WAGR P Class

The WAGR P Class is a class of steam locomotive built for the Western Australian Government Railways between 1924 and 1927. The P class were 1067mm narrow-gauge 4-6-2 type tender engines and served on a wide range of passenger and freight services throughout their service lives, and all examples were withdrawn by 1969.

Background

By the mid-1920's no new locomotives had been built for the W.A.G.R. since 1902 when the E and F class locomotives had been introduced. Improvements to these locomotives in 1912, and the introduction of the D class suburban tank engines had helped with the increasing power shortages, but the onset of World War One seriously set back further expansion. By 1924 the shortage was critical and so a contract was given to the North British Locomotive Company for the construction of ten large 4-6-2 "Pacific" type locomotives for use on long distance passenger services. [Geoffrey Higham, (2007). "Marble Bar to Mandurah - A History of Passenger Rail Services in Western Australia", Rail Heritage WA, Bassendean, Western Australia, p195.]

Operational History

The initial ten P class locomotives arrived from England beginning in 1924. The engines were immediately put to work on mainline services, in particular express passenger duties. The P class were highly successful and quickly gained a good reputation. [Higham. Ibid.] Due to their success the WAGR ordered another fifteen examples to be built at the WAGR's own workshops in Midland. This second batch were constructed between 1927 and 1929, just before the beginning of the Great Depression. These locally-constructed P class engines differed from the North British examples in the use of shorter tenders which had reduced fuel (coal) and water capacities. [Steve McNicol, (1994). "W.A.G.R. Steam Locomotives in Preservation", Railmac Publications, Elizabeth, South Australia. p18] Eight of the second-batch locomotives were rebuilt into the Pr Class during World War Two, between June 1941 and June 1944. The war also saw extensive use of the P class engines on troop trains throughout the period. [Phillipa Rogers, (1999). "Troops, Trains and Trades - The Wartime Role of Railways in Western Australia, 1939-1945", Phillipa Rogers, Bassendean, Western Australia. p16]

Like all WAGR locomotives of the period, the P class wore an overall black livery with red buffer beams. [Higham. Ibid. p196] The ten initial North British locomotives were allocated the numbers 441 - 450, and the later locally-built fifteen were allocated numbers 451-465.The locomotives were later renumbered from 501 - 525 [Rail Heritage WA, http://www.railheritagewa.org.au/museum/p_class.htm#prclass, retrieved 28 September 2008]

The P class was gradually replaced on passenger work following dieselisation of the WAGR in the mid-1950's and spent the remainder of its working life on freight services, being withdrawn from service between 1960 and 1969. [McNicol. Ibid.] One example of the P class is preserved, P508, at the Rail Heritage Museum in Bassendean, Western Australia.

Specifications

* Introduced - 1924 (second batch - 1927) [Don Finlayson (Ed.), (1986). "Steam Around Perth", Australian Railway Historical Society W.A. Division (Inc), Bassendean, W.A.]
* Wheel Arrangement - 4-6-2 ("Pacific" Type)
* Driving Wheel Diameter - 4'6"
* Boiler Pressure - 160lbs per square inch
* Tractive Effort - 23,638(lbs)
* Water Capacity - 2,440 gallons
* Coal Capacity - 8 tons
* Weight - 102 tons 5 cwt

See Also

List of Western Australian locomotive classes

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

References