Locomotive 1243 is the oldest surviving locally built locomotive being one of the "Australian eight wheeler" locomotives built at the Atlas Engineering Company Works, Sydney for the expanding
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 differe ...
express passenger services.
History
During the 1870s, the Government came under pressure to provide work for colonial industry and the manufacture of railway locomotives was investigated. The Department of Public Works, Railway Branch awarded a contract for construction of engines based on a pattern engine and design drawings supplied by the Railway Branch. At that time, it was the largest single manufacturing order in Australia.
Trials of the first locomotive produced at Atlas Engineering Co commenced on 11 January 1882. Locomotive 1243 was completed the following week with the only imported components of the engine being the steel axles and wheels.
1243 entered service as an express locomotive working passenger and mail mainline services throughout the state, although it was later relegated to other services towards the end of its service life.
Preservation
By 1954, only ten of the original 68 Z12 class engines remained in service.
In 1955, the locomotive was restored to its original livery for the NSW Railways centenary celebrations at Sydney Central Station and for special 'Vintage Train’ excursions run by NSWGR. In 1958, 1219 was originally set aside for 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 Park, Sydney, Observatory Hill, and the newer Museums Discovery Centre at Castle ...
transport collection.
Powerhouse Museum collection – Steam Locomotive No. 1243
/ref> but later replaced with 1243.
In 1969, a repainted 1243 in its green livery was used in making the 1970 film ''Ned Kelly
Edward Kelly (December 1854 – 11 November 1880) was an Australian bushranger, outlaw, gang leader and convicted police-murderer. One of the last bushrangers, he is known for wearing a suit of bulletproof armour during his final shootout wi ...
'' running on the closed Captains Flat railway line
The Captains Flat railway line was a country branch line in the Southern Tablelands region of New South Wales. The line branched off the Bombala line at Bungendore Junction, 5 km south of Bungendore and terminated 34 km further south a ...
with buildings simulating Glenrowan railway station.
Until 1982, 1243 was used as an operational exhibit for 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 ...
when it was restored to original condition with short smokebox and low-side tender. In 1988, 1243 was placed on permanent 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 Park, Sydney, Observatory Hill, and the newer Museums Discovery Centre at Castle ...
in Ultimo, New South Wales
Ultimo is an inner-city suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Ultimo is adjacent to the Sydney central business district in the Local government in Australia, local government area of the City of Sydney west of the Darling Harbour area, ...
.
Gallery
Image:NSWGR Locomotive 1243 a.jpg, Driving wheel
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 ...
Image:NSWGR Locomotive 1243 b.jpg, Makers Name plate
A nameplate identifies and displays a person or product's name. Nameplates are usually shaped as rectangles but are also seen in other shapes, sometimes taking on the shape of someone's written name. Nameplates primarily serve an informat ...
(Builder's plate
A builder's plate is usually a metal plate that is attached to railway locomotives and rolling stock, bogies, construction equipment, trucks, automobiles, large household appliances, bridges, ships and more. It gives such information as the name of ...
)
Image:NSWGR Locomotive 1243 d.jpg, Smokestack
A chimney is an architectural ventilation structure made of masonry, clay or metal that isolates hot toxic exhaust gases or smoke produced by a boiler, stove, furnace, incinerator, or fireplace from human living areas. Chimneys are typic ...
Image:NSWGR Locomotive 1243 f.jpg, Regulator
Image:NSWGR Locomotive 1243 g.jpg, Steam
Steam is a substance containing water in the gas phase, and sometimes also an aerosol of liquid water droplets, or air. This may occur due to evaporation or due to boiling, where heat is applied until water reaches the enthalpy of vaporization ...
gauge
Gauge ( or ) may refer to:
Measurement
* Gauge (instrument), any of a variety of measuring instruments
* Gauge (firearms)
* Wire gauge, a measure of the size of a wire
** American wire gauge, a common measure of nonferrous wire diameter, es ...
Image:NSWGR Locomotive 1243 h.jpg, Tender
Photographs courtesy of 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 Park, Sydney, Observatory Hill, and the newer Museums Discovery Centre at Castle ...
, Sydney.
See also
* Locomotive No. 1
Locomotive No. 1 hauled the first passenger train in New South Wales, Australia. It was built by Robert Stephenson and Company. In 1846, the ''Sydney Railway Company'' was formed with the objective of building a railway line between Sydney and ...
* 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 ...
* 3265
Locomotive 3265 is a preserved New South Wales steam locomotive. It is a two-cylinder, simple, non-condensing, coal-fired, superheated, ‘Ten-wheel’ 4-6-0 express passenger steam locomotive. It is one of the four P class (later C32 class) loc ...
* 3830
3830 (pronounced Thirty-eight thirty) is a 4-6-2 steam locomotive operated by the New South Wales Government Railways between 1949 and 1967. It has been preserved by the Powerhouse Museum and is based at the NSW Rail Museum, Thirlmere. It was ...
* Preserved steam locomotives of New South Wales
This list of preserved steam locomotives in New South Wales makes no claim to being complete.
While there are many surviving examples of several locomotive classes, some are in a very poor condition, including partly dismantled or badly corrode ...
* NSWGR steam locomotive classification
In the first 36 years of its existence, the NSW Railways introduced 42 separate classes of locomotives. The appointment by the Premier of New South Wales, Henry Parkes of Mr E.M.G Eddy as Chief Commissioner in 1888 created an independent railway ...
References
Further reading
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External links
Official record at the Powerhouse Museum
Powerhouse Museum's Steam Locomotives
{{NSWLocos
4-4-0 locomotives
Beyer, Peacock locomotives
Railway locomotives introduced in 1882
Preserved steam locomotives of New South Wales
Individual locomotives of Australia