The C30 class tank engine (formerly S.636 tank engine) is an old class of steam locomotives built by

Beyer, Peacock and Company Beyer, Peacock and Company was an English railway locomotive manufacturer with a factory in Openshaw, Manchester. Founded by Charles Beyer, Richard Peacock and Henry Robertson, it traded from 1854 until 1966. The company exported locomotives, ...

and

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 ...

for 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. These 4-6-4 tank engine wheel arrangement locomotives were specifically designed to haul

Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...

's ever increasing suburban traffic, particularly over the heavy grades on the Northern, North Shore and

Illawarra The Illawarra is a coastal region in the Australian state of New South Wales, nestled between the mountains and the sea. It is situated immediately south of Sydney and north of the South Coast region. It encompasses the two cities of Wollongo ...

lines.

Service

The first batch of 35 locomotives were built

entering service in 1903/04. Between 1905 and 1917 Beyer, Peacock built a further 60 engines while the

built 50 engines at their

. The electrification of the inner suburban lines resulted in a surplus of the class of engines too valuable to scrap. Accordingly, between August 1928 and July 1933, 77 of these locomotives were converted to C30T tender 4-6-0 type locomotives by

Clyde Engineering Clyde Engineering was an Australian manufacturer of locomotives, rolling stock, and other industrial products. It was founded in September 1898 by a syndicate of Sydney businessmen buying the Granville factory of timber merchants Huds ...

and Eveleigh Railway Workshops to replace older locomotives on country branch lines. The remaining tank locomotives were mostly employed on Sydney suburban services to

Cowan Cowan or Cowans may refer to: Places Australia * Cowan, New South Wales * Cowan Creek, a waterway to the north of Sydney, Australia * Division of Cowan, a federal division of the Australian House of Representatives, in Western Australia * Hundr ...

, Penrith and Campbelltown as well as branches to Carlingford,

Richmond Richmond most often refers to: * Richmond, Virginia, the capital of Virginia, United States * Richmond, London, a part of London * Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town in England * Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada * Richmond, California, ...

and Camden. They were also used on suburban services in

Newcastle Newcastle usually refers to: *Newcastle upon Tyne, a city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England *Newcastle-under-Lyme, a town in Staffordshire, England *Newcastle, New South Wales, a metropolitan area in Australia, named after Newcastle ...

and

Wollongong Wollongong ( ), colloquially referred to as The Gong, is a city located in the Illawarra region of New South Wales, Australia. The name is believed to originate from the Dharawal language, meaning either 'five islands/clouds', 'ground near wate ...

. A few drifted to the country areas, working on sections where no turntable was readily available, such as

Casino A casino is a facility for certain types of gambling. Casinos are often built near or combined with hotels, resorts, restaurants, retail shopping, cruise ships, and other tourist attractions. Some casinos are also known for hosting live entertai ...

to Border Loop on the North Coast line, Leeton and Merriwa and shunting at yards such as Bathurst. The daily passenger trains on the extremely steep Unanderra to Moss Vale line were operated by 30 class locomotives until February 1967. Following the electrification of the country platforms at Sydney Central station, the 30 class engine replaced the 26 class locomotives used to shunt carriages in the yard, they being not so dangerous engines to water under the traction wiring.

Demise and preservation

The first engine was withdrawn in February 1957, by July 1965 the fleet of engines was down to 33 engines and by mid-1971 down to three engines. The last engine No., 3085, was withdrawn on 22 February 1973.''Railway Digest'' March 1973 It was the second last steam locomotive in service on the NSWGR. Five tank engines of the class survive into preservation.

Gallery

Image:3013 at Hexham 1973.jpg, Tank Engine No. 3013 at Hexham in June 1973

References

{{NSWLocos 4-6-4T locomotives Beyer, Peacock locomotives 30 Railway locomotives introduced in 1903 Standard gauge locomotives of Australia

Service

Demise and preservation

Gallery

See also

References