| Weight | 134t 18cwt |
| Driving Wheels | 4ft 3ins |
| Boiler Pressure | 215psi |
| Cylinders | Two Outside – 19in x 26in |
| Tractive Effort | 33,633lbf |
| Valve Gear | Walschaert |
The Class V locomotives were the last class of steam locomotives to enter service on the Western Australian Government Railways (WAGR). The locomotives were intended to haul the heavy coal traffic between the Collie coal fields and Perth. Later they were used on equally heavy freight trains, particularly over the Great Southern line from York to Albany
In 1951 24 locomotives were ordered from Beyer, Peacock & Company in Manchester but because they had capacity issues the construction of the locomotives was subcontracted to Robert Stephenson & Hawthorn at Darlington. The locomotives were still given Beyer, Peacock & Company works numbers.
The locomotives entered service on the WAGR between April 1955 and November 1956.
The locomotive was of a modern design with a high superheat, a large combustion chamber and a thermic syphon in the firebox. Roller bearings were used on all the locomotive and tender wheels. When introduced the V class was the largest rigid wheelbase locomotive on the WAGR system – only the Australian Standard Garratt was larger. The class was designed to have as many parts as possible interchangeable with the 4-8-2 W class supplied by Beyer, Peacock & Company.
The locomotive design was completed on the basis that the engines could be converted to the 4ft 8½in. The Eastern and Eastern Goldfield lines between Pert and Kalgoorie were converted to the wider standard gauge in the late 1960s. The locomotives were then replaced by more powerful diesel locomotives so the V class engines were retained on 3ft 6 in gauge lines.
This locomotive (V 1213) was built by Robert Stephenson & Hawthorn and entered service on the WAGR in December 1955. It was initially employed hauling coal trains from the coal fields around Cllie over the South West mainline to the power stations in Fremantle and East Perth.
After being withdrawn from service the locomotive in June 1971 it was stored in the Collie Locomotive Depot before being moved to the Midland yard to await scrapping.
In April 1981 it was the last locomotive to be saved from the scrap line when it was purchased by the Hotham Valley Tourist Railway at Pinjarra.
In 1989 the locomotive was purchased privately by Ian Willis and moved to the Willis Light Engineering workshop at Riverdale where it was restored. It steamed again in May 1992 when it hauled a freight train to Avon Yard and thus became the only steam locomotive to haul a paying/schedule freight train on Government Rails in Western Australia since steam ceased in 1971.
The Hotham Valley Railway then commenced using the locomotive on tourist trains around the state network until the owner took over the Pemberton – Lambert section. This piece of line runs north from the town of Pemberton as an extension to the already successful Pemberton Tramway Company which he already owned.
The locomotive is now on display at Pemberton.
Three other class V locomotives built by Robert Stephenson & Hawthorn have been preserved.
- 1209 – Works number 7779 – Beyer, Peacock & Company 7735
- 1215 – Works number 7784 – Beyer, Peacock & Company 7740
- 1220 – Works number 7789 – Beyer, Peacock & Company 7745
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