South Australian Railways Y class

South Australian Railways Y / Yx class
Y97 on the turntable at Jamestown during a railway enthusiast trip in October 1967
Type and origin Power type Steam Builder Beyer, Peacock & Co. (50) Islington Railway Workshops (2) James Martin & Co (77) Build date 1885–1898 Total produced 129
Specifications Configuration: ​  • Whyte 2-6-0 Gauge 1067 mm (3 ft 6 in) Length 39 ft 3 in (11,963 mm) Height 11 ft 6+1⁄4 in (3512 mm) Total weight 47 long tons 15 cwt (107,000 lb; 48.5 t) 47 long tons 15 cwt (53.5 short tons) Fuel type Coal Fuel capacity 4 long tons 10 cwt (10,100 lb; 4.6 t) 4 long tons 10 cwt (5.0 short tons) Water cap. 1600 imperial gallons (7300 litres; 1900 US gallons) Boiler pressure 145 lbf/in2 (1.00 MPa) Cylinders 2 outside Cylinder size 14.5 in × 20 in (368 mm × 508 mm)
Performance figures Tractive effort 13,289 lbf (59.11 kN)
Career Operators South Australian Railways and others Class Y and Yx Numbers Y22, Y38, Y43, Y49, Y57-Y106, Y1108-Y142, Y147-Y179, Y195 Preserved Y12, Y71, Y82, Yx86, Y97, Y109, Yx135, Yx141, Yx176 Disposition 9 preserved, 121 scrapped

The South Australian Railways Y class was a class of narrow gauge steam locomotives operated by the South Australian Railways.

History

The Y class were numerically the largest class of steam locomotive operated by the South Australian Railways (SAR). With a Mogul (2-6-0) wheel arrangement widely used in Australia at the time, 129 were built between 1885 and 1898. Beyer, Peacock & Co, Manchester built 50, James Martin & Co of Gawler 77, and the SAR's Islington Railway Workshops 2. They operated across the SAR's narrow gauge network. Between 1904 and 1924, 48 were fitted with new Belpaire boilers and reclassified as the Yx class.

They were part of what became almost an Australian 1067 mm (3 ft 6 in) standard, as locomotives of similar design served in large numbers as the Silverton Tramway Y class, Tasmanian Government Railways C class and Western Australian Government Railways G class, and also in Queensland and on the Emu Bay Railway and North Australia Railway.

Some were sold for further service to railway construction companies while others saw further service on the timber railway lines of Western Australia. During World War II, 18 were sold to the Commonwealth Railways for use on the North Australia Railway as the Nfb class. Seven of these were sold in 1948 to the Tasmanian Government Railways, but only four entered service (as F1–F4).

Preserved locomotives

As of 2022, there were 10 preserved Y and Yx class locomotives (of which Yx141 was operational), as follows: