South Australian Railways E class
E14 in August 1865
Type and origin Power type Steam Builder Slaughter Gruning & Co, Bristol Avonside Engine Company, Bristol Adelaide Locomotive Works Build date 1862-1882 Total produced 7 Rebuild date 1864-1889 Number rebuilt 7
Specifications Configuration: ​  • Whyte 2-4-0T 2-4-0 Gauge 5 ft 3 in (1,600 mm) Length 26 ft 4 in (8.03 m) (Original) 42 ft 4+1⁄4 in (12.91 m) (Rebuilt) Height 12 ft 11+1⁄2 in (3,949.7 mm) Axle load 9 long tons 7 cwt (20,900 lb or 9.5 t) (Original) 11 long tons 14 cwt (26,200 lb or 11.9 t) (Rebuilt) Loco weight 32 long tons 10 cwt (72,800 lb or 33 t) Total weight 44 long tons 12 cwt (99,900 lb or 45.3 t) Fuel type Coal Fuel capacity 0 long tons 12 cwt (1,300 lb or 0.6 t) (Tank) 4 long tons 3 cwt 1 qr (9,320 lb or 4.23 t) (Tender) Water cap. 600 imp gal (720 US gal; 2,700 L) (Tank) 1,500 imp gal (1,800 US gal; 6,800 L) (Tender) Boiler pressure 130 psi (896 kPa) Heating surface: ​  • Firebox 89.5 sq ft (8.31 m2)  • Tubes 805.2 sq ft (74.81 m2) Cylinders 2
Performance figures Tractive effort 7,450 lbf (33.1 kN) (Original) 7,910 lbf (35.2 kN) (Rebuilt)
Career Operators South Australian Railways Class E Numbers 10, 13, 14, 42 (49), 50, 51 & 56 Withdrawn 1886-1929 Scrapped 1886-1929 Disposition all scrapped

The South Australian Railways E class was a class of 2-4-0 steam locomotives acquired to work passenger and goods train services on the South Australian Railways broad gauge system.

In January 1862, Slaughter Gruning & Co, Bristol delivered two 2-4-0 locomotives to the Melbourne and Essendon Railway Company. Only one was required, so the second was sold to the South Australian Railways in April 1862 entering service numbered 10. It was joined by the other locomotive in January 1865 numbered 13. A third example was delivered by the Avonside Engine Company, Bristol in September 1865 and numbered 14.^[1]

In 1878, a further three that had been made redundant by a gauge conversion project were purchased from the Canterbury Provincial Railways of New Zealand. All were aboard the ship Hyderabad which ran aground on Waitarere Beach between Ōtaki and Foxton on 24 June 1878. They eventually arrived at Port Adelaide on other ships. The first entered traffic in April 1880.^[1]

In September 1881, No. 13 was converted to a tender locomotive for use on the Kapunda to Adelaide line. A seventh was built in 1882 by the Adelaide Locomotive Works using parts from other locomotives. Number 13 was the first withdrawn in September 1896, with the last, 49 and 51, withdrawn in April 1929.^[1][2]

• "The E-Class Tank Engines of South Australia" Australian Railway Society Bulletin issue 373 November 1968 pages 375-380

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