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NJAB 1 The ‘Coffee Pot’ |
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NJAB1 ‘Coffee Pot’ ventures onto the Pichi Richi main line
in early April 2015, following its recent overhaul.
Photo by Andrew Wood & kindly contributed by the Pichi
Richi Railway.
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Builder |
Kitson
& Co, Leeds |
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Builder’s Number & Year |
4356
of 1906) |
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Wheel Arrangement |
2-2-0WT |
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This fascinating machine combines a small 2-2-0WT steam locomotive with a passenger coach on a single rigid frame. The locomotive unit was built by Kitson & Co, Leeds while the coach was manufactured by the Metropolitan Amalgamated Railway Carriage and Wagon Company of Birmingham. Two of these innovative units were supplied to the South Australian Railways to provide passenger services on light-traffic rural routes. They were known on the South Australian Railways as ‘Steam Motor Coach No.1’ and ‘Steam Motor Coach No.2’. Steam Motor Coach No.2 differed slightly from No.1 by also having a driver's cabin at the rear of the passenger coach. The preserved Steam Motor Coach No.1 was based at Quorn for use on a regular weekly service to Hawker, where it became more commonly known as the ‘Coffee Pot’. Steam Motor Coach No.2 was based in the south of the state and operated lines in the Mount Gambier district. Coffee Pot
was sold to the Commonwealth Railways in 1924 in connection with the transfer
of operations and control of the Central Australia Railway to the
Commonwealth Government, becoming NJAB 1. It was stored at Quorn depot from
1932 onwards and somehow managed to survive despite the scrapping of so many
other Commonwealth Railways steam locomotives in the 1950's, instead being
placed on display at Alice Springs station in 1960 (despite never having
worked there). NJAB 1 / Coffee Pot was obtained by the Pichi
Richi Railway in 1975 and transferred back to Quorn for restoration, where it
returned to service in 1984. It has since been generally available for
special events at the Pichi Richi Railway, excepting periods of overhaul. Most
recently, the Coffee Pot returned to steam in April 2015 following an
eight-year sojourn while boiler and mechanical repairs were carried out. NJAB 1 / Coffee Pot is perhaps one of
Australia's most notable preserved steam railway machines, representing an
innovative early self-propelled railcar and the predecessor of various petrol
and diesel railcars operated by the South Australian Railways and
Commonwealth Railways. Updates on progress with the Coffee Pot and the Pichi Richi
Railway’s other restoration projects and coming events can be found on their
website www.pichirichirailway.org.au,
or by following on Facebook at www.facebook.com/pichirichirailway.
The
Pichi Richi Railway website also includes a page with further history and
technical details for the Coffee Pot. |
A nice detail view of ‘Coffee Pot’ in steam at the Pichi
Richi Railway in April 2015.
Photo by Andrew Wood & kindly contributed by the Pichi
Richi Railway.
Nic Doncaster kindly contributed this view of NJAB 1 ‘Coffee
Pot’ at the Pichi Richi Railway's Quorn station during the early 1990's.
Side view of NJAB 1 ‘Coffee Pot’ statically displayed at Alice
Springs, circa 1967.
Photo credit to Robert Riseley, kindly contributed by David
Riseley.
References
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a |
Fluck R.
E., Sampson R., & Bird K. J. 'Steam
locomotives and Railcars of the South Australian Railways', published
by The Mile End Railway Museum (SA) Inc, 1986. |
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b |
Fluck, R,
Marshall B, Wilson J & others ‘Locomotives
and Railcars of the Commonwealth Railways’ published
by Gresley Publishing, South Australia for the
Port Dock Station Railway Museum, 1996. |
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Page updated: 4 June 2025
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