The Y Class is an 0-6-0 steam locomotive that ran on the Victorian Railways of Australia in regular service from 1885 to 1926 and had the final examples withdrawn from lesser duties in 1963.
History[]
The Y Class was a class based off a VR standard 0-6-0 goods engine (standard at the time, in any case) that was built in England by Kitson and Co. and later examples by Phoenix Foundry at Ballarat and were considered large locomotives for their time, being the largest 0-6-0's in Australia.
They spent their working lives on suburban freight duties, although were later on relegated to shunting duties when rendered obsolete by larger, more powerful and modern locomotive designs in the 1920's.
Y109 (originally Y413) was taken off the register 23 December 1954 and frame and wheels sold to the Brunswick Plaster Mills Pty. Ltd, which rebuilt it into a diesel-mechanical locomotive, to work the Millewa South Railway from Nowingi to Raak Plain in north-western Victoria. It carried the number Y413 for some of the time it operated in that form.
Y108 was the last Y class in service, withdrawn in 1963 after a 74 year career and a distance of 2,218,228 km. It spent it's final years of work at North Melbourne.
Preservation[]
Only 3 Y Class locomotives survive in preservation
Y 108 is preserved at the ARHS Museum at North Williamstown, but it's boiler cladding is absent due to it rotting away under the weather and asbestos.
Y 109 was acquired by Steamrail Victoria in the 1980s and moved to Ballarat East Locomotive Depot, where parts were used in the restoration of Y112. The remains were acquired by the Australian Railway Historical Society and donated to the Millewa Pioneer Park at Meringur in 2008.
Y 112 was originally plinthed at Ballarat, but was attained for restoration by Steamrail Ballarat, although due to the poor condition of the wheels and several other parts was left as a pile of disassembled parts. It was later picked back up on and restored to operational condition by West Coast Railway. Is currently preserved and operated by Steamrail Victoria, although is owned by the Council of Ballarat and housed at Ballarat East.
Specifications[]
The class weighs 74 tonnes. The locomotive has 2 cylinders, with a 18 inch (457 mm) bore and a 26 inch (660 mm) stroke. The boiler has a maximum pressure level of 175 psi and the engine itself can produce a tractive effort of 21,840 lbf. The firebox possesses a grate area of 17.8 square feet (1.7 m^2) The driving wheels are 54 inches (1.37 m) in diameter.
The coal burner tender can carry 5.1 tonnes of coal, and 2,200 imperial gallons (8,380 litres) of water.
Trivia[]
- Y 112 is the only 19th century design in operational condition in Victoria and as such is the oldest working steam locomotive in Victoria
Gallery[]
| Articles on Trains in Victoria |
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| Steam: A2 Class - C Class - Dd Class - G Class - H Class - J Class - K Class - N Class - NA Class - R Class - V Class - X Class - Y Class
Diesel Electric: F Class - P CLass Diesel Hydraulic: TBA Rail Tractor: TBA Railmotors: Walker Railmotors Electric: TBA Suburban Electric: TBA |