W 916 was built by Beyer Peacock & Co, Manchester (builder's number 7393 of 1951) as one of sixty "W-class" 4-8-2 locomotives delivered to the Western Australian Government Railways for light lines service.  The W-class proved to be highly successful locomotives, displacing older O-class 2-8-0T+T and G-class 2-6-0 & 4-6-0 types on secondary lines and augmenting the V and S-classes on main line duties.

Most WAGR W-class locomotives were withdrawn in June 1971 and joined the long lines of modern steam power that were cut up for scrap at Midland Workshops, however W 916 was among 19 class members retained in storage a little longer until officially withdrawn in August 1972.

W 916 was sold to the Pichi Richi Railway Society in 1974 and transferred to their workshops at Quorn in the Flinders Ranges, South Australia.  W 916 was originally intended to be a potential donor of heavy spares for the Pichi Richi's operating W-class locomotives W 933 and W 934 and accordingly it was placed in dry storage within the Quorn workshops. 

Fate subsequently provided a kind turn to W 916 when the Pichi Richi Railway Preservation Society obtained Silverton Tramway W 22 from static display at the Puffing Billy Museum, Menzies Creek with the intention of full restoration.  However, upon assessment at Quorn, W 22 was found to be in poorer condition that W 916.  The Pichi Richi Railway Preservation Society wanted to honour their commitment to restore W 22 to operation, so WAGR sister W 916 was instead overhauled and renumbered as Silverton W 22, apparently using some original W 22 parts (probably including the skyline cowling) and with transfer of identifying number and name plates.

W 916's restoration to operation as Silverton W 22 was completed in April 2003.  The webmaster enjoyed a trip behind W 916 (restored as W 22) on the Pichi Richi Railway during 2007 on the Afghan Express from Port Augusta to Quorn and return.  The locomotive performed absolutely faultlessly; in fact my only reservation was that the locomotive was so powerful and capable that it hauled its 5-car consist over the steep and tightly-curved Pichi Richi Pass with - seemingly - barely any effort at all!

The Pichi Richi Railway's W-class fleet now comprises operational W 916 (as W 22), 933 and 934, with stored W 931 and the real Silverton W 22 providing a useful pool of heavy spares and possible future restoration projects.

WAGR loco W 916, beautifully restored as Silverton Tramway W 22.

This view was contributed by Tony Hurst and shows W22 turning on the triangle at Woolshed Flat in 2003.

Page updated:  7 January 2015