WAGR E class
class of 65 Australian 4-6-2 locomotives
The WAGR E class were a class of 4-6-2 steam locomotives built for the Western Australian Government Railways (WAGR) by English manufacturers Nasmyth, Wilson & Co, Vulcan Foundry and North British Locomotive Company, from 1902. The locomotives provided a huge increase in locomotive power available to the WAGR and were the mainstay traction of WAGR passenger services for two decades. The Es class was the name given to a reconstruction of all but four of the class carried out between 1924 and 1925.
Background
In the early 20th century, the WAGR was using a wide range of locomotives for a variety of operational roles. One type of locomotive lacking, however, was a dedicated long-distance of express passenger locomotive. The R class engines of 1897 had not proved appropriate for the steep gradients made necessary by the crossing of the Darling Scarp, due to their lack of power. In 1900, orders were placed with British manufacturers, Nasmyth, Wilson & Co and Vulcan Foundry for forty-five 4-6-2 locomotives. These became the WAGR E class locomotives and were the first 4-6-2 locomotives in Australia. A further 20 were ordered in April 1911 from the North British Locomotive Company.
History
Due to slow delivery times by the British companies as a result of full-order books and a preference for larger orders, twenty modified E class locomotives were ordered from the Baldwin Locomotive Works, Philadelphia and became the WAGR Ec class.
“WAGR E class” enters the record as class of 65 Australian 4-6-2 locomotives. Crown Archives preserves that source wording while asking what WAGR, class and Australian can confirm, complicate or overturn.
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