|
|
C16 No.106 Darling Downs Historical Rail Society Ltd, Toowoomba |
|
C16
No.106 in steam at Toowoomba on
26 January 2023, photo courtesy of Graham Harvey.
|
Builder |
Southern Cross Works |
|
|
Builder’s Number & Year |
28 of 1914 |
|
|
Wheel Arrangement |
4-8-0 |
|
|
No. in class |
152 |
|
|
A limitation
of the Queensland Government Railways’ locomotive classification system is
that a class identifier might not prove unique over time, hence requiring
various prefixes or suffixes to be added to differentiate earlier types with
the same number of driving wheels and cylinder diameter. Such was the case
with the C16 class of 4-8-0 locomotives constructed by a variety of builders
between 1903 and 1919, having been preceded by the ‘C16 Baldwin’ class of
2-8-0 locomotives of 1882. Indeed, the Queensland Government Railways (QGR)
had developed experience with 8-coupled types via the ‘C13 Baldwin’ and ‘C15
Baldwin’ types from 1879, together with the C16 Baldwin locos; these were
typical American 2-8-0 machines that would have looked at home on the steep
grades of the Rocky Mountains in Colorado. The QGR
developed a preference for 4-wheel leading trucks over the 2-wheel trucks of earlier
Baldwin 2-8-0 and other pioneer locomotive types, hence the 4-8-0 wheel
arrangement was adopted when a design for fleet locomotive with 8-coupled
wheels was devised. The C16 class was designed by CME George Nutt with
prototype No.395 becoming the first locomotive constructed at Ipswich Railway
Workshops when completed in 1903. The C16 class used saturated steam boilers
and Walschaerts valve gear with ‘D’ slide valves, while a large cutaway cab
provided protection for the crew. Over the years the class grew to 152 units
constructed by a variety of Queensland builders including Ipswich Railway
Workshops, Walkers Ltd of Maryborough, and Evans Anderson & Phelan of
Kangaroo Point. Ten class
members were fitted with superheaters from 1921, but it was determined that
the hotter, drier superheated steam did not agree with the C16’s slide valves
and no further engines were fitted; indeed the trial locos later reverted to
saturated steam. Instead, the benefits of superheating were achieved via the
later C17-class, using piston valves in place of slide valves, and cylinder
diameter increased by 1 inch. The C17’s went on to supersede the C16’s on
many duties and withdrawals started as early as 1934, with the remaining
locos favoured for light lines, goods and heavy shunting. Preserved
example No.106 entered service on Anzac Day, 25 April 1915 as one of a batch
of 15 built from 1914 by local company Toowoomba Foundry Ltd. (This builder
also constructed 20 members of the PB15 class 4-6-0’s.) No.106 spent much of
her career in the south of the state, but also worked for some years in
Townsville and finished her working days in Cairns. It was selected for
preservation as the last of the Toowoomba Foundry batch in service when
withdrawn in May 1964. Although some of the Toowoomba Foundry PB15’s survived
until the late 1960’s, C16 No.106 is now the last locomotive from this
builder in existence. No.106 was
statically displayed among the locomotive exhibits at the former Redbank
Railway Museum from 1970 to 1992. While most Redbank
exhibits later moved to the new ‘The Workshops’ railway museum at Ipswich
Railway Workshops, instead No.106 moved to Toowoomba on 26 October 2001 and has
since slowly been restored to operation by the Darling Downs Historical Rail
Society (Downs Steam), where it has been named ‘The Pride of Toowoomba’. The Downs Steam website
features news and photos including No.106 and their restoration progress. As at 4
October 2021, C16 No.106 was almost ready to be returned to steam. Here is a
recent YouTube video showing the loco being test driven on compressed
air in the Downs Steam workshop. By early 2023 the locomotive was in
steam and undergoing regulatory inspections and paperwork. The Wikipedia page for the C16 class also contains useful
technical data for this class. C16 No.395 It is a
pity that class leader and prototype No.395 was not retained for preservation
on its withdrawal in 1951, but that was well before the preservation era and
presumably there was insufficient sentiment to have it retained in
recognition of its place as the first locomotive built at Ipswich Railway
Workshops. C16 No.38 C16 No.38
(Walkers b/n 287 of 1917) was the last of the class in service, being
withdrawn in March 1970 after a working life of 53 years including war
service with the Commonwealth Railways as their Nmb55. Despite its low road
number it was in fact one of the final batch of 15 built by Walkers between
1916 & 1917. The loco was retained for a few years after withdrawal and I
believe ran some rail tours, but alas was not earmarked for ultimate preservation.
It was among the final batch of seven locomotives (including four PB15 class
4-6-0’s) unceremoniously dispatched from Ipswich for scrapping following a
tender process in June 1973, and was cut up at Banyo on 12 September 1973. In
view of the many C17’s donated by QGR for preservation around the state, it
is regrettable that C16 No.38 and the PB15’s were not donated instead, as
more historic and perhaps worthy candidates. |
|||
Rear view of C16 No.106 in steam at Toowoomba on 26 January 2023.
The large rear headlight would be vital for tender-first
running!
This photo was kindly contributed by Graham Harvey.
A pre-dawn view of No.106 sitting
outside the Downs Steam workshop, preparing for a steam test.
This photo was kindly contributed by Andrew Caldwell and is dated 31 July
2021.
The tender proudly displays
No.106’s name ‘Pride of Toowoomba – Southern Cross Works No.28’.
This photo was kindly contributed
by Andrew Caldwell and is dated 4 October 2021.
C16 No.106 shows off her ornate brass number plate and
boiler cladding rings.
This photo was kindly contributed by Andrew Caldwell and is
dated 4 October 2021.
A view into the cab of C16 No.106
while stored at Redbank Workshops.
This earlier photo is dated 6 July 1999 and was kindly contributed by
Andrew Ham.
C16 No.106 gathering dust in the
dimly-lit confines of Redbank Workshops on 6 July 1999.
This view was kindly contributed
by Andrew Ham.
References
|
a |
Armstrong,
J. 'Locomotives in the Tropics - Volume 1 (Queensland
Railways 1864 – 1910)’, published by
the ARHS Queensland Division, 1985. |
|
b |
‘Locomotives
of Australia’ by Leon Oberg, published
by J. W. Books Pty Ltd |
|
c |
Information provided by A. Ham via email, 12 June 2004 |
|
d |
Information provided by J. Salomon via email, 29 February 2020 |
|
e |
DownsSteam Tourist Railway
& Museum website, retrieved
11 June 2020. |
|
f |
Wikipedia
page for C16 class, retrieved 8 June 2020. |
Page updated: 4 June 2023
|
Government Railways: |
|
|||||||||
|
Private & Industrial Railways: |
|