Victorian Railways Y class
Encyclopedia
The Victorian Railways Y class was an example of the new policy of standard design principles being adopted by the railways of the time. The original pattern locomotive (an 0-6-0 tender engine) was built by Kitson & Co.
at Leeds
in England
in 1885 and was exhibited along with E426 at the Centennial Exhibition in the Melbourne Exhibition Buildings in 1888. The other 30 locomotives of this type were built by Phoenix Foundry
at Ballarat in 1888-1889. They were given road numbers 383 to 441 (odds only) and the pattern engine 445, 443 having been allotted to an 'Old' R class. They were big locomotives for their time - in fact the largest and most powerful 0-6-0s to run in Australia
. The class excelled in their performance and acceptance by crews. They were often seen on suburban passenger trains prior to electrification, finishing their life as yard shunters. Withdrawal of the Y class began in 1926, and only Nos 108 (originally 412) and 112 (originally 419) survive, the latter of which has been restored to working order. The last in regular service was No. 108 which was withdrawn in 1963 after being a pilot engine at North Melbourne for many years.
Number 109 Y was taken off the register 23 December 1954 and frame and wheels sold to the Brunswick Plaster Mills Ply. Ltd who rebuilt it into a diesel-mechanical locomotive for service on a siding which provided access to a gypsum deposit in north western Victoria near Nowingi.
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...
at 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...
in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
in 1885 and was exhibited along with E426 at the Centennial Exhibition in the Melbourne Exhibition Buildings in 1888. The other 30 locomotives of this type were built by Phoenix Foundry
Phoenix Foundry
The Phoenix Foundry was a company that built steam locomotives and other industrial machinery in the city of Ballarat, Victoria, Australia. Over 30 years they built 352 locomotives for the Victorian Railways, of 38 different designs.-History:...
at Ballarat in 1888-1889. They were given road numbers 383 to 441 (odds only) and the pattern engine 445, 443 having been allotted to an 'Old' R class. They were big locomotives for their time - in fact the largest and most powerful 0-6-0s to run in 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...
. The class excelled in their performance and acceptance by crews. They were often seen on suburban passenger trains prior to electrification, finishing their life as yard shunters. Withdrawal of the Y class began in 1926, and only Nos 108 (originally 412) and 112 (originally 419) survive, the latter of which has been restored to working order. The last in regular service was No. 108 which was withdrawn in 1963 after being a pilot engine at North Melbourne for many years.
Number 109 Y was taken off the register 23 December 1954 and frame and wheels sold to the Brunswick Plaster Mills Ply. Ltd who rebuilt it into a diesel-mechanical locomotive for service on a siding which provided access to a gypsum deposit in north western Victoria near Nowingi.
External links
- Victorian Preserved Steam Locomotives detailed information about all surviving ex-VR steam locos.
- VICSIG Y Class Information on the Y class.
- Y class drawing.
- Y class photo.
- Side view
- Y 397