| Weight | 73tons |
| Driving Wheels | 4ft 6ins |
| Boiler Pressure | 145psi Rx 275psi |
| Cylinders | Outside – 18in x 24in |
| Tractive Effort | 17,700lbf Rx 21,420lbf |
This locomotive was one of the first six class R locomotive to enter service with the South Australian Railways. It was delivered by Dübs and Company in Glasgow in 1886.
The adoption of a 4-6-0 design stemmed from the need for more powerful locomotives to tackle the grades of the Mount Lofty Range and would have been a significant innovation in 1886. It is worth noting that this is eight years before the Highland Railway introduced the Jones Goods class in Britain.
In 1886, Dübs and Company of Glasgow delivered the first six R class of engine. A further 24 engines had been built by James Martin & Co in Australia by November 1895. From 1899, all engines were rebuilt with higher powered Belpaire boilers and reclassified as the Rx class engine. A further 54 locomotives were built in Australia as Rx class by the Islington Railway Workshops, North British Locomotive Company and Walkers Limited with all engines in service by May 1916.
The R class engines were the predominant locomotive used on broad gauge main line services in South Australia from their introduction.
By 1916 when there were 84 Rx class locomotives in services and they were employed on both passenger and freight train duties. By the mid 1920s when more powerful locomotives were introduced the Rx engines were relegated to branch line, suburban and shunting duties. Although some of the earlier locomotives were withdrawn from service in 1934 the majority continued to perform these duties until the end of regular steam operation on the South Australian Railways in the mid 1960s.
Despite being an early built locomotive Rx 93 remained in service until October 1966 which was a month after it was shown as part of the collection of the Mile End Railway Museum. The Mile End Museum was given funding in 1987 to redevelop the former Port Dock at Adelaide and a new museum opened as the Port Dock Station Railway Museum in at the end of 1988 and is now the National Railway Museum, Port Adelaide.
Rx 93 remains on static display in the museum and is the only class Rx preserved locomotive that was built as a class R engine.
There are nine other Rx class locomotives preserved.
Built by the North British Locomotive Company in Glasgow.
- Rx 201 – Works number 20152
- Rx 207 – Works number 20156
Built by the South Australian Railways at Islington Workshops
- Rx 5 – Works number 13
- Rx 55 – Works number 25
- Rx 160 – Works number 29
- Rx 191 – Works number 41
Built by Walkers in Australia
- Rx 217 – Works number 245
- Rx 224 – Works number 252
- Rx 231 – Works number 259
Survivors
Several Rx class locomotives and one R class engine survive to this day in various states of preservation.
Rx5: plinthed at Kapunda[2]
Rx55: preserved at Loxton[3]
Rx93: preserved at National Railway Museum, Port Adelaide[4][5]
Rx160: preserved at Murray Bridge[6]
Rx191: plinthed at Victor Harbor[7]
Rx201: plinthed at Tailem Bend[8]
Rx207: preserved at SteamRanger, operational[9][10]
Rx217: plinthed at Nuriootpa, South Australia[11]
Rx224: preserved at SteamRanger, operational[12][13]
Rx231: plinthed at Kadina[14]
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 