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D17 No. 268 A tank locomotive... with no tanks! |
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The webmaster enjoyed a
visit to RAILCO Ravenshoe in July 1996.
This old scanned photo
dates from that visit and shows No.268 backing away from her train at Ravenshoe
after a run to Tumoulin.
A suburban destination
board ‘Ravenshoe’ is mounted above the buffers.
The lined blue livery probably owes more to ‘Thomas the
Tank Engine’ than the sky blue worn by later DD17 locos in Brisbane suburban
service.
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Builder |
Ipswich Railway Workshops |
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Builder’s Number & Year |
112 of 1925 |
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Wheel Arrangement |
4-6-4T (preserved as 4-6-4) |
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No. in class |
30 |
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The
D17 class locomotives were designed for Brisbane suburban passenger working,
with thirty locomotives built in three batches of 10 each. The first batch
was constructed in 1924 by Walkers Limited, Maryborough, followed by the
second batch built by Ipswich Railway Workshops in 1925. The third batch was
also built by Ipswich Railway Workshops but came 12 years later, between 1937
and 1942. The D17 class locomotives were confined to Brisbane metropolitan
lines and became known as ‘Black Tanks’ following the later introduction of
the improved DD17 class, which conversely wore a sky blue livery. The D17’s
featured a superheated boiler and used the same 17” cylinders as the 4-8-0
C17 class, but with the cylinders aligned horizontally rather than inclined.
D17 No.268 was one of the second batch, entering service in April 1926 and
withdrawn in October 1968 after a working life of 42 years hauling Brisbane
suburban trains. Apparently
there was a plan to preserve one of the D17 ‘Black Tanks’ in Brisbane but
that plan never eventuated. Two were spared from scrapping; No.268 was
plinthed in a park at Capella in Central Queensland, while No.855 was
similarly placed at Murgon, both far removed from their home territory in the
Brisbane suburbs. No.268 was
later restored to operation by RAILCO and employed on their tourist railway
on the Atherton Tableland from Ravenshoe to Tumoulin. At RAILCO Ravenshoe,
No.268 has been named ‘Capella’ in honour of the town in which it was first
displayed. It wears a lined blue livery probably inspired by ‘Thomas the Tank
Engine’ but perhaps also reflecting the sky blue livery applied to the later
DD17 class, rather than its original black livery with red buffer and silver
handrails. As a tank
loco No. 268 would have been too heavy for the Ravenshoe branch line, and
thus it was restored to operation minus side tanks to reduce the axle load.
(The old side tanks are stored at Ravenshoe for possible future use.) More
recent photos show dummy side-tanks had been fitted to No.268 by 2013. Alas I
understand the RAILCO Ravenshoe operations are currently suspended,
pending track and bridge upgrades, with No.268 and rollingstock stored at
their Ravenshoe station depot in the interim. |
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Ken McHugh has provided this photo showing No.268 being
prepared for duty on 26 November 2006.
My thanks to Joel Turner for contributing this view of
No.268 at the Ravenshoe depot in May 2013.
Dummy side tanks have been fabricated and fitted by this time.
‘Capella’ nameplate and builder’s plate affixed to the
cabside, as photographed in July 1996.
D17 No.268 and train, intercepted at a bush track crossing
while returning to Ravenshoe from Tumoulin during my July 1996 visit.
D17 No.268’s original
side tanks in storage at Ravenshoe on 22 August 2004.
The black livery worn by D17’s is evident.
References
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a |
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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Page updated: 19 January 2020
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