STEAM IN QUEENSLAND

**disco man** · 18th April 2014, 11:43 AM

I have only just stumbled on to this part of the forum and i see you guys are a tight group so i hope you don't me joining in. My old man was a bridge carpenter for Queensland rail in the 1960s and i guess that's where my love of steam loco's comes from.

Last week i found a DVD at lifeline called STEAM IN QUEENSLAND and what a find it was!!! very good watch as i am to young to have enjoyed the steam era this DVD was brilliant for me and brought back many memories for the old boy.

The only working steam train run i have seen was a Cairns to Kuranda run in 1991 and that made a huge impression on me and i was so excited when it chugged past,the smell and sound to a kid seeing it for the first time was awesome.

The DVD starts with the B.15 their uses and power outputs then moving on to the PB16,what i found interesting was the speed it got with only 4 feet wheels. Then it moves on to the C-17 and AC-16 which seem to be a big step up in size and power and they look like very impressive locos.Was it true the AC-16 was called the Mcarthures? the DVD was saying the tenders had a problem with rolling over on coil springs forcing a change back to leaves. It amazed me that they were still in use in India in the 80s that i think is testament to incredible build quality.

A couple of locos featured that i would love to see the B 181/4 and PB 181/4 very nice looking machines. The only thing i have traveled on from the DVD is a 2000 class rail motor in the mid 80s in Brisbane.A very impressive sight for me was two locos working together what a sight that must have been up close,a strange sight from the DVD was a diesel and steam loco working together the diesel looks like soulless machine compared to the steam loco.

I am a novice in knowledge but have passion for steam locos and am keen to learn off you blokes and will probably ask some dumb things so bear with me please. First thing i would like to know is what are the major differences between American and British locos is it the valve gear or is it more complex than that?

When i was living in Canada i went a rail museum can't remember which one but i was absolutely blown away by the size of the locos used over there incredible to see.Hope you blokes don't mind me sticking around

**robbotd5** · 18th April 2014, 12:55 PM

Your a welcome addition Disco man. The more of us steam nuts the better!!.
To try to answer your question regarding the differences between Brittish and American steam locomotives, well, it's mainly in the naming of things. The valve gear varies from mainly Stephensons inside link to Walschaerts. The yanks call the reversing lever the "Johnson bar" the regulator the "throttle" ect. But it's mainly in the looks.
Regards
Robbo

**Bigbjorn** · 18th April 2014, 01:07 PM

See if you can find a copy of the academic quality book "Triumph of the Narrow Gauge", the history of Qld. Rail.

**drivesafe** · 18th April 2014, 01:56 PM

Hi disco man and whether you are a dedicated rail enthusiast or just an admirer of trains in general, this section is open to all.

**Pickles2** · 18th April 2014, 02:10 PM

Steam?....love it.
I lived in Toowoomba in the sixties & well remember the green BB18 1/4.
Pickles.

**Ausfree** · 18th April 2014, 03:54 PM

You're more than welcome Disco man, I'm just an old bloke with fond memories of the steam era. Up to my early 20's I remember riding on the local steam services in the Newcastle area. Particularly the old Belmont line, which I rode on regularly!!!

**disco man** · 18th April 2014, 05:12 PM

Thanks for the welcome guys!!! bloody brilliant. I forgot to mention the other awesome locos featured in the DVD, D-17,DD-17,A-10 and a very interesting very early steam engine called MARY ANN. Once again thanks for the warm welcome guys.

Did Australia ever use anything of the same size and power of the Big Boys?

**Ausfree** · 18th April 2014, 05:21 PM

Originally Posted by disco man

Thanks for the welcome guys!!! bloody brilliant. I forgot to mention the other awesome locos featured in the DVD, D-17,DD-17,A-10 and a very interesting very early steam engine called MARY ANN. Once again thanks for the warm welcome guys.

Did Australia ever use anything of the same size and power of the Big Boys?

No, probably the closest would be the Class 60 Garrats in NSW and maybe the Mountain and Pacific classes in South Australia. The Big Boys are indeed huge locomotives. From memory the Garrats weighed in at 260 tonnes and I think the big boys were close to 550 tonnes.

Also ( I just checked) the Tractive Effort of the Garrat (in it's final form) was 282.4KN versus 602.18KN for the Big Boy. A huge difference I might say.

There is an a single example of a "H" Class Loco built in Victoria, and therefore can lay claim to being the biggest locomotive actually built in Australia, but not in the same league as Big Boy.

[ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victorian_Railways_H_class"]Victorian Railways H class - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia[/ame]

**robbotd5** · 18th April 2014, 05:46 PM

Evening all.
Talking big steam locomotives in Australia, the NSWGR D57 class should surely get a mention. Introduced I 1929, this 232.3t 4 8 2 behemoth was more powerful than a 60 class Garratt. 200psi boiler pressure, 3 cylinders ( the 3rd being activated by Gresley conjugating valve gear. However, they were plagued with problems and simply too heavy for most existing rail infrastructure.
One remains. See link below.

Preserved Steam Locomotives Down Under - 5711

Regards
Robbo

**Ausfree** · 18th April 2014, 05:53 PM

Thanks for that Robbo, I just hunted this up......

[ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_South_Wales_D57_class_locomotive"]New South Wales D57 class locomotive - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia[/ame]

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