MRWA B class

The MRWA B class was a class of steam locomotives built by Hawthorn Leslie in Tyneside, England, for the Midland Railway of Western Australia (MRWA). The class's wheel arrangement was 4-4-0.

Midland Railway of Western Australia
B class
B6 with crew at Watheroo, ca 1910
Type and origin
Power typeSteam
BuilderHawthorn Leslie,
Tyneside, England
Serial number2213–2221
Specifications
Configuration:
​
 • Whyte4-4-0
 • UIC2'B
Gauge3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm)
Driver dia.4 ft 4 in (1,321 mm)
Length43 ft 3 in (13.18 m) (incl tender)
Loco weight49.75 long tons (50.55 t; 55.72 short tons) (incl tender)
Firebox:
 • Firegrate area		14 sq ft (1.3 m2)
Boiler pressure160 psi (1,100 kPa)
Cylinder size15 in × 20 in (381 mm × 508 mm)
Performance figures
Power output660 hp (490 kW)
Tractive effort11,076 lbf (49.27 kN)
Career
Number in class9
NumbersB2 - B10
First run1891

Service history

The nine members of the B class entered service in 1891. Withdrawals began in 1929, but the five longest serving units continued working on the MRWA, mainly as shunting engines, from then until the 1950s.[1]

Preservation

One B class locomotive, no B6, has been preserved. It is the only ex-MRWA steam locomotive still in existence.[1] After being withdrawn by the MRWA in 1956, B6 was acquired by the then municipality of Geraldton, and put on display in a Geraldton park.[2]

In 1995, ownership of B6 was transferred to the then Shire of Swan, and in 1999 the locomotive was moved to the former Midland Railway Workshops, for storage in the custody of Rail Heritage WA.[2]

In 2010, following a renewal of interest by the City of Geraldton-Greenough in rail history, B6 was moved back to the Geraldton area, for intended eventual display at a proposed railway museum at Walkaway.[3]

See also

References
  1. Gunzburg, Adrian (1989). The Midland Railway Company Locomotives of Western Australia. Melbourne: Light Railway Research Society of Australia. pp. 18–19, 49. ISBN 0909340277.
  2. "Western Australia - Private & Industrial". Australian Steam. Retrieved 4 August 2012.
  3. "Last train to Geraldton ready to rock 'n' roll". InMyCommunity. 8 October 2010. Archived from the original on 30 December 2012. Retrieved 4 August 2012.

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