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A2 964 Plinthed at Reservoir |
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An August 2002 view of A2 964 plinthed in Edwardes Park,
Reservoir.
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This very
successful family of 4-6-0 express passenger locomotives was designed by
Victorian Railways engineers to meet a growing demand for main line services
and to eliminate double heading of lighter locomotive types. The first 125
examples were built at Newport Workshops between 1907 and 1915 as the A1
class, featuring saturated steam boilers and inside Stephenson valve gear.
From 1915 to 1922, a further 60 examples of A2 class were constructed to a
modified design featuring superheated boilers, outside Walschaerts valve
gear, increased cylinder diameter and higher boiler pressure. In time the A1
class were progressively fitted with superheated boilers and these 125
engines came to be known as the A2 Stephenson locomotives, while the later
batch of 60 were known as the A2 Walschaerts locomotives. With high
wheels and handsome proportions, the 185 class members of Victorian Railways
A2 class proved highly successful on passenger and fast freight duties and
formed the backbone of the VR passenger locomotive fleet for many years.
During their working lives the class were further modified with an improved
front end to reduce steam back-pressure to and from the cylinders, together
with the addition of smoke deflectors and electric lighting. The A2
class were displaced during the 1950's by the 70 newly delivered R-class
4-6-4's and the growing fleet of diesel locomotives. A2 986 was the last A2
in service when withdrawn in December 1963. Preserved locomotive A2 964 is an example of the later batch of Walschaerts A2's and was one of only 5 class members (Nos. 944, 948, 964, 986 and 992) fitted with the innovative and distinctive Boxpok wheels. It was constructed at Newport Workshops in 1921 as A2 1064 and renumbered to A2 964 in 1924. A2 964 was written off by the Victorian Railways in January 1964 and plinthed in Edwardes Park, Reservoir in Melbourne's northern suburbs. The scanned print views of A2 964 on this page date from my August 2002 visit to Edwardes Park. |
Broadside view of A2 964 plinthed in Edwardes Park,
Reservoir. August 2002.
References
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a |
‘A brief
history of Preserved Rolling Stock of Victoria’ by
Norm Bray, Peter J Vincent and Daryl M Gregory. Published
by Brief History Books, PO Box 437, Sunbury, Vic 3429. |
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b |
ARHS
(Victorian Division) 'North Williamstown Railway Museum', Third
Edition 1968, revised 1977, reprinted 1980. |
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c |
‘Locomotives
of Australia - 1985 to 2010’ (Fifth
Edition), by Leon Oberg, published 2010
by Rosenberg Publishing Pty Ltd. |
Page updated: 19 February 2023
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