| Weight – Locomotive | 54t |
| Driving Wheels | 4ft 7ins |
| Boiler Pressure | 160psi |
| Cylinders | Outside – 19in x 24in |
| Tractive Effort | 21,424lbf |
This locomotive was originally built by Beyer Peacock in Manchester in 1903 as a 4-6-4T tank engine which became part of the C30 class. It was one of the first batch of 35 locomotives of the S636 class for the New South Wales Government Railway (NSWGR). This batch entered service in 1903/04. Between 1905 and 1917 Beyer Peacock built a further 60 locomotives and the NSWGR constructed 50 at their Eveleigh Railway Workshop at Redfern in the Sydney suburbs.
The 145 locomotives were reclassified as C30 in 1924. At the same time this locomotive was renumbered from S651 to 3016.
The locomotives were designed to haul the growing traffic on the Sydney suburb services and especially over the heavy gradients on the Northern, Northern Shore and Illawarra lines.
The Sydney railway network was electrified from the mid 1920s which resulted in the locomotives being no longer required to perform the tasks for which they were designed. As the locomotives were regarded as too valuable to scrap 77 locomotives, including this one, were rebuilt as 4-6-0 locomotives.
The rebuild took place between 1928 and 1933 and the locomotives were attached to tenders from older locomotives that they replaced. The first locomotive to be converted was delivered by Clyde Engineering in August 1928 and that company went on to rebuild another nine 4-6-0 locomotives. The rest of the conversions were undertaken at the NSWGR workshops at Eveleigh.
The rebuilt locomotives became the C30T class with the T denoting tender engines to differentiate them from the original 4-6-4 tank engines. The T was only used on official correspondence and was not added to the number on the locomotive.
The rebuilt locomotives replaced various older 4-4-0 and 2-6-0 locomotives allocated to country depots. Many of the C30T engines were fitted with tenders from the locomotives they replaced.
Between 1940 and 1957 this locomotive was one of the 29 fitted with superheaters. This work included fitting new cylinders with piston valves and extended smokeboxes. Most of the these were fitted with riveted on extensions to their smokeboxes. Some were given entirely new extended smokeboxes fully supported by the frames, giving these few a more modern, purposeful look.
In their heyday, they could be found working almost every light branch line in New South Wales. Even in the final years of steam power, they could still be found well spread over the state in such places as Temora, Griffith, Cowra, Dubbo and Narrabri West.
The first member of the class was withdrawn from service in December 1958 but the last remained in service until August 1972. The final locomotive in service (3090) was built to the Beyer Peacock design at the NSWGR Eveleigh Workshops.
The locomotive was acquired by the Australian Railway Historical Society in the Australian Capital Territory Division and placed in the Canberra Railway Museum. It was restored and operated from around the mid 1980s hauling tourist trains along the Cooma line to Michelago.
During 2003 the locomotive was dismantled for overhaul and transferred to the New South wales Rail Transport Museum (NSWRTM) at Thirlmere for a contract overhaul in late 2004. The locomotive was back in operation in September 2006 and undertook a number of main line tours before being transferred back to Canberra.
Four other members of the C30T class built by Beyer Peacock are preserved.
- 3001 – Works number 4444
- 3026 – Works number 4469
- 3028 – Works number 4471
- 3102 – Works number 5797
Three members of the C30 class built by Beyer Peacock are preserved.
- 3013 – Works number 4456
- 3046 – Works number 5140
- 3112 – Works number 5807
There are also two class C30T locomotives preserved which were built at the Eveleigh Railway workshops.
- 3075 – Works number 42
- 3090 – Works number 57
There are also two class C30 locomotives preserved which were built at the Eveleigh Railway workshops.
- 3085 – Works number 52
- 3137 – Works number 134
Preserved British Steam Locomotives 