K 190. Rear view.
K 153 at the Williamstown Festival. April 29, 2012.
The K class is a 2-8-0 "Consolidation" steam locomotive that was designed for use on branch line applications throughout Victoria, Australia.
History[]
The K Class was built by Victorian Railway's Newport Workshops, in Melbourne, and run by Victorian Railways. The class was built with a 2-8-0 layout to give lower axle loads and better adhesion for the high gradients that some Victorian branch lines had.
The K Class was built for branchline goods work, as a lighter, scaled down version of the C Class 2-8-0 heavy goods locomotives.
Ten were built in the 1920s and a further 43 were built in the 1940s. In the mid-1930s, the 1920s-built locos were slightly redesigned to include smoke deflectors that were later added to the 1940s-built locomotive design and the last 7 were built to include boxpok wheels. The smoke deflectors proved very helpful in the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s for navigating branch lines.
They went on to outlast every other class of VR locomotive (ironically outlasting the N and J Class engines (more modern and redeveloped verions of the K's), as they were suitable for guage conversion in the event of stadardisation), despite their entirely conventional design and unremarkable stats due to their versatility, finally being withdrawn from regular service in 1979.
Preservation[]
Currently there are no less than 21 examples of the '40s built Ks. However no '20s built locomotives survive. They are still the most numerous of all the preserved Victorian Railways locomotives. The following K class locomotives are those that are still in operation:
- K190 and K153 are being operated by Steamrail Victoria. The locos haul special excursion trains (to mark special occasions, not tourist trains sadly).
- K160 is out of sevice needing maintenance and/or repairs.
- K163 is in regular service on the preserved Mornington Railway.
The following K class locomotives are in static display in the named places:
- K165 is on display in the Australian Railway Historical Society Museum at North Williamstown, Melbourne.
- K162 is at Yarragon, Victoria.
- K167 is at Wycheproof Turntable, Victoria.
- K169 is at the Coal Creek Heritage Village, Korumburra, Victoria.
- K174 is at Hamilton, Victoria..
- K175 is at Mildura, Victoria.
- K181 is at Numurkah, Victoria.
- K192 is at the Wonthaggi Coal Mine, Victoria.
However there are more K class locomotives under restoration or stored
- K177 is at the Mornington Railway and is currently under Restoration with the frames of K174. Will be named "City of Ararat".
- K151 is Stored at Newport Workshops.
- K157 is Stored at the VGR.
- K159 is Stored at The Mornington Railway.
- K176 is Stored at The SRHC.
- K183 was involved in an accident with a Lorry/truck killing 3 people and is Stored at Newport Workshops.
- K184 is Stored at Newport Workshops.
- K191 is Stored at The Mornington Railway.
Specifications[]
The K class locomotives weigh 104 tons. The boiler is under 175 psi of pressure, and the locomotive can produce 28,650 lbf of tractive effort. The firebox possesses a grate with a greate area of 25.75 square feet (2.39 m^2). Both of the 2 cylinders are 20 inches (50.8 cm) in bore and 26 inches (66 cm) in stroke. The driving wheels are 55 inches (1.4 m) in diameter.
The tender carries 5 tons of coal and 4,200 gallons of water.
In late 50's they had their Top speed was upgraded to 50 mph (80 km/h).
they Have a standard Tip Up Regulator witch was the Normal at the time (the V class 2-8-0 had the Pull out regulator).
the Cab layout is Driver-fireman not Fireman-driver.
Trivia[]
- In its heyday the K Class was the most powerful broad-gauge, branch-line locomotive on the Victorian Railways.
- K163 made an appearance in part (episode) 3 of The Pacific (TV series).
- The K Class was so successful, its boiler design was adapted to the Dd Class 4-6-0's, which were reclassed as the D3 Class and the design has been redeveloped to create the 1925 N Class 2-8-2 and 1954 J Class 2-8-0 locomotives.
- K163 and K190 wear non VR liveries (Dark Green and LMS red).
- K183 was involved in a crash on the 13/02/2002 with 3 people dead, the locomotive has not been repaired but will be restored to operational condition in the future.
See also[]
References[]
- Steamrail Victoria
- Book: Railways of the Yarra Valley by Nick Anchen published by Sierra Publishing. ISBN: 978-0-9804686-7-0.
- K Class at Wikipedia
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