Railways and Tramways of Australia

Phoenix Yankees

 

Victorian Railways steam locomotive no. 197 entered service on 11 September 1882.

 

Two 4-6-0 goods locomotives were ordered by Victorian Railways from the Baldwin Locomotive Works in Philadelphia during 1879, commencing service in 1880. A further ten were then ordered, these beginning work in 1883. The twelve engines were classified as the W Class in 1886. Their features were typical of American locomotives of the era, with a spacious wooden cab, sandbox mounted on the boiler, external cylinders, large steam dome and diamond smokestack.

 

The Baldwin engines were successful and ten similar locomotives were ordered from the Phoenix Foundry in Ballarat. Commencing service in September 1882, they were given odd numbers from 197 to 215, with the last entering service in July 1883. They were classified as the S Class in 1886. The S Class were essentially a scaled down version of the Baldwin W Class, with four-foot (1.2-metre) driving wheels instead of four-foot three-inches (1.3 metres). The smaller proportions reduced their overall weight, making them suitable for light lines.

 

In reference to their American design, the S Class were referred to as Phoenix Yankees, Ballarat Yankees or Colonial Yankees. One of the class, no. 207, was celebrated in April 1883 as the 100th locomotive built by the Phoenix Foundry for Victorian Railways. It was christened Victoria and displayed to a large crowd in Ballarat.

 

The S Class engines provided useful service in country regions of Victoria, particularly around Maryborough. They were withdrawn from service from 1904 to 1908. However, class leader no. 197 was rebuilt and re-entered service as a W Class engine in 1907, remaining operational until 1926.

 

The Phoenix Yankees are not well remembered by history. But a more famous S Class steam locomotive, the 4-6-2 express passenger engines, commenced service in Victoria in 1928.

 

Bibliography

N Cave, J Buckland & D Beardsell, Steam locomotives of the Victorian Railways, Volume 1: the first fifty years, Australian Railway Historical Society (Victorian Division), Melbourne, 2002.

A Churchward, ‘The Phoenix Foundry’s 100th locomotive’ (Letter), Australian Railway Historical Society Bulletin, no. 545, March 1983, p 69.

L Oberg, Locomotives of Australia: 1854 to 2007, Rosenberg, Sydney, 2007.