0-6-4
Encyclopedia
Under the Whyte notation
for the classification of steam locomotive
s, 0-6-4 represents the wheel arrangement
of no leading wheel
s, six powered and coupled driving wheel
s on three axles, and four trailing wheel
s on two axles.
Other equivalent classifications are:
narrow gauge
locomotive built for use on the North Wales Narrow Gauge Railways
. It was a single Fairlie
type built by the Vulcan Foundry
near Manchester in 1875. It was followed by the R class
and S class
, built by the Avonside Engine Company
of England for the New Zealand Railways Department
between 1878 and 1881.
s enjoyed a brief vogue prior to the First World War in the United Kingdom
, but were not widely used. Nine locomotives of this type were supplied by Beyer, Peacock and Company
for the opening of the Mersey Railway
in 1886. Wiiliam Dean built three crane tank
s in 1901, and Kitson & Co.
of Leeds
supplied nine locomotives to the Lancashire, Derbyshire and East Coast Railway
in 1904. Other examples included the Midland Railway 2000 Class
, of 1907, the Highland Railway Drummond 0-6-4T Class
of 1909, the SECR J class
1913 and the Metropolitan Railway G Class
of 1915. The type was superseded by the popular 2-6-4
tank locomotive.
ing tasks. The S class were limited to the Wellington Region
when they were introduced, but the R class were distributed throughout the country. All were withdrawn by 1936, but R 28 is preserved as a static exhibit in a Reefton
park.
four of 0-6-4T locomotives were sold to J. & A. Brown of New South Wales
, Australia
, where one, number 5, is preserved at the New South Wales Rail Transport Museum
, Thirlmere, New South Wales
. Three members of New Zealand's S class were also sold to the Western Australian Government Railways
in 1891.
(NZASM) in the Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek (ZAR). Between 1893 and 1898 one hundred and seventy-five 46 Tonner 0-6-4T tank steam locomotives were placed in service, built by the Maschinenfabrik Esslingen
in Germany.
In 1899 twenty more were ordered from the Nederlandse Fabriek van Werktuigen en Spoorwegmaterieel (Werkspoor) in Holland, of which only two were delivered by the time the Imperial Military Railways (IMR) took over all railway operations in the ZAR during the Second Freedom War. The other eighteen locomotives in this order were delivered directly to the IMR, who diverted two of them to Lourenço Marques in Mozambique
.
At the end of the war the survivors of these locomotives were taken onto the roster of the Central South African Railways
(CSAR) and designated Class B
, while the two in Mozambique were taken onto the roster of the Caminhos de Ferro de Mocambique (CFM). In 1912 the remaining CSAR locomotives were assimilated into the South African Railways.
the 0-6-4 locomotive
was largely built only for use in railyards, essentially as an adaptation of an 0-6-0
switch engine with an extended firebox, or a 4-6-0
reconstructed with a larger firebox that necessitated the relocation of the leading wheel
s to the rear to support the firebox.
Whyte notation
The Whyte notation for classifying steam locomotives by wheel arrangement was devised by Frederick Methvan Whyte and came into use in the early twentieth century encouraged by an editorial in American Engineer and Railroad Journal...
for the classification of steam locomotive
Steam locomotive
A steam locomotive is a railway locomotive that produces its power through a steam engine. These locomotives are fueled by burning some combustible material, usually coal, wood or oil, to produce steam in a boiler, which drives the steam engine...
s, 0-6-4 represents the wheel arrangement
Wheel arrangement
In rail transport, a wheel arrangement is a system of classifying the way in which wheels are distributed beneath a locomotive.. Several notations exist to describe the wheel assemblies of a locomotive by type, position, and connections, with the adopted notations varying by country...
of no leading wheel
Leading wheel
The leading wheel or leading axle of a steam locomotive is an unpowered wheel or axle located in front of the driving wheels. The axle or axles of the leading wheels are normally located in a truck...
s, six powered and coupled driving wheel
Driving wheel
On a steam locomotive, a driving wheel is a powered wheel which is driven by the locomotive's pistons...
s on three axles, and four trailing wheel
Trailing wheel
On a steam locomotive, a trailing wheel or trailing axle is generally an unpowered wheel or axle located behind the driving wheels. The axle of the trailing wheels was usually located on a trailing truck...
s on two axles.
Other equivalent classifications are:
- UIC classificationUIC classificationThe UIC classification of locomotive axle arrangements describes the wheel arrangement of locomotives, multiple units and trams. It is set out in the International Union of Railways "Leaflet 650 - Standard designation of axle arrangement on locomotives and multiple-unit sets". It is used in much...
: C2 (also known as German classification and Italian classification) - French classification: 032
- Turkish classificationTurkish classificationIn the Turkish classification system for railway locomotives, the number of powered axles are followed by the total number of axles. It is identical to the Swiss system except that the latter places a slash between the two numbers.Thus0-6-0 becomes 33...
: 35 - Swiss classification: 3/5
History
The type appears to have only been used on tank engines. The earliest known example was the Moel TryfanMoel Tryfan (locomotive)
Moel Tryfan was a narrow gauge steam locomotive built for use on the North Wales Narrow Gauge Railways in 1875. The locomotive was an single Fairlie locomotive built by the Vulcan Foundry near Manchester.Mitchell 1993, page VIII It spent its entire working life on the NWNGRs and its successors...
narrow gauge
Narrow gauge
A narrow gauge railway is a railway that has a track gauge narrower than the of standard gauge railways. Most existing narrow gauge railways have gauges of between and .- Overview :...
locomotive built for use on the North Wales Narrow Gauge Railways
North Wales Narrow Gauge Railways
The North Wales Narrow Gauge Railways was a gauge railway running from Dinas to Bryngwyn, Wales, which was authorised by Act of Parliament 1872. The same act authorised a branch from Tryfan Junction to South Snowdon...
. It was a single Fairlie
Fairlie
A Fairlie is a type of articulated steam locomotive that has the driving wheels on bogies. The locomotive may be double-ended or single ended...
type built by the Vulcan Foundry
Vulcan Foundry
Vulcan Foundry was a British locomotive builder sited at Newton-le-Willows, Lancashire .-History:It was originally opened in 1832 as Charles Tayleur and Company to produce girders for bridges, switches and crossings, and other ironwork following the opening of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway...
near Manchester in 1875. It was followed by the R class
NZR R class
The NZR R class was a class of early 0-6-4T single Fairlie steam locomotives operated by New Zealand's Railways Department between 1879 and 1936.-Introduction:...
and S class
NZR S class
The NZR S class was a class of seven 0-6-4T single Fairlie steam locomotives used in New Zealand.The locomotives were ordered by the New Zealand Railways Department in 1880, and delivered from the Avonside engine works in 1881–1882. They were considerably larger than the earlier R class, and all...
, built by the Avonside Engine Company
Avonside Engine Company
The Avonside Engine Company was a locomotive manufacturer in Avon Street, St. Philip's, Bristol, England between 1864 and 1934. However the business originated with an earlier enterprise Henry Stothert and Company.-Origins:...
of England for the New Zealand Railways Department
New Zealand Railways Department
The New Zealand Railways Department, NZR or NZGR and often known as the "Railways", was a government department charged with owning and maintaining New Zealand's railway infrastructure and operating the railway system. The Department was created in 1880 and was reformed in 1981 into the New...
between 1878 and 1881.
United Kingdom
Other than examples for export 0-6-4 tank locomotiveTank locomotive
A tank locomotive or tank engine is a steam locomotive that carries its water in one or more on-board water tanks, instead of pulling it behind it in a tender. It will most likely also have some kind of bunker to hold the fuel. There are several different types of tank locomotive dependent upon...
s enjoyed a brief vogue prior to the First World War in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, but were not widely used. Nine locomotives of this type were supplied by Beyer, Peacock and Company
Beyer, Peacock and Company
Beyer, Peacock and Company was an English railway Locomotive manufacturer with a factory in Gorton, Manchester. Founded by Charles Beyer and Richard Peacock, it traded from 1854 until 1966...
for the opening of the Mersey Railway
Mersey Railway
The Mersey Railway connected Liverpool and Birkenhead, England, via the Mersey Railway Tunnel under the River Mersey. Opened in 1886, it was the second oldest urban underground railway network in the world. The railway contained the first tunnel built under the River Mersey. It was constructed by...
in 1886. Wiiliam Dean built three crane tank
Crane tank
A crane tank is a steam locomotive with a crane fitted to it. The crane may be fitted at the front, centre or rear of the locomotive and gives it a rather "top heavy" appearance...
s in 1901, and Kitson & Co.
Kitson & Co.
Kitson and Company was a locomotive manufacturer based in Hunslet, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England.-Early history:The company started as James Kitson at the Airedale Foundry, off Pearson Street, Hunslet in 1835 with Charles Todd as a partner...
of Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
supplied nine locomotives to the Lancashire, Derbyshire and East Coast Railway
Lancashire, Derbyshire and East Coast Railway
The Lancashire, Derbyshire and East Coast Railway was a British railway company built toward the end of the era of British railway construction. It opened its line from Chesterfield to Lincoln in 1897....
in 1904. Other examples included the Midland Railway 2000 Class
Midland Railway 2000 Class
The Midland Railway 2000 Class was a class of 40 0-6-4T steam locomotives designed by Richard Deeley. They were known as "flatirons" or "hole-in-the-wall tanks" because of their distinctive shape; their side tanks extended to the front of the smokebox and they had a distinct cut-out in the side...
, of 1907, the Highland Railway Drummond 0-6-4T Class
Highland Railway Drummond 0-6-4T Class
The Highland Railway Drummond 0-6-4T or X class were large tank engines originally intended for banking duty.Of Peter Drummond design, the first four were built by the North British Locomotive Company and delivered in 1909...
of 1909, the SECR J class
SECR J class
The SECR J class was a class of 0-6-4T steam tender locomotive built for heavy freight service on the South Eastern and Chatham Railway, by Harry Wainwright.-History:...
1913 and the Metropolitan Railway G Class
Metropolitan Railway G Class
The Metropolitan Railway G class consisted of four 0-6-4T steam locomotives, numbered 94 to 97. They were built by Yorkshire Engine Company in 1915....
of 1915. The type was superseded by the popular 2-6-4
2-6-4
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, a 2-6-4 locomotive has two leading wheels, six coupled driving wheels and four trailing wheels...
tank locomotive.
New Zealand
The R class and S class Single Fairlies were popular with crews and capable of all duties, from express passenger trains to shuntShunt (railway operations)
Shunting, in railway operations, involves the process of sorting items of rolling stock into complete train sets or consists. The United States terminology is "switching"....
ing tasks. The S class were limited to the Wellington Region
Wellington Region
The Wellington region of New Zealand occupies the southern end of the North Island.-Governance:The official Wellington Region, as administered by the Wellington Regional Council covers the conurbation around the capital city, Wellington, and the cities of Lower Hutt, Porirua, and Upper Hutt, each...
when they were introduced, but the R class were distributed throughout the country. All were withdrawn by 1936, but R 28 is preserved as a static exhibit in a Reefton
Reefton, New Zealand
Reefton is a small town on New Zealand's West Coast region, some 80 km northeast of Greymouth, in the valley of the Inangahua River. State Highway 7 passes through the southern part of the town, and State Highway 69 runs north to connect to State Highway 6...
park.
Australia
After electrification of the Mersey RailwayMersey Railway
The Mersey Railway connected Liverpool and Birkenhead, England, via the Mersey Railway Tunnel under the River Mersey. Opened in 1886, it was the second oldest urban underground railway network in the world. The railway contained the first tunnel built under the River Mersey. It was constructed by...
four of 0-6-4T locomotives were sold to J. & A. Brown of New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, where one, number 5, is preserved at the New South Wales Rail Transport Museum
New South Wales Rail Transport Museum
The New South Wales Rail Transport Museum located in Thirlmere, New South Wales south-west of Sydney, is a museum dedicated to displaying former locomotives, carriages and goods wagons from the New South Wales Government Railways as well as private operations in NSW. The collection features steam,...
, Thirlmere, New South Wales
Thirlmere, New South Wales
Thirlmere is a small semi-rural town in the Macarthur Region of New South Wales, Australia, in Wollondilly Shire. Popularly known for its railway origins, the town is located 89 km south west of Sydney , one third of the distance from Sydney to Canberra...
. Three members of New Zealand's S class were also sold to the Western Australian Government Railways
Western Australian Government Railways
Western Australian Government Railways was most common name of the Western Australian government rail transport authority from 1890 to 1976. It is, in its current form, known as the Public Transport Authority of Western Australia....
in 1891.
South Africa
This wheel arrangement provided the bulk of the motive power for the Nederlandsche-Zuid-Afrikaansche SpoorwegmaatschappijNetherlands-South African Railway Company
The Netherlands-South African Railway Company or NZASM was established in August 1884 in the Transvaal, and funded by Dutch, German and Transvaal capitalists....
(NZASM) in the Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek (ZAR). Between 1893 and 1898 one hundred and seventy-five 46 Tonner 0-6-4T tank steam locomotives were placed in service, built by the Maschinenfabrik Esslingen
Maschinenfabrik Esslingen
Maschinenfabrik Esslingen , was a German engineering firm that manufactured locomotives, tramways, railway wagons, roll-blocks, technical equipment for the railways, , bridges, steel structures, pumps and boilers.-Founding:...
in Germany.
In 1899 twenty more were ordered from the Nederlandse Fabriek van Werktuigen en Spoorwegmaterieel (Werkspoor) in Holland, of which only two were delivered by the time the Imperial Military Railways (IMR) took over all railway operations in the ZAR during the Second Freedom War. The other eighteen locomotives in this order were delivered directly to the IMR, who diverted two of them to Lourenço Marques in Mozambique
Mozambique
Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique , is a country in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west and Swaziland and South Africa to the southwest...
.
At the end of the war the survivors of these locomotives were taken onto the roster of the Central South African Railways
Central South African Railways
From 1902 to 1904, the area of power of Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Percy Girouard later also included the lines of The Netherlands-South African Railway Company; together this dominion covered all lines in the Transvaal that belonged to NZASM ....
(CSAR) and designated Class B
South African Class B 0-6-4T
Between 1893 and 1898 one hundred and seventy-five 46 Tonner 0-6-4T tank steam locomotives were placed in service by the Nederlandsche-Zuid-Afrikaansche Spoorwegmaatschappij in the Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek....
, while the two in Mozambique were taken onto the roster of the Caminhos de Ferro de Mocambique (CFM). In 1912 the remaining CSAR locomotives were assimilated into the South African Railways.
Mozambique
The CFM eventually had at least thirty 46 Tonner 0-6-4T tank steam locomotives in service. Between 1897 and 1898 some 46 Tonners were sold by the NZASM to the CFM. The two locomotives that were delivered after the outbreak of the war and that were diverted to Lourenço Marques upon arrival were also taken onto the CFM roster at the end of the war. Later, between 1911 and 1920 during the CSAR and SAR eras, six more were sold to the CFM.United States
In the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
the 0-6-4 locomotive
Locomotive
A locomotive is a railway vehicle that provides the motive power for a train. The word originates from the Latin loco – "from a place", ablative of locus, "place" + Medieval Latin motivus, "causing motion", and is a shortened form of the term locomotive engine, first used in the early 19th...
was largely built only for use in railyards, essentially as an adaptation of an 0-6-0
0-6-0
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 0-6-0 represents the wheel arrangement of no leading wheels, six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles, and no trailing wheels...
switch engine with an extended firebox, or a 4-6-0
4-6-0
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 4-6-0 represents the wheel arrangement of four leading wheels on two axles in a leading truck, six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles, and no trailing wheels. This wheel arrangement became the second-most popular...
reconstructed with a larger firebox that necessitated the relocation of the leading wheel
Leading wheel
The leading wheel or leading axle of a steam locomotive is an unpowered wheel or axle located in front of the driving wheels. The axle or axles of the leading wheels are normally located in a truck...
s to the rear to support the firebox.