Commonwealth Railways CA class

The Commonwealth Railways CA class was a class of 4-6-0 steam locomotives purchased by the Commonwealth Railways, Australia, from the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad (NH), USA, through Lend-Lease during World War II.

Commonwealth Railways CA class
CA79 at Port Augusta, c 1945
CA79 at Port Augusta, c. 1945
Type and origin
Power typeSteam
BuilderBaldwin Locomotive Works
Build date1905, 1907
Total produced2
Specifications
Configuration:
 • Whyte4-6-0
Gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+12 in)
Driver dia.73 in (1,854 mm)
Length62 ft 4 in (19.00 m)
Axle load20 long tons 4 cwt (45,200 lb or 20.5 t)
Fuel typeCoal
Water cap.5,000 imp gal (22,730 L)
Tender cap.9 long tons 0 cwt (20,200 lb or 9.1 t) coal
Firebox:
 • Grate area34.6 sq ft (3.2 m2)
Boiler pressure190 psi (1.31 MPa)
Superheater:
 • Heating area400 sq ft (37.2 m2)
Cylinders2
Cylinder size22 in × 26 in (559 mm × 660 mm)
Valve gearSouthern (CA78), Baker (CA79)
Performance figures
Tractive effort27,840 lbf (123.8 kN)
Career
OperatorsCommonwealth Railways
Number in class2
NumbersCA78–CA79
First runAugust 1943
WithdrawnMay 1950
DispositionBoth scrapped

The two locomotives in the class, CA78 and CA79, had been built in 1907 and 1905, respectively, by Baldwin Locomotive Works, Philadelphia, USA, and had been part of NH's G-4a class.[1] They arrived in Australia in August 1943 and were used on the Trans-Australian Railway. CA78 was withdrawn in 1945 and CA79 in 1950. Both were scrapped in 1956.

References

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Notes

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Bibliography

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  • Fluck, Ronald E; Marshall, Barry; Wilson, John (1996). Locomotives and Railcars of the Commonwealth Railways. Welland, SA: Gresley Publishing. ISBN 1876216018.
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