|
With expanding Perth traffic in the 1890’s,
a new design was needed for suburban passenger services. The result was the
very successful N-class 4-4-4T locomotives, with design features ideal for
bi-directional suburban duties such as bogies front and rear, diving wheels
of intermediate size to allow both quick acceleration and fast running, and
a tank design permitting good visibility in both directions while the
weight of water in the side tanks assisted with adhesion for the diving
wheels. The first 5 class members were delivered by Neilson & Co in
1896, with a second batch of 12 from Robert Stephenson & Co (including
N 201) delivered in 1898-99, and a third batch of 15 from Nasmyth Wilson in
1901.
Interestingly, the N-class shared some
design elements with the contemporary O-class 2-8-0T+T locomotives of 1896
– also constructed by Neilson & Co - and indeed 10 N-class locomotives
were constructed at Midland Workshops between 1907 and 1908 using the
cylinders and some other components salvaged from surplus O-class locos.
Although effectively new locomotives – the first constructed at Midland
Workshops – the rebuilt locos retained the road numbers of the O-class
donors.
In addition to Perth suburban duties, the N-class
also found employment in the booming gold town of Kalgoorlie, where the
Kalgoorlie – Boulder ‘Loop Line’ provided a frequent service for miners and
residents alike. Today much of the Loop Line route has been consumed by the
giant ‘Super Pit’ gold mine, but the old station at Boulder houses a local
museum and provides a reminder of the days when N-class locos hauling
suburban passenger cars were a common site in the area.
In time the N-class were displaced by
larger and more powerful 4-6-4T suburban tank locomotives of the D / Ds /
Dm and Dd classes. Records show that most were written off in the 1950’s,
with the last few officially withdrawn in 1960.
Surviving example N 201 was one of the
earlier class members, entering service on 27
October 1898. Withdrawn in 1960, it gained a reprieve when reinstated in
1961 as a steam cleaner at East Perth Loco Depot. N 201 lasted in this role
until 1965.
Apparently N 201 was offered to the Town of
Claremont for display, situated midway along the Perth – Fremantle line it
must have travelled so often. Instead, N 201 went in the care of the
Australian Railway Historical Society (WA Division) – now known as Rail
Heritage WA - entering their museum at Bassendean in 1972. Today N 201 not
only represents the N-class in preservation, but also is the only 4-4-4T
preserved in Australia. It can be found displayed at the Railway Museum,
Bassendean.
N class 201 in
storage with less fortunate locos at Midland Junction on 19 March 1967.
Image used with permission of the wonderful Rail
Heritage WA archive:
http://railheritagewa.org.au/archive_scans/displayimage.php?pid=7207
(Image reference
P11398, original photographer P. Hopper.)
|
