 |
| NSW PRIVATE RAILWAY STEAM LOCOMOTIVES - J & A BROWN 5
J & A Brown 0-6-4 Mixed Traffic Side Tank Steam Locomotive No 5
1. Exhibit History
Dating from 1885, locomotive JABAS No. 5 is one of the most historic and interesting locomotives in the Museum. Originally, nine of these 0 6 4 tank engines were built specially for the Mersey Railway in Liverpool by Messrs. Beyer, Peacock and Company of Manchester in 1885 1886.
The Mersey Railway was a steeply graded (up to 1:27) underground suburban railway, so these locomotives were built with steam condensing apparatus, and steam brakes (in addition to the British vacuum system), as well as being very powerful for the time. Unusually, they were also fitted with steam-powered reversing gear.
After these locomotives were made redundant by electrification of the Mersey Railway in 1903, Messrs. J. & A. Brown purchased four of them (works numbers 2601, 2607, 2782 and 2604) to work the coal traffic over their Richmond Vale Railway between Pelaw Main and Hexham. In Mersey Railway service, these four engines carried road numbers 1, 4, 7 and 9, and in that order were originally named "The Major," "Gladstone," "Liverpool" and "Connaught".
Before shipping to Australia, they were overhauled by Beyer, Peacock, who also removed their steam condensing apparatus and fitted full cabs to the standard Beyer Peacock pattern also seen on the F (351), E (10) (Z20), M (40) (Z11) and S (636) (C30) classes. (In Mersey Railway service the locomotives originally had only spectacle plates front and rear.).
The first three engines, Nos. 1, 7 and 9, entered J. & A. Browns' service around 1906 - 1907. The fourth engine, Mersey No. 4, was not purchased by Browns till January 1908, arriving about 1909.
All were initially stabled at the Minmi Running Shed, later at the Pelaw Main Running Shed, for working trains from Pelaw Main and Richmond Main to Hexham.
Mersey Nos. 1, 7, 9 and 4 became listed as Browns' road numbers 5, 6, 7 and 8 respectively, so that the surviving member of the group, Browns' No. 5, was originally Mersey No. 1, "The Major" (after Major Isaac, the engineer responsible for initial tunnelling on the Mersey Railway in 1879).
No.5 displays many unusual features for NSW, including outside frames, the 0-6-4 wheel arrangement, power reverse equipment (which was not introduced on NSW locomotives until the introduction of the 57 Class in 1929), and upward opening smokebox door.
Data:
Livery
Originally (in Mersey Railway service), the locomotives were painted dark green, with polished brass boiler bands. The outside frames were painted brown. The chimney bell mouth was polished copper, and the dome shade was polished brass.
It is probable, though not completely certain, that the locomotives carried this livery after their sale, overhaul and shipping to Australia to work on Browns' Richmond Vale Railway. The first three, Browns' Nos. 5, 6 & 7, also retained their cast brass name-plates (it being suggested that No. 8, "Gladstone," arrived without its plates).
Later in life, it appears that all lost their brass nameplates and were painted overall in basic black. In the 1950's - 1960's, they carried their road numbers painted in white on the sides of the front sandboxes, and No. 5 still carries its road number thus.
Service and Withdrawal
The Browns' railway empire was expanded in 1931 (following the death of John Brown in 1930) with the merger resulting in the new company J. & A. Brown, Abermain - Seaham Collieries Ltd ("JABAS"). From 1936 to 1939, locomotive No. 5 was used at Abermain and also at the Stanford Main Colliery at Paxton. No. 6 was sold to Cessnock Colliery, later going to Kalingo Colliery until the mid-1950's. It is believed to have been eventually scrapped about 1967. No. 7 was withdrawn and cut up in 1932, while. No. 8, also out of service by the 1930's, was cut up in 1968.
No. 5, the last of the class in service (withdrawn circa 1945) was stored for several years at Hexham before being purchased by the New South Wales Rail Transport Museum in 1973.
2. Collection History
Along with many other locomotives and other rolling stock, No. 5 was hauled to Thirlmere in 1975, where it has been ever since. It is not currently on display. Having been withdrawn from service by JABAS circa 1945, presumably mainly on account of the condition of its boiler, the locomotive is not in trafficable condition. It has not been restored since its arrival at Thirlmere.
Many years ago, presumably either in service with Browns or when being moved or shunted, the front draw-hook pulled out of the timber buffer beam, damaging the steel front plate. In December 1999, so as to allow shunting to extract locomotive 1307 from storage, the Museum's maintenance staff repaired the front buffer beam. The plate was replaced, new timber fitted, and the front end returned to serviceable condition. The work was carried out using authentic materials and methods.
3. Statement of Significance
JABAS No. 5 is the only survivor of an unusual class of heavy tank locomotives, built in 1885 by the famous firm of Beyer, Peacock originally for the Mersey underground suburban railway in Liverpool, and ultimately used on one of the most significant private colliery railways in Australia from the very early 20th Century. It is historically highly significant in both roles.
It is technically significant in having been fitted with outside frames, steam brakes and steam power reversing gear. The original condensing apparatus (also significant) was removed before it came to Australia. Its use on coal haulage on J. & A. Browns' historic Richmond Vale Railway and in the Newcastle area generally also adds social significance.
|