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K 159 Recovered from a park in Hamilton |
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This photograph of 1 August 2004 is kindly provided by Roy Bird and shows the real K159 stored at the MRPS depot at Moorooduc, in company with sister K191 |
K 159 was built by Victorian Railways' Newport Workshops in 1940. Following withdrawal it was plinthed in a park at Hamilton in Western Victoria.
In 1997, K 159 was acquired for restoration by the Mornington Railway Preservation Society as an addition to their fleet of K-class locomotives. Apparently the town of Hamilton wanted a display locomotive to remain, and accordingly the MRPS assembled the worn-out components of K 159, K 174 and K 177 to create a composite K-class locomotive, which was returned to Hamilton Park in 1998. The plinthed locomotive at Hamilton is now made up of K 177's frames & coupled wheels, K 174's pony truck & boiler, and K 159's tender. (If the convention is followed that a locomotive takes its number from the frames, then the loco now at Hamilton is actually K 177.)
A new K-class locomotive will eventually be restored by MRPS using the viable components from K 174, K 177 and the original K 159; this locomotive will also be known as K 159. This locomotive is currently in store at the MRPS depot at Moorooduc.
The following two photographs are kindly provided by Alex Bradford and shows the reassembled K-class at Hamilton on 10 February 2007; this engine is sometimes referred to as "K 193" (ie. the next number in the K-class) but it bears no number plates.
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This photograph by Alex Bradford and shows the reassembled K-class at Hamilton on 10 February 2007; comprising the frames of K 177 and boiler of K 174. |
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Here is a second view of the reassembled K-class at Hamilton on 10 February 2007. |
Here is a useful Wikipedia link to general information about the K-class locomotives.
Page updated: 16 November 2013