Commonwealth Railways KA class

The Commonwealth Railways KA class was a class of 2-8-0 tender locomotives of the Commonwealth Railways, Australia. The class operated on the 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) Trans-Australian Railway.

Commonwealth Railways KA class
A KA class locomotive, c 1951.
Type and origin Power type Steam Builder Perry Engineering (6) Walkers Limited (20) Build date 1918-1920 Total produced 26
Specifications Configuration: ​  • Whyte 2-8-0 Gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge Fuel type Coal Water cap. 4,850 imp gal (22,000 L; 5,820 US gal) Cylinder size 22 in × 26 in (559 mm × 660 mm)
Performance figures Tractive effort 29,609 lbf (131.71 kN)
Career Operators Commonwealth Railways Numbers KA35–KA54, KA56–KA61 First run September 1918 Disposition All scrapped

History

Between September 1918 and June 1920, Commonwealth Railways took delivery of 26 KA class freight locomotives built to the same design as the New South Wales Government Railways' TF class (later the D53 class). Six were built by Perry Engineering, Gawler and 20 by Walkers Limited, Maryborough.^[1][2] They were an upgraded version of the K class.

The Perry built locomotives received superheaters in 1943. Three were converted to burn oil during the 1949 coal strike, but were converted back within months.^[1]

Most survived until replaced by GM class diesel locomotives with the last withdrawn in September 1952.^[1]