builddate = 1938–1944
totalproduction = 18
whytetype = 4-6-2 ("Pacific")
gauge = RailGauge|ussg
driversize = 4 ft 6 in (1.89 m)
weight = 102 tons 10 cwt
fueltype = coal
fuelc

waterc

cylindersize = 19 in × 26 in
boilerpressure = 175 lbf/in²
tractiveeffort = 25,855 lbf
railroad=Western Australian Government Railways
locale=Western Australia

The WAGR Pr Class is a class of 1067mm narrow gauge 4-6-2 Pacfic-type steam locomotives built by the Western Australian Government Railways, with construction beginning in 1938. The class was highly successful and remained the principle express passenger locomotive on the W.A.G.R. until dieselisation began during the mid-1950's. The locomotives were given running-board nameplates and were named after West Australian rivers. [Geoffrey Higham. (2007) “Marble Bar to Mandurah – A History of Passenger Rail Services in Western Australia” Bassendean, W.A. : Rail Heritage WA. ISBN 97800959969092 p195]

Background

By the mid-1920s the WAGR was facing a severe lack of express passenger locomotives. To alleviate pressure on the aging Es Class (originally introduced as the E class in 1902, and improved through superheating in 1912), the WAGR placed an order for ten P class 4-6-2 engines with the North British Locomotive Works, the first example arriving in 1924. The locomotives were very successful and a further fifteen were constructed locally at the WAGR's Midland Railway Workshops, in Midland, Western Australia. [Steve McNicol. (1994) "W.A.G.R. Steam Locomotives in Preservation" Elizabeth, South Australia., Railmac Publications. ISBN 0-949817-97-X p18]

History

By the late 1930's, and following the Great Depression, the WAGR began to turn its attention to improving its passenger services. The result was the construction of ten Pr class locomotives at the Midland workshops. The Pr class represented a significant improvement over the P class engines, with a 9% increase in tractive effort and other improvements to the boilers, cylinders and bogies. [ Higham. Ibid. p195] Like the P class before them, the Pr class was quickly allocated to express passenger work, with the new Westland Express serving as the premier train service in Western Australia, and on which the Pr class provided power almost exclusively. [ Rob Clarke, "What's in a name?" in, Higham. Ibid. p110]

The Pr class were distinguished from other WAGR Locomotives in the use of nameplates bearing the names of prominent WA rivers, such as Ashburton, Avon and Chapman. The class were initially known as the 'River' class for this reason, and were still referred to as the P class. [Higham. Ibid. p195] The engines quickly gained a high reputation for free steaming and were so successful that an additional 8 were constructed by converting some of the older P class engines between June 1941 and June 1944, resulting in 17 P class and 18 Pr class locomotives. [Phillipa Rogers. (1999) "Troops, Trains and Trades - The Wartime Role of the Railways of Western Australia, 1939-1945" Bassendean, W.A. Success Print, ISBN 0-646-38403-1, pp6-7]

Wartime Role

As the ten initial Pr class locomotives had been completed by then end of 1939 they provided much needed power to the WAGR during the Second World War, especially with the large numbers of heavy troop trains crossing Australia by the Trans-Continental Railway. The further conversion of the 8 P class engines also helped the hard-pressed wartime railways in a time when the construction of new locomotives (such as the S Class) was placed on hold due to a lack of available materials and labour. [Rogers. Ibid. pp6-7]

Later History

Following the war ten of the class were converted to oil burners between 1947 and 1949. [Gunzburg, Ibid. p105]

Demise and Preservation

The Pr class was gradually replaced on passenger services with the introduction of mainline diesel locomotives, such as the WAGR X class in 1954. They were then relegated to goods workings, though dieselisation of WA's railways continued and the last example was withdrawn from traffic in 1970. One Pr class locomotive, Pr 521 "Ashburton" has been preserved in non-working condition at the Rail Transport Museum in Bassendean, Western Australia. [ Rail Heritage WA, http://www.railheritagewa.org.au/museum/p_class.htm#prclass, retrieved 28 September 2008 ]

Livery and Numbering

When introduced the Pr class locomotives were painted in overall black with red buffer beams, in keeping with the WAGR livery scheme of the time which saw all locomotives painted in this way. The introduction of the W Class 4-8-2 locomotives in 1955 saw the introduction of a Larch Green livery, which was applied to most tender locomotives including the Pr class. [ Higham. Ibid. 196]

The first batch of the Pr class were initially numbered Pr 138 - 147, though all 18 of the class were later renumbered Pr 521 - Pr 538. [ Rail Heritage WA, http://www.railheritagewa.org.au/museum/p_class.htm#prclass, retrieved 28 September 2008 ]

List of Names and Numbers [Gunzburg, Ibid. p105]

*521 "Ashburton"
*522 "Avon"
*523 "Blackwood"
*524 "Fitzroy"
*525 "Frankland"
*526 "Greenough"
*527 "Harvey"
*528 "Murray"
*529 "Gascoyne"

*530 "Murchison"
*531 "Brunswick"
*532 "Fortesque"
*533 "Chapman" (Coongan - swapped plates with 535 "Coongan")
*534 "Irwin"
*535 "Coongan" (Chapman)
*536 "Denmark"
*537 "Hotham"
*538 "Kalgan"

See Also

List of Western Australian locomotive classes

References

Further reading

* Gunzburg, Adrian.(1984) "A history of W.A.G.R. steam locomotives" Perth, W.A : Australian Railway Historical Society, Western Australian Division. ISBN 0959969039