Locomotive Wiki
Advertisement
8137

802 a C17 class operating on the Mary Valley Heritage Railway.

The Queensland Railways C17 class locomotives was a class of 4-8-0 steam locomotives operated by the Queensland Railways. They were built between 1920–1953 by the North Ipswich Railway Workshops, Armstrong Whitworth, Clyde Engineering, Walkers Limited, and Evans, Anderson, Phelan & Co for the Queensland Railways of Queensland, Australia.

The design was so successful that 227 locomotives were built from 1920 when the first engine N° 15 entering service through until 1953 when N° 1000 was delivered.

They were used to haul Mail trains on lines could not accommodate heavier B18¼ class, also suburban passenger, mixed, goods and branch line trains.

Prior to the introduction of 60 long tons (67 short tons; 61 t) diesel electric locomotives, they were responsible for hauling the air-conditioned Inlander, Midlander and Westlander trains for parts of their respective journeys.

A number of modifications were carried out over their life including the fitting of large mushroom air snifting valves.

25 have been preserved.

Preservation Engines[]

  • 2 at the North Ipswich Railway Workshops.
  • 45 at the Mary Valley Heritage Railway.
  • 251 plinthed in Townsville.
  • 253 at the Mary Valley Heritage Railway.
  • 705 at the Mary Valley Heritage Railway.
  • 719 plinthed in Jandowae[10]
  • 720 at the Australian Railway Historical Society.
  • 761 plinthed in Mitchell.
  • 763 at the Australian Railway Historical Society.
  • 802 at the Mary Valley Heritage Railway.
  • 809 plinthed in Injune.
  • 812 at the Southern Downs Steam Railway.
  • 819 at the Mary Valley Heritage Railway.
  • 824 at Injune.
  • 934 at the Zig Zag Railway.
  • 935 at the Australian Railway Historical Society.
  • 944 at the Miles Historical Village and Museum.
  • 965 plinthed in Mundubbera.
  • 966 at the Zig Zag Railway.
  • 967 at the Mary Valley Heritage Railway.
  • 971 at the Southern Downs Steam Railway.
  • 974 at the Queensland Rail Heritage Division.
  • 980 by the Blackwater Lions Club.
  • 988 at Archer Park Station & Steam Tram Museum, Rockhampton.
  • 996 at the Queensland Pioneer Steam Railway.
  • 1000 Queensland Rail Heritage Division.

Trivia[]

  • The first engines had large steam domes, open cabs and C16 style tenders.
  • The Commonwealth Railways NM class were the same design of this class.
  • Until 1948 they were the heaviest engines that could work north of Mackay.
  • On May 5, 1947, C17 class locomotive 824 left the rails near Camp Mountain on the Dayboro line claiming the lives of 16 people and 38 injured.
  • Weighing in at just over 80 tonnes and with eight driving wheels, the C17 class became the mainstay of the Queensland Railways steam fleet.
Advertisement