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C17 No. 1000 The Workshops, Ipswich |
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A view into the cab of No.
1000 on 7 June 1999 when in storage at Redbank Workshops.
This photo was kindly contributed by Andrew Ham.
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Builder |
Walkers
Limited, Maryborough |
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Builder’s Number & Year |
537 of 1953 |
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Wheel Arrangement |
4-8-0 |
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No. in class |
227 |
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No.1000
is one of the Queensland Government Railways’ highly successful C17 class
4-8-0 locomotives of which 227 units were constructed by a variety of
builders between 1920 and 1953. The
C17’s were a “maid of all work” type that were powerful enough for main line
freight duties, yet with a low axle load which permitted wide deployment and
accordingly they could be found on everything from suburban and express
passenger trains to main, secondary and branch line freight and mixed traffic
work, although the type are perhaps best associated with the long rural
routes through Queensland Government Railways’ (QGR) Northern and Central
Divisions. The last C17 class members in
regular service were retired at the very end of QGR revenue steam operations
in August 1970. No
1000 represents the final “1950 design” of C17 which featured Timken roller
bearings on all axles, together with the “1938 design” improvements of piston
valves, Laird crossheads, a wider & taller sedan cab with sliding
windows, a slender stovepipe chimney with capuchion lip, and a
higher-capacity tender. It is one of
the final 40 C17’s known as “Brown Bombers” due to their original livery of
handsome mid-brown with green lining. No.1000
was the final C17 to be constructed and the only one to wear a 4-digit road
number! It was placed in Queensland
Government Railways service during September 1953 and written off in October
1969 after a working life of only 16 years.
No.1000 was selected for preservation at the Queensland Railways’
Steam Locomotive Museum, Redbank where it was statically displayed from 1970
onwards. Here it provided an example
of the most modern C17 locomotives, with sister loco No. 2 providing a
contrasting example of an early C17.) The
Queensland Railways’ Steam Locomotive Museum, Redbank closed its doors in
1992 pending the development of a more comprehensive and interactive railway
museum, which eventuated a few years later as The Workshops museum at
Ipswich. No. 1000 and other Redbank
exhibits were stored at the nearby Redbank Workshops for several years
pending the opening of The Workshops museum, Ipswich. No.1000 had since been under a slow but
thorough heavy overhaul at The Workshops museum, Ipswich, with the intention
that it would join sister No.974 in
the fleet of steam locos available for main line operations. Unfortunately this effort had apparently
stalled as at June 2012 due to the need for a new boiler. In the interim, No.1000 is displayed in its
dismantled state on the workshop floor, showing its various components and
providing an example of how locomotives are repaired. Hopefully funding for a new boiler will be
raised in due course. For
further general information about the Queensland Railways’ C17 class
locomotives, refer to the page for C17
No.2. |
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This official portrait
of No.1000 shows her as prepared by Queensland Railways for display in their former
Steam Locomotive Museum at Redbank.
No.1000 is wearing the “Brown
Bomber” livery of mid-brown with green lining, together with polished brass
boiler bands.
This is one of several postcards the webmaster collected at
Redbank in 1988 following a memorable visit to Brisbane for ‘Expo 88’.
No.1000 displayed in its
dismantled state on the workshop floor at Ipswich on 8 October 2004.
The pistons are resting on a workshops dolly in the
foreground, while the stripped frames are jacked up behind.
This old C17 boiler is displayed as a sectioned exhibit at
The Workshops, Ipswich. 8 October 2004.
Several new welded
boilers have been built at the Workshops, Ipswich for the heritage loco fleet.
This C17 type boiler was
under construction during the webmaster’s visit of 8 October 2004.
I understand a similar example is now required for No.1000.
References
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a |
‘Locomotives of Australia’ by Leon
Oberg, published by J. W. Books Pty Ltd |
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b |
Armstrong,
J. 'Locomotives in the Tropics - Volume 2 (Queensland Railways 1910 – 1958 and
beyond)’, published by the ARHS
Queensland Division, 1994. |
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c |
Webmaster's
observation or comment |
Page updated: 10 December 2015
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