South Australian Railways 740 class

The South Australian Railways 740 class was a class of 2-8-2 freight locomotives built by Clyde Engineering, Granville for the South Australian Railways in 1951-1952.

South Australian Railways 740 class
740 at Mile End in March 1952
Type and origin Power type Steam Builder Clyde Engineering Serial number 520-533 Build date 1951-1953 Total produced 10
Specifications Configuration: ​  • Whyte 2-8-2 1′D1′ 2′2′ Gauge 1,600 mm (5 ft 3 in) Leading dia. 2 ft 9 in (838 mm) Driver dia. 4 ft 9 in (1,448 mm) Trailing dia. 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) Length 73 ft 1+1⁄2 in (22.29 m) Height 14 ft 0 in (4,254.5 mm) Axle load 17 long tons 17 cwt (40,000 lb or 18.1 t) Loco weight 93.95 long tons 0 cwt (210,400 lb or 95.5 t) Tender weight 71.10 long tons 0 cwt (159,300 lb or 72.2 t) Total weight 165 long tons 1 cwt (369,700 lb or 167.7 t) Fuel type Coal Fuel capacity 10 long tons 0 cwt (22,400 lb or 10.2 t) Water cap. 6,350 imp gal (7,630 US gal; 28,900 L) Firebox: ​  • Grate area 47 sq ft (4.4 m2) Boiler pressure 200 psi (1,379 kPa) Heating surface: ​  • Firebox 194 sq ft (18.0 m2)  • Tubes 2,400 sq ft (220 m2) Superheater: ​  • Heating area 620 sq ft (58 m2) Cylinders 2 Cylinder size 22 in × 28 in (559 mm × 711 mm) Valve gear Walschaerts Valve type Piston
Performance figures Tractive effort 40,454 lbf (179,950 N) Factor of adh. 3.81
Career Operators South Australian Railways Class 740 Number in class 10 Numbers 740-749 First run 1/3/1952 Withdrawn 1963-1965 Scrapped 1963-1966 Disposition All scrapped

History

In the late 1940s, the federal government placed an order with Clyde Engineering, Granville for fifty 2-8-2 locomotives. These were ordered as part of Australia's contribution to the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration rehabilitation of China. With the first locomotives under construction, China fell to the Communists and Australia's obligations ceased.^[1]

The government was able to renegotiate the contract, with only twenty built. Ten were taken by the Commonwealth Railways as the L class, with the other ten going to the South Australian Railways as the 740 class after being converted for broad gauge operation. The 740 class remained in service until the early 1960s when replaced by diesels. The last was condemned in November 1965.^[1]