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Successors
to the (C)35 class 4-6-0 on top passenger duties where
the larger and more powerful (C)36 class, designed by New South Wales
Government Railways (NSWGR) under CME E. Lucy for hauling the newly
introduced stock of heavy passenger carriages without resort to
double-heading and with a high capacity tender to allow 100 miles running
without stops for servicing. Passenger duties on NSWGR main lines called
for a large, free steaming boiler to meet the demands of steep and
curvaceous routes, and the (C)36 class were
supplied with large round-top boilers at 180 psi together with 23” diameter
pistons and 69” diameter driving wheels producing 30,500 lbs tractive
effort, resulting in good hill climbing and a fast turn of speed. Walschaerts
(outside) valve gear was also specified to make lubrication and maintenance
easier. Construction was divided between the NSWGR Eveleigh Workshops (10)
and the Clyde Engineering Co, Sydney (65).
The
(C)36 class were nicknamed ‘Pigs’ by railwaymen,
perhaps due to the appearance of the large diameter boiler and
smokebox. These locos were superseded
on top link passenger trains by the (C)38 class
Pacifics from the late 1940’s but found further use on secondary passenger
and mail duties, together with some fast freight work. In time the original
round-top boilers became due for renewal and almost all class members were
rebuilt in the mid-1950’s with Belpaire boilers at
200 psi, together with new cabs; as rebuilt the traffic effort increased to
33,880 lbs.
Late
in the steam era the class were being increasingly used for fast freight,
banking and pick-up good services, leading to crew complaints about heavy
reversers, so six class members (3638, 3642, 3644, 3651, 3652 & 3654)
were fitted with power reverse gear salvaged from withdrawn locomotives of
other types. These six were among the final (C)36’s
in revenue service, with 3642 becoming the last when officially condemned
on 28 November 1969, but fortunately it was retained for historical
purposes.
The
Commonwealth Railways followed the pragmatic policy of copying proven
locomotive designs, a decision which perhaps also reflected a spirit of
Federalism. For express passenger duties on the tough Trans-Australia
Railway from Port Augusta to Kalgoorlie, the Commonwealth Railways
specified their C-class to the same design as New South Wales Government
Railways (C)36 class with some modifications,
including large 12-wheel tenders to provide sufficient fuel and water for
the long stretches between coal stages across the Nullarbor Plain. Eight of
these C-class locomotives were built by Walkers Limited,
Maryborough but alas the final example was scrapped in the 1960’s, perhaps
one of the greatest losses to Australian railway history.
The
authorative ‘Steam Locomotive Data’ (July 1974 edition) provides the
following milestones for preserved loco 3609:
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In Service:
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24 August 1928
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Rebuilt
with Belpaire boiler:
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31 August 1956
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Withdrawn:
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December 1965
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Distance
Travelled:
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2,596,945
km
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3609
represents the batch of 10 locos built by NSWGR Eveleigh Workshops and
retains its original manual reverse mechanism. 3609 was statically restored
and repainted to lined green livery by NSWRTM members in an annex at
Petersham during the late 1960’s before being placed on display in the
Enfield No.1 Roundhouse. It was towed to the new museum site at Thirlmere
in 1975 for further static display. A repaint to black livery with red
lining came in 1988, with 3609 the beneficiary of ongoing attention from
NSWRTM volunteers to keep it presentable. From time to time it has swapped
parts with 3642 to keep the latter in traffic, notably a driving wheelset
during the mid 1990’s. 3609’s motion was
reassembled after this wheelset swap and the loco was returned to the
Thirlmere display hall at the head of a mail train consist.
Since
the redevelopment of the NSWRTM Thirlmere to the ‘Trainworks’ museum, 3609
has been relegated to storage near the workshop where it is not accessible
or visible to the public. (I believe this may be due the fact that 3609
required its old boiler lagging to be removed before it was fit for public
display.) During this time it has been exposed to the elements and has
become rather rusty and careworn, with weeds growing from the soaked boiler
lagging above the firebox crown sheet. Observation suggests 3609 continues
to occasionally donate parts to operable sister 3642; hopefully this is
being done on a 1:1 exchange basis so that 3609 can one day be returned to
display condition. (As an aside,
several spare (C)36-class
boilers are also available at Thirlmere which could assist any future
restoration, including boilers tab 3605B and 3634B and a spare 36-class
tender (tab 3617) which was obtained as late as approximately 1988.)
Further
information about 3609 can be found on the NSW Office on Environment and
Heritage fact sheet for this locomotive. Additional technical
details can also be found on the Wikipedia entry for the NSWGR (C)36
class.
UPDATE:
Locomotive 3609 has now been allocated to the Junee Roundhouse
Museum for permanent display. The old boiler lagging was professionally
removed at the NSW Rail Museum workshop, Thirlmere during 2018, and on 15
January 2019 the locomotive and tender was shunted from Thirlmere to
Buxton, loaded onto three trucks and transported by road to Junee. Photos
and video of the relocation showed that the boiler lagging requires repair
& refitting, together with a thorough repaint for the loco, but it will
no doubt make an excellent addition to the collection on display within the
historic Junee Roundhouse.
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