The New South Wales Z12 class was a class of
4-4-0 steam locomotives operated by the
New South Wales Government Railways
The New South Wales Government Railways (NSWGR) was the agency of the Government of New South Wales that administered rail transport in New South Wales, Australia, between 1855 and 1932.
Management
The agency was managed by a range of differen ...
of Australia.
History
![1219 at Broadmeadow](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/27/1219_at_Broadmeadow.jpg)
The Z12 class (formerly C79 and C80 class) was the first class of locomotive on the
New South Wales Government Railways
The New South Wales Government Railways (NSWGR) was the agency of the Government of New South Wales that administered rail transport in New South Wales, Australia, between 1855 and 1932.
Management
The agency was managed by a range of differen ...
to be built in relatively large numbers. They hauled all express passenger and mail trains for some 20 years.
The design derives from the
Metropolitan Railway A Class
The Metropolitan Railway A Class and B Class were condensing steam locomotives built for the Metropolitan Railway by Beyer Peacock, first used in 1864. A total of 40 A Class and 26 of the slightly different B Class were delivered by 1885. Used ...
4-4-0T condensing steam locomotives built for the
Metropolitan Railway by
Beyer, Peacock & Company in 1864. The design of these locomotives was attributed to the Metropolitan Engineer
John Fowler, but the design was a development of a locomotive Beyers had built for the Spanish
Tudela & Bilbao Railway, Fowler only specifying the driving wheel diameter, axle weight and the ability to navigate sharp curves.
A total of 68 were built. The first batch of 30 were built by Beyer, Peacock & Company and placed in service as the 79 class between 1877 and 1879. They were the first locomotives to be imported with
Westinghouse continuous air-brakes already fitted. The second batch of 26 came from
Dübs & Company. These arrived between 1880 and 1881. A further four followed from Beyer, Peacock in 1881. To assist local industry, a contract for eight was awarded to the Atlas Engineering Works,
Haymarket and delivered in 1881–1882.
Their numbers were thinned from 1895 when No. 88 was converted at
Eveleigh Railway Workshops
The Eveleigh Railway Workshops is a heritage-listed former New South Wales Government Railways yards and railway workshops and now venue hire, public housing and technology park located at Great Southern and Western railway, Redfern, City of ...
to a 4-4-2T tank engine for Sydney suburban service with a further 19 following by 1902. These were reclassified the
CC79 class. The remaining engines became the C80 class.
The arrival of newer locomotives such as the
D255,
D261,
O446 and
P6 classes saw them relegated to hauling secondary and later branch line services radiating out of
Dubbo,
Werris Creek
Werris Creek is a small town in New South Wales, Australia, near Tamworth, in Liverpool Plains Shire. It is north of Quirindi and is at the junction of the Main North railway line to Armidale and Moree. At the 2011 census, Werris Creek had ...
,
Narrabri
Narrabri ( ) is a locality and seat of Narrabri Shire local government area in the North West Slopes, New South Wales, Australia on the Namoi River, northwest of Sydney. It sits on the junction of the Kamilaroi Highway and the Newell Highw ...
and
Moree, where some were equipped with cowcatchers for operation on unfenced lines. In an attempt to prevent cinders blocking the lower boiler tubes between cleanings in December 1956 an extended smokebox was fitted to 1219 with
1243 similarly modified in the 1960s.
As part of the 1924 reclassification scheme, the remaining 48 members of the class were reclassified as the Z12 class and renumbered 1201 to 1248. With the conversion of 77 C30 class suburban tank engines (made redundant by electrification) into C30T class 4-6-0s, withdrawals begin with 23 taken out of service between 1928 and 1933. Many of the others survived into the 1950s hauling branch line services.[
The first two withdrawals occurred in 1957, a further four followed in 1963.
In 1955, for the centenary of rail operations in New South Wales, 1243 was restored to its original livery. It was joined by ]1210
Year 1210 ( MCCX) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar.
Events
By place
Europe
* May – The Second Parliament of Ravennika, convened by Emperor Henry of Flanders, is ...
in December 1959 and together these hauled the Vintage Train across the state.[
]
Preservation
Three have been preserved:
*1210
Year 1210 ( MCCX) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar.
Events
By place
Europe
* May – The Second Parliament of Ravennika, convened by Emperor Henry of Flanders, is ...
placed on display outside Canberra railway station
Canberra railway station is located on thNSW TrainLink Regional Southern Linein the Australian Capital Territory, Australia. It is located in the Canberra suburb of Kingston.
History
In March 1913, work began on a new 8.5 kilometre rail link ...
in January 1962, significant to Canberra having hauled the first train into the city in May 1914. Removed in 1984 and restored to service in 1988 by the Canberra Railway Museum
The Canberra Railway Museum is located at Kingston in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), next to Canberra railway station on the Bombala railway line. Since May 2018, Canberra Railway Museum has been the trading name of a not-for-profit ...
.
*1219 by the NSW Rail Museum
The NSW Rail Museum is the main railway museum in New South Wales, Australia. A division of Transport Heritage NSW, it was previously known as the New South Wales Rail Transport Museum (NSWRTM), Rail Heritage Centre and Trainworks.
Transport H ...
, initially at Enfield Locomotive Depot
The Enfield Locomotive Depot was operated by the New South Wales Government Railways in Strathfield South, Sydney. It was part of the Enfield Marshalling Yards, which covers a considerable area in the west of the modern suburb of Strathfield Sout ...
, then Thirlmere
Thirlmere is a reservoir in the Borough of Allerdale in Cumbria and the English Lake District. The Helvellyn ridge lies to the east of Thirlmere. To the west of Thirlmere are a number of fells; for instance, Armboth Fell and Raven Crag both ...
from 1975, and Broadmeadow Locomotive Depot
Broadmeadow Locomotive Depot (NSW depot number 2) was a large locomotive depot consisting of two roundhouse buildings and associated facilities constructed by the New South Wales Government Railways adjacent to the marshalling yard on the Main ...
since 2009
* 1243 by the Museum of Applied Arts & Sciences, placed in custody of the New South Wales Rail Transport Museum
The NSW Rail Museum is the main railway museum in New South Wales, Australia. A division of Transport Heritage NSW, it was previously known as the New South Wales Rail Transport Museum (NSWRTM), Rail Heritage Centre and Trainworks.
Transport He ...
in operational condition, withdrawn in 1982, placed on display at the Powerhouse Museum
The Powerhouse Museum is the major branch of the Museum of Applied Arts & Sciences (MAAS) in Sydney, the others being the historic Sydney Observatory at Observatory Hill, and the newer Museums Discovery Centre at Castle Hill. Although often de ...
, Ultimo in September 1987.Steam Locomotive No. 1243
Powerhouse Museum
The Powerhouse Museum is the major branch of the Museum of Applied Arts & Sciences (MAAS) in Sydney, the others being the historic Sydney Observatory at Observatory Hill, and the newer Museums Discovery Centre at Castle Hill. Although often de ...
References
External links
Further reading
*
{{NSWLocos
Beyer, Peacock locomotives
Dübs locomotives
Railway locomotives introduced in 1877
Standard gauge locomotives of Australia
12
4-4-0 locomotives