| Weight | 25t 15½cwt |
| Driving Wheels | 4ft 0ins |
| Tractive Effort | 15,600lbf |
| Cylinders | Outside – 18in x 24in |
In the 1860s, rail construction in New South Wales was intensifying, with the Main South and Main West mainlines being extended to Goulburn and Bathurst respectively. Grades along this route were up to 1 in 30 which is very steep. As a result, it was obvious that a heavy goods engine would be needed to carry cargo along these lines. These locomotives were based on Stephenson’s patent long boiler engines of 1843 for the York and North Midland Railway.
The first six locomotives were built by Robert Stephenson and Company in Newcastle on Tyne and entered service in 1865-7 on the Main South and Main West lines for goods workings. This locomotive was ordered in 1864 and completed in 1866. It began its life hauling goods trains through Thirlmere.
The locomotives of this class pioneered traffic between the ports of Sydney and Newcastle and the interior of the colony, and so were crucial in the establishment of agriculture west of the Great Dividing Range. Wool, a valuable product relative to its weight, had been able to stand the high cost of bullock dray transport, but cheap rail rates were essential to enable wheat to be grown in the interior. Previously it was cheaper to ship wheat from Chile to Sydney than from Bathurst.
These locomotives quickly showed themselves to be useful, and as a result new orders were placed. A further five were built by Robert Stephenson and Company and twelve in Australia by Vale & Lacy in Sydney, and other local firms. As a result twenty three were in service by July 1879 including seven on the isolated section at Newcastle.
In January 1878 there was a head on collision between two class E17 locomotives hauling goods trains. The drivers and firemen on both locomotives plus the guard on one train who was riding on the footplate were killed. Both engines were written off and replaced by new locomotives from Robert Stephenson and Company.
Withdrawals of the E17 class engines started in 1889 when some were sold to coal mines or transferred to the Public Works Department (PWD) for construction duties.
This locomotive was sold to the Southern Coal Company at Corrimal in 1897.
Corrimal is a suburb Wollongong in New South Wales. The name of the suburb comes from a point which was then named Mount Corrimal (now called Broker’s Nose) which was named after the Aboriginal Dreamtime warrior Kurimul.
The colliery had been bought around the end of 1889 by the Southern Coal Company who completed the railway which ran from the colliery to the jetty at Port Kimble.
The colliery later past to Balgownie Coal Company who operated a 2′ gauge railway as well as the 4′ 8½″ gauge that this locomotive ran on.
In 1964 the colliery was taken over by Australia Iron & Steel (AIS) who operated the steelworks at Port Kemble. At this time the locomotive had been dismantled and was awaiting an overhaul, but this was never finished. The locomotive was however donated to the recently formed NSW Rail Museum. It was restored and placed on display at Enfield Roundhouse before being transfrrred to Thirlmere near Sydney in 1975.
The locomotive remains on static display at Thirlmere.
Back to Preserved Outside Britain – By Country
Back to Preserved Outside Britain – By Builder
Back to Preserved Outside Britain – Australia
served Outside Britain – By Country
Preserved British Steam Locomotives 