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Gauge Conversion
Gauge conversion is the changing of one railway track gauge (the distance between the running rails) to another. Sleepers If tracks are converted to a narrower gauge, the existing sleepers (ties) may be used. However, replacement is required if the conversion is to a wider gauge. Some sleepers may be long enough to accommodate the fittings of both existing and alternative gauges. Wooden sleepers are suitable for conversion because they can be drilled for the repositioned rail spikes. Being difficult to drill, concrete sleepers are less suitable for conversion. Concrete sleepers may be cast with alternative gauge fittings in place, an example being those used during the conversion of the Melbourne–Adelaide railway from to . Steel sleepers may have alternative gauge fittings cast at production, may be drilled for new fittings or may be welded with new fittings. Structures Conversion from a narrow to a wider gauge may require enlargement of the structure gauge of the bridges, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Track Gauge
In rail transport, track gauge (in American English, alternatively track gage) is the distance between the two rails of a railway track. All vehicles on a rail network must have wheelsets that are compatible with the track gauge. Since many different track gauges exist worldwide, gauge differences often present a barrier to wider operation on railway networks. The term derives from the metal bar, or gauge, that is used to ensure the distance between the rails is correct. Railways also deploy two other gauges to ensure compliance with a required standard. A '' loading gauge'' is a two-dimensional profile that encompasses a cross-section of the track, a rail vehicle and a maximum-sized load: all rail vehicles and their loads must be contained in the corresponding envelope. A ''structure gauge'' specifies the outline into which structures (bridges, platforms, lineside equipment etc.) must not encroach. Uses of the term The most common use of the term "track gauge" refers to the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
South Australian Railways Locomotives Rx201 And 607 At Tailem Bend Locomotive Depot, 1952 (LEBates)
South is one of the cardinal directions or compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both east and west. Etymology The word ''south'' comes from Old English ''sūþ'', from earlier Proto-Germanic ''*sunþaz'' ("south"), possibly related to the same Proto-Indo-European root that the word ''sun'' derived from. Some languages describe south in the same way, from the fact that it is the direction of the sun at noon (in the Northern Hemisphere), like Latin meridies 'noon, south' (from medius 'middle' + dies 'day', cf English meridional), while others describe south as the right-hand side of the rising sun, like Biblical Hebrew תֵּימָן teiman 'south' from יָמִין yamin 'right', Aramaic תַּימנַא taymna from יָמִין yamin 'right' and Syriac ܬܰܝܡܢܳܐ taymna from ܝܰܡܝܺܢܳܐ yamina (hence the name of Yemen, the land to the south/right of the Levant). Navigation By convention, the ''bottom or down-facing side'' of a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
South Australian Railways 740 Class
The South Australian Railways 740 class was a class of 2-8-2 freight locomotives built by Clyde Engineering, Granville for the South Australian Railways in 1951-1952. History In the late 1940s, the Federal Government placed an order with Clyde Engineering, Granville for fifty 2-8-2 locomotives. These were ordered as part of Australia's contribution to the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration rehabilitation of China. With the first locomotives under construction, China fell to the Communists and Australia's obligations ceased. The government was able to renegotiate the contract, with only twenty built. Ten were taken by the Commonwealth Railways as the L class, with the other ten going to the South Australian Railways as the 740 class after being converted for broad gauge operation. The 740 class remained in service until the early 1960s when replaced by diesels. The last was condemned in November 1965. References External links {{South Australian Railw ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
WAGR V Class
The WAGR V class was the last class of steam locomotive to enter service with the Western Australian Government Railways (WAGR). The class was part of the post war regeneration plan for the WAGR, intended for the heavy coal traffic between the Collie, Western Australia, Collie coal fields and Perth. Engineering background Twenty-four locomotives were ordered in 1951 from Beyer, Peacock and Company, Manchester. Capacity issues saw construction of the locomotives subcontracted to Robert Stephenson & Hawthorn's Darlington works although still issued with Beyer Peacock builders numbers. The locomotives entered service between April 1955 and November 1956.V Class Steam Locomotive Rail Heritage WA The locomotive was of a modern design with a high superheat, a large combustion chamber and a thermic syphon in the f ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Victorian Railways R Class
The R class was an express passenger steam locomotive that ran on Australia's Victorian Railways (VR) from 1951 to 1974. A long overdue replacement for the 1907-era A2 class 4-6-0, their development and construction was repeatedly delayed due to financial constraints caused by the Great Depression and later the manpower and materials shortages of World War II and the immediate postwar period. Orders eventually totalling 70 locomotives were placed with the North British Locomotive Company of Glasgow. Once initial teething problems were overcome, R class locomotives proved to be a success and their power and speed enabled faster timetabled services. However, they were almost immediately superseded by mainline diesel-electric and electric locomotives on the Victorian Railways from 1952 onwards. With successive orders of diesel-electric locomotives through the 1950s and 1960s gradually displacing them, all but seven of the class were withdrawn and cut up for scrap. Four of the rema ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Victorian Railways N Class
The N class was a branch line steam locomotive that ran on Victorian Railways from 1925 to 1966. A development of the successful K class 2-8-0, it was the first VR locomotive class designed for possible conversion from to . History In 1923, in response to the recommendations made by the 1921 Royal Commission on the matter of uniform railway gauge, VR announced a policy that all new locomotive designs were to be capable of conversion from broad to standard gauge.Pearce et al., p. 12 The rationale was that the task of converting VR from broad to standard gauge at a future date would be far easier to achieve if the existing locomotives and rolling stock could be easily modified for standard gauge operation, rather than requiring expensive re-engineering or replacement. The K class 2-8-0 built by VR in 1922-23 was a success, but with a firebox mounted between frames engineered for broad gauge operation only, it was not readily gauge-convertible. Thus when additional branch li ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Victorian Railways J Class (1954)
The Victorian Railways J class was a branch line steam locomotive operated by the Victorian Railways (VR) between 1954 and 1972. A development of the successful Victorian Railways K class 2-8-0, it was the last new class of steam locomotive introduced on the VR. Introduced almost concurrently with the diesel-electric locomotives that ultimately superseded them, the locomotives were only in service for a relatively short time. History During the early 1950s, the Victorian Railways (VR) embarked on a massive upgrading of its ageing locomotive fleet as part of Operation Phoenix, an £80 million program to rebuild a network badly run down by years of underinvestment during the Great Depression, and the heavy workload imposed by World War II. Victoria's branch line railway network, laid with rail and featuring gradients of up to 1 in 30 (3.33 %), was still largely served by the D1, D2 and D3 variants of the once 261-strong 1902-era Dd class 4-6-0 which, by the early 1950s, wer ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Victorian Railways
The Victorian Railways (VR), trading from 1974 as VicRail, was the state-owned operator of most rail transport in the Australian state of Victoria from 1859 to 1983. The first railways in Victoria were private companies, but when these companies failed or defaulted, the Victorian Railways was established to take over their operations. Most of the lines operated by the Victorian Railways were of . However, the railways also operated up to five narrow gauge lines between 1898 and 1962, and a line between Albury and Melbourne from 1961. History Formation A Department of Railways was created in 1856 with the first appointment of staff. British engineer, George Christian Darbyshire was made first Engineer-in-Chief in 1857, and steered all railway construction work until his replacement by Thomas Higginbotham in 1860. In late 1876, New York consulting engineer Walton Evans arranged the supply of two 4-4-0 locomotives manufactured by the Rogers Locomotive Works of New Jersey, US ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
William Alfred Webb
William Alfred Webb (1878–1936) was an American railroad executive who had wide experience with US railroads, including the management of nationwide railroad operations during World War I, before serving as Commissioner of the South Australian Railways from 1922 to 1930. In that role, he undertook a significant rehabilitation program, transforming the inefficient and technologically backward state railway system into one with a pre-eminent position among Australian railways. After returning to the US, he achieved elected office in Dallas before leading the preparations for the 1936 Texas Centennial Exposition. He died in office two months after the exposition opened. Early career At the age of 12, Webb began as a messenger boy on the Colorado Midland Railway. He rose from traffic clerk to telegraphist, studied shorthand at night school, and became stenographer to the general manager. Appointed secretary to the president of the Colorado and Southern Railway in 1900, Webb was a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
South Australian Railways
South Australian Railways (SAR) was the statutory corporation through which the Government of South Australia built and operated railways in South Australia from 1854 until March 1978, when its non-urban railways were incorporated into Australian National, and its Adelaide urban lines were transferred to the State Transport Authority. The SAR had three major rail gauges: 1600 mm (5 ft 3 in); 1435 mm (4 ft in); and 1067 mm (3 ft 6 in). History Colonial period The first railway in South Australia was laid in 1854 between Goolwa and Port Elliot to allow for goods to be transferred between paddle steamers on the Murray River and seagoing vessels. The next railway was laid from the harbour at Port Adelaide, to the capital, Adelaide, and was laid with Irish gauge track. This line was opened in 1856. Later on, branch lines in the state's north in the mining towns of Kapunda and Burra were linked through to the Adelaide metrop ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
South Australian Railways 600 Class (steam)
The South Australian Railways 600 class was a class of 4-6-2 steam locomotives operated by the South Australian Railways. History The 600 class were part of larger order for 30 steam locomotives placed with Armstrong Whitworth, England in 1924 as part of the rehabilitation of the state's rail system being overseen by railways commissioner William Webb. The 600 class design was based on the USRA Light Pacific, although modifications were made by SAR's Chief Mechanical Engineer Fred Shea to allow them to fit South Australia's tighter loading gauge. They arrived in Adelaide in 1926. 609 was named ''Duke of Gloucester'' after hauling the Duke's Royal Train in 1934 and so became Australia's first 'royal' engine. The entire class received upgraded boilers and front ends from the late 1930s onwards and was reclassified as the 600C class. They were also fitted out with large smoke deflectors over their lifetime. Ten locomotives of the South Australian Railways 620 class were built a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
South Australian Railways 500 Class (steam)
The South Australian Railways 500 class was a class of 4-8-2 steam locomotives operated by the South Australian Railways. They were rebuilt as 4-8-4s. History The 500 class were part of larger order for 30 steam locomotives placed with Armstrong Whitworth, England, in 1924, as part of the rehabilitation of the state's rail system being overseen by Railways Commissioner William Webb. They replaced the Rx and S class locomotives, many dating back to 1894, that were still performing mainline duties, meaning that double and even triple heading was common. All ten 500-class locomotives arrived in Adelaide in 1926, and entered service on the Adelaide to Wolseley line as far as Tailem Bend. All were named after notable South Australians. Rebuilding In May 1928, 506 was experimentally fitted with a booster, included in a newly created four wheel trailing truck. This American-inspired modification proved highly successful, increasing the locomotive's tractive effort from to . This m ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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