New South Wales C38 class locomotive

New South Wales C38 Class

300px 3801 on a Newcastle Flyer charter in October 2005

Type and origin Power type Steam Builder Clyde Engineering (5) Eveleigh Railway Workshops (13) Cardiff Locomotive Workshops (12) Build date 1943–49

Specifications Configuration 4-6-2 Gauge 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) Driver diameter 5 ft 9 in (1,750 mm) Wheelbase Length 76 ft 5 in (23.29 m) Loco & tender weight 201 long tons (204 t; 225 short tons) when in steam Fuel type Coal Fuel capacity 14 long tons (14.225 t; 15.680 short tons) Water cap 8,100 imp gal (37,000 L; 9,700 US gal) Boiler pressure 245 psi (1.69 MPa) Firegrate area 47 sq ft (4.4 m2) Heating surface 3,367.79 sq ft (312.878 m2)  • Tubes 142 tubes, dia each  • Flues 36 flues, dia each Superheater 36 element Cylinders Two, outside Cylinder size 21.5 in × 26 in (550 mm × 660 mm) Valve gear Walschaerts

Performance figures Tractive effort 36,200 lbf (161 kN)

Career Operators New South Wales Government Railways Class C38 Number in class 30 Numbers 3801–3830 Locale New South Wales, Australia First run 22 January 1943 Last run 29 December 1970 Preserved 3801, 3813, 3820, 3830 Disposition 4 preserved, 26 scrapped

The C38 class was a class of steam locomotives built for the New South Wales Government Railways in Australia.

Built between January 1943 and November 1949, the 30 locomotives in the class were designed to haul express trains. They were the only New South Wales locomotives to use the popular Pacific 4-6-2 wheel arrangement and were the last steam locomotives built for passenger train operation, all subsequent deliveries being specifically for freight haulage.

Design

File:NSWGR C.38 Class Locomotive Cab Controls.jpg

C.38 Class Locomotive Cab Controls

The 38 class were first conceived in the 1930s being heavily influenced by American and other streamlined locomotives of the time. The NSWGR needed a locomotive to eliminate the complications of doubleheading required on a number of fast interstate passenger trains.

The design team was headed by Harold Young, the Chief Mechanical Engineer of the NSWGR. The conditions of trackwork with frequent sharp curvature to be traversed at high speed would require six-coupled driving wheels in a 'Pacific' 4-6-2 configuration. Maintenance considerations suggested a two-cylinder simple steam locomotive.

The design was carried out by the NSWGR Locomotive Section of the Design Office and incorporated the latest developments in locomotive design from Australia and overseas. The incorporation of as many Australian manufactured components as possible was a requirement at the design stage.

History

In May 1939 an order for five 38 class locomotives was placed with Clyde Engineering. They suffered many delays during construction, mostly due to resource shortages caused by World War II. The first five locomotives were built by Clyde Engineering and had distinctive streamlined boiler casing. The remaining 25 locomotives were built at the New South Wales Government Railways' Eveleigh Railway Workshops (13 even number locomotives) and Cardiff Locomotive Workshops (12 odd numbered locomotives).

The Clyde Engineering built examples were delivered in wartime grey. Following the cessation of the war, all were repainted green as were the 25 unstreamlined locomotives from new. All except 3813 were repainted black in the 1950s.

Among the services they initially hauled were the Central West Express, Newcastle Flyer, Melbourne Limited, Riverina Express and South Coast Daylight Express as well as the overnight mail trains. Because of their axleload they were confined to operating between Port Kembla, Albury, Dubbo and Maitland.

Following the arrival of the 42, 43 and 44 diesel locomotives in the 1950s, these began to take over but the 38 class continued to haul many. After the electrification of the Main Western line to Lithgow in 1957 and the Main North line to Gosford in January 1960 the 46 class electrics took over but the 38s still operated the Central West Express between Lithgow and Orange into the 1960s and the Newcastle Flyer between Gosford and Newcastle until December 1970.

They also began to haul lesser passenger and freight trains. In April 1962 3830 and 3813 hauled the inaugural standard gauge Spirit of Progress from Albury to Sydney. The first was withdrawn in 1961 with the last withdrawn in December 1970.

In August 1970, 3801 hauled the Western Endeavour to Perth following the completion of the standard gauge Trans-Australian Railway with 3813 assisting as far as Port Pirie. In April 1988, 3801 again operated to Perth during the Australian Bicentenary.

3801 featured in the 1974 short film A Steam Train Passes.

Roster

File:NSWGR Class C.38 Locomotive Streamlined.jpg

Streamlined 3805

Streamlined
Locomotive	Builder	Builder's No	Built	In Service	Withdrawn
3801	Clyde Engineering	463	Dec 1942	22 Jan 1943	19 Oct 1965
3802	Clyde Engineering	464	Mar 1943	08 Apr 1943	31 Jan 1967
3803	Clyde Engineering	465	Aug 1943	09 Sep 1943	29 Feb 1968
3804	Clyde Engineering	466	Jan 1944	10 Feb 1944	29 Oct 1965
3805	Clyde Engineering	467	Feb 1945	02 Mar 1945	Dec 1961

File:NSWGR Class C.38 Locomotive Non-Streamlined.jpg

Non streamlined 3820

Non streamlined
Locomotive	Builder	Builder's No	Built	Withdrawn
3806	Eveleigh Railway Workshops	158	1945	1967
3807	Cardiff Locomotive Workshops	159	1946	28 Sep 1968
3808	Eveleigh Railway Workshops	160	1946	1968
3809	Cardiff Locomotive Workshops	161	1946	1969
3810	Eveleigh Railway Workshops	162	1946	1969
3811	Cardiff Locomotive Workshops	163	1946	1969
3812	Eveleigh Railway Workshops	164	1946	1965
3813	Cardiff Locomotive Workshops	165	1946	12 Sep 1970
3814	Eveleigh Railway Workshops	166	1946	1966
3815	Cardiff Locomotive Workshops	167	1947	1967
3816	Eveleigh Railway Workshops	168	1947	1966
3817	Cardiff Locomotive Workshops	169	1947	1963
3818	Eveleigh Railway Workshops	170	1947	1968
3819	Cardiff Locomotive Workshops	171	1947	1963
3820	Eveleigh Railway Workshops	172	1947	29 Dec 1970
3821	Cardiff Locomotive Workshops	173	1948	1962
3822	Eveleigh Railway Workshops	174	1947	1970
3823	Cardiff Locomotive Workshops	175	1948	1967
3824	Eveleigh Railway Workshops	176	1948	1969
3825	Cardiff Locomotive Workshops	177	1948	1969
3826	Eveleigh Railway Workshops	178	1948	1961
3827	Cardiff Locomotive Workshops	179	1948	1970
3828	Eveleigh Railway Workshops	180	1949	1969
3829	Cardiff Locomotive Workshops	181	1949	1966
3830	Eveleigh Railway Workshops	182	1949	1967

Preservation

Preserved C38 Class Locomotives
No.	Description	Manufacturer	Year	Organisation	Location	Status	Ref
3801	4-6-2 express passenger	Clyde Engineering	1943	NSW Rail Transport Museum	Thirlmere	under overhaul	NSW Heritage Register Locomotive, Steam 3801
3813	4-6-2 express passenger	Cardiff Locomotive Workshops	1946	Dorrigo Steam Railway & Museum	Dorrigo	Dismantled
3820	4-6-2 express passenger	Eveleigh Railway Workshops	1947	NSW Rail Transport Museum	Thirlmere	static exhibit	NSW Heritage Register Locomotive, Steam 3820
3830	4-6-2 express passenger	Eveleigh Railway Workshops	1949	Powerhouse Museum	Thirlmere	under overhaul	Powerhouse Museum Locomotive 3830

External links

Media related to at Wikimedia Commons