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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superseded on top link passenger trains by the (C)38 class Pacifics from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were fitted with power reverse gear salvaged from withdrawn locomotives of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.
Fortunately, it was retained for historical purposes.
The
Commonwealth Railways followed the pragmatic policy of copying proven
Australian 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 original batch of 10 locos built by NSWGR Eveleigh Workshops
and retains its 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.
The
webmaster enjoyed a road trip to Junee incorporating a visit to the Junee
Roundhouse Museum on 11 June 2025, where I found 3609 had been reassembled,
repainted and beautifully presented – although dust from the regional farms
seems to be an ongoing issue requiring the loco’s occasional cleaning! The
volunteers at Junee were very welcoming and I greatly enjoyed my visit
there. The eastern half of the roundhouse is still an active locomotive
maintenance facility and a 48-class diesel-electric obligingly rumbled
across the turntable while I was inspecting the exhibits. The nearby Junee
Chocolate Factory also proved to be well worth a visit, and the historic
Junee station and precinct is another worthwhile destination.
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