| Weight | 113t |
| Driving Wheels | 4ft 0ins |
| Boiler Pressure | 200psi |
| Cylinders | Outside – 18in x 24in |
| Tractive Effort | 27,540lbf |
Vulcan Foundry at Newton le Willows in Lancashire built eight class H locomotives for the Tasmanian Government Railways in 1951. They were delivered to the same basic design as the class 248 engines previously built to operate on the Gold Coast Railway in Ghana.
The locomotives were employed hauling freight trains.
They were withdrawn from service from 1961 onwards as they became due for overhaul.
The last member of the class in service (H2) was overhauled in 1966-67. H2 and this locomotive (H5) took part in the Centenary of Rail in Tasmania celebrations in February 1971. H5 was withdrawn after this but H2 remained in service working periodically until finally being withdrawn in 1975.
After being withdrawn from service all of the H class locomotives remained in store until disposed of between 1974 and 1978.
After being withdrawn from service all of the H class locomotives remained in store until disposed of between 1974 and 1978.
The Tasmanian Government Railways were taken over by Australian National Railways in 1978, which appears to have prompted action on redundant railway assets. At this time H5 was still in storage at Launceston and along with H2 was purchased for preservation at that time.
H5 was purchased privately and placed on display at the Hillwood Strawberry Farm, a tourist attraction in the Launceston area. It stayed there for 28 years until in 2007 it was apparently no longer wanted at Hillwood.
Members of the Derwent Valley Railway then raised the funds to purchase the locomotive and move it to the base for the railway at New Norfolk where it arrived in December 2007.
The locomotive remains stored at New Norfolk.
Six of the ten locomotives built by Vulcan Foundry have been preserved. The others are.
- H1 – Works number 5949
- H2 – Works number 5950
- H6 – Works number 5954
- H7 – Works number 5955
- H8 – Works number 5956
Back to Preserved Outside Britain – By Country
Back to Preserved Outside Britain – By Builder
Back to Preserved Outside Britain – Australia
Preserved Outside Britain – By Country
Preserved British Steam Locomotives 