The Queensland Railways A10 Fairlie class locomotive was a class of

steam locomotive A steam locomotive is a locomotive that provides the force to move itself and other vehicles by means of the expansion of steam. It is fuelled by burning combustible material (usually coal, oil or, rarely, wood) to heat water in the locomot ...

s operated by the Queensland Railways.

History

Per Queensland Railway's classification system they were designated the A10 class, A representing they had two

driving axles On a steam locomotive, a driving wheel is a powered wheel which is driven by the locomotive's pistons (or turbine, in the case of a steam turbine locomotive). On a conventional, non-articulated locomotive, the driving wheels are all coupled tog ...

, and the 10 the cylinder diameter in inches. Because other locomotives also had these features, they were designated as the A10 Fairlie class. They were ordered from the Fairlie Engine Company, but were not Fairlie articulated locomotives. They were built under sub-contract by the Vulcan Foundry and both companies gave them works numbers.The A10 Classes of the QGR '' Australian Railway Historical Society Bulletin'' December 1987 pages 266–273 The locomotives were delivered to the Central Railway (

Rockhampton Rockhampton is a city in the Rockhampton Region of Central Queensland, Australia. The population of Rockhampton in June 2021 was 79,967, Estimated resident population, 30 June 2018. making it the fourth-largest city in the state outside of the ...

) in late 1877, entering service numbered 8 to 10. In March 1881, no.10 was sold only to rail contractor O'Rourke & Co, being repurchased in December 1887. In May 1888, no.8 was transferred to the Normanton Railway and renumbered no.1, with no.10 following as no.2 in December 1888 and no.9 as no.3 in June 1890. In 1890, they were integrated into the Queensland Railways numbering list as 202-204. Two of these locos were condemned at Normanton in 1895, No.203's boiler was separated from the loco at Normanton and sent to the Clarina pump, where it remains derelict, No.204's boiler was scrapped in 1905 but the frames and wheels remained at Normanton. No.202 was sold to the Pioneer Mill (a gold ore crushing mill) near Croydon in 1906 and last used about 1915. The A10 Fairlies were rated to haul up a 1 in 50 (2%) grade.

Preservation

Because of the isolation of the Normanton Railway, none were scrapped. Croydon Shire Council salvaged 202 and made an assessment on restoring it.A10 204
Australian Steam

References

{{QueenslandLocos Railway locomotives introduced in 1877 A10 Fairlie Vulcan Foundry locomotives 2-4-0 locomotives 3 ft 6 in gauge locomotives of Australia