WAGR E Class

The WAGR E Class were a type of sixty-five steam-locomotives built for the Western Australian Government Railways 1067mm narrow-gauge network by three British manufacturers Nasmyth and Wilson, Vulcan Foundry, and the North British Locomotive Works, from 1902. The locomotives provided a huge increase in locomotive power available to the WAGR and were the mainstay traction of WAGR passenger services for two decades. The Es Class was the name given to a reconstruction of all but four of the class carried out between 1924 and 1925.

Background

In the early 20th Century, the WAGR was using a wide range of locomotives for a variety of operational roles. One type of locomotive lacking, however, was a dedicated long-distance of express passenger locomotive.Fact|date=September 2008 The R class engines of 1897 had not proved appropriate for the steep gradients made necessary by the crossing of the Darling Scarp due to their lack of power.Fact|date=September 2008 In 1902 the order was placed with a number of different locomotive construction companies in England, the Nasmyth and Wilson, Vulcan Foundry, and North British.Fact|date=September 2008 These locomotives became the WAGR E Class and were of the classic passenger 4-6-2 "Pacific" type wheel configuration, offering good speeds at slightly-lower power outputs due to the large-size driving wheels.

Operational History

Construction and Introduction

Due to slow delivery times by the British Companies as a result of full-order books and a preference for larger orders, twenty modified E class locomotives were ordered from the United States and became the WAGR Ec Class. They differed from the E class in that they were compound engines.Fact|date=September 2008 The E class eventually totaled sixty-five in number, with thirty examples being built by the Vulcan Foundry, 20 by North British and 15 by Nasmyth Wilson.Fact|date=September 2008 The first fifteen entered service between 1903/04 and were successful from the outset, providing a much needed boost to WAGR locomotive power.Fact|date=September 2008

See also

List of Western Australian locomotive classes