Commonwealth Railways L class

The Commonwealth Railways L class was a class of 2-8-2 freight locomotives built in 1951-1952 by Clyde Engineering, Granville, for the Commonwealth Railways, Australia.

Commonwealth Railways L class
Type and origin Power type Steam Builder Clyde Engineering Build date 1951-1952 Total produced 10
Specifications Configuration: ​  • Whyte 2-8-2 Gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge Loco weight 165 long tons (168 t; 185 short tons) Fuel type Coal Firebox: ​  • Grate area 47 sq ft (4.4 m2) Boiler pressure 200 psi (14 bar; 1,379 kPa) Cylinder size 22 in × 28 in (559 mm × 711 mm)
Performance figures Tractive effort 40,418 lbf (179.79 kN)
Career Operators Commonwealth Railways Numbers L80-L89 Withdrawn May 1959 Scrapped Mid 1960 Disposition All scrapped

History

In the late 1940s, the Federal Government placed an order with Clyde Engineering, Granville for fifty 2-8-2 locomotives. These were ordered as part of Australia's contribution to the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration rehabilitation of China. With the first locomotives under construction, China fell to the Communists and Australia's obligations ceased.

The government was able to renegotiate the contract, with only twenty built. Ten were taken by the Commonwealth Railways, even though it already had diesel locomotives on order, with the other ten going to the South Australian Railways as the 740 class. Some were immediately placed on the scrap line at Port Augusta and never entered service. All were officially withdrawn by May 1959. They were scrapped in the mid 1960s with the boilers sold overseas.

Some of the tenders were converted into water carriers for use on the Commonwealth Railways weed killer train, still being in use in the early 1980s.

References

Bibliography

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