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M4 Don River Railway |
M4 is seen outside the running shed at Don in this photo of 24 March 2004.
This locomotive was built by Robert Stephenson & Hawthorns Ltd in 1951 as their builder's number 7424, becoming M4 among the ten members the Tasmanian Government Railways' M-class 4-6-2 locomotives. These locomotives were built to the proven design of Indian Railways metre-gauge YB class pacifics. a
Both the Tasmanian Government Railways M & H-class locomotives were of modern design, featuring roller bearings on all axles and throughout the motion and the only Australian classes to be completely fitted-out with roller bearings. They were also fitted with Australian designed SCOA-P wheels which provided greater strength and lower weight; other Australian locomotives fitted with this design of wheel were the Victorian Railways' R & J classes and the Queensland Railway's BB18-1/4 class.
M4 retained its original number during the 1957-58 rebuilding by the Tasmanian Government Railways of four "M" class members to "MA" class. The other class members were renumbered as per the following table:
| Original No. | RS&H Builder's No. | New No. a |
| M1 | 7421 | MA2 |
| M2 | 7422 | MA4 |
| M3 | 7423 | M3 |
| M4 | 7424 | M4 |
| M5 | 7425 | M5 |
| M6 | 7426 | MA3 |
| M7 | 7427 | M1 |
| M8 | 7428 | MA1 |
| M9 | 7429 | M6 |
| M10 | 7430 | M2 |
M4 is now preserved operational at the Don River Railway's excellent heritage railway precinct and workshops at Don in Tasmania's north, from where it occasionally ventures onto the main line on rail tours.
M4 as the webmaster found her on 8 May 2003, awaiting her next steaming at the Don River Railway.
References
| a | Dix, A., Beck, D., and Dix M. 'Locomotives of the Tasmanian Transport Museum Glenorchy Tasmania', published by the Tasmanian Transport Museum Society, October 1991. |
| b | Cooper, G & Goss, G 'Tasmanian Railways 1871 - 1996, 125 Years - A Pictorial History' published by C G publishing Company. |
| c | Information provided by Melanie Dennis via email dated 14 July 2004. |
| d | Webmaster's observation or comment. |
Page updated: 1 July 2013