The WAGR Ec class was a class of
4-6-2
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, represents the wheel arrangement of four leading wheels on two axles, six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles and two trailing wheels on one axle. The locomotiv ...
heavy passenger and goods
Vauclain compound
The Vauclain compound was a type of compound steam locomotive that was briefly popular circa 1900. Developed at the Baldwin Locomotive Works, it featured two pistons moving in parallel, driving a common crosshead and controlled by a common valve ...
locomotive
A locomotive or engine is a rail transport vehicle that provides the Power (physics), motive power for a train. If a locomotive is capable of carrying a payload, it is usually rather referred to as a multiple unit, Motor coach (rail), motor ...
s operated by the
Western Australian Government Railways
Western Australian Government Railways (WAGR) was the operator of railway services in the state of Western Australia between October 1890 and June 2003. Owned by the state government, it was renamed a number of times to reflect extra responsi ...
(WAGR) between 1901 and 1958.
History
A total of 20 Ec class engines were built by
Baldwin Locomotive Works
The Baldwin Locomotive Works (BLW) was an American manufacturer of railroad locomotives from 1825 to 1951. Originally located in Philadelphia, it moved to nearby Eddystone, Pennsylvania, in the early 20th century. The company was for decades t ...
,
Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
, in the first half of 1901, and entered service with the WAGR later that year.
The following year, Baldwin built the first of two batches of the
C class, a lighter version of the Ec class.
Initially, the Ec class' main task was to haul heavy trains on the
Eastern Goldfields Railway
The Eastern Goldfields Railway was built in the 1890s by the Western Australian Government Railways to connect Perth with the Eastern Goldfields at Coolgardie, Western Australia, Coolgardie and Kalgoorlie.
History
The Eastern Railway, Wester ...
. Between 1920 and 1923, nine Ec class engines were lightened for use on the lightly laid
Northam to
Mullewa line, and reclassified as the Eca class.
Midland Railway Workshops
The Midland Railway Workshops in Midland, Western Australia, were the main workshops for the Western Australian Government Railways (WAGR) for over 80 years.
History
The first railway workshops in Western Australia were located at Fremantle an ...
to become the L class. The costs of the rebuilds were recovered within four years through lower maintenance costs.[
By the early 1930s, frame cracks were beginning to appear with 14 receiving new frames. They were replaced in the 1950s by the W class.][
]
See also
*Rail transport in Western Australia
Railways in Western Australia were developed in the 19th century both by the Government of Western Australia and a number of private companies. Today passenger rail services are controlled by the Public Transport Authority (a department of the ...
*List of Western Australian locomotive classes
This is a list of Western Australian locomotive classes, being classes of locomotive that have worked on railways in Western Australia.
The majority of Western Australian steam locomotive classes were operated by the Western Australian Governm ...
References
Notes
Cited works
*
External links
{{WAGR Locomotives
Baldwin locomotives
Railway locomotives introduced in 1901
Ec WAGR class
Vauclain compound locomotives
3 ft 6 in gauge locomotives of Australia
4-6-2 locomotives
Passenger locomotives