Railways and Tramways of Australia
13 February
New 400 Class Garratt no. 400 in 1953. Photo: National Rail Museum, Wikimedia Commons
Last entry
400 Class 4-8-2+2-8-4 Beyer-Garratt no. 406 became the last steam locomotive to commence service in South Australia on 13 February 1954.
South Australia’s first steam locomotive commenced operating in February 1856. After 98 years its last steam locomotive entered service.
A shortage of narrow gauge locomotives following the Second World War led South Australian Railways to seek new motive power. Beyer-Garratts were chosen because of their high tractive effort combined with a light axle load. The order was placed with Beyer, Peacock and Company in Manchester, England, but the new locomotives were built under licence in France by the Societe-Franco BeIge de Materiel de Chemins de Fer.
Ten 400 Class were introduced in 1953–54. They were the heaviest and most powerful steam locomotives in South Australia. Weighing 149 tons (151 tonnes), they had a tractive effort of 43,520 pounds (194 kN) and an overall length of 87 feet 5 inches (27 metres). They were oil-fired.
The 400 Class were primarily ordered for working ore trains, with ore being carried from the mines at Broken Hill to the smelters at Port Pirie. They saw some service on other lines in the Peterborough region, and also worked passenger trains at times. The introduction of the 830 Class diesels brought about their withdrawal, with the 400s continuing in regular service until 1963. Several re-entered service briefly in 1969 while diesels were converted to standard gauge.
Two members of the 400 Class have been preserved, although 406, the last to enter service, was scrapped. 402 is at the Zig Zag Railway near Lithgow in New South Wales, and 409 is at the National Railway Museum in Port Adelaide.
406 was the last entry into service of steam locomotion in South Australia.
View
Footage of the 400 Class in operation:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LTzeGIlbBUc
Bibliography
BJ Castle, ‘The 400-class Beyer-Garratt locomotives’, Australian Railway Historical Society Bulletin, no. 213, July 1955, pp 85–8.
RE Fluck, R Sampson & KJ Bird, Steam locomotives and railcars of the South Australian Railways, Mile End Railway Museum, Adelaide, 1986.
L Oberg, Locomotives of Australia: 1854 to 2007, Rosenberg, Sydney, 2007.
400 Class steam locomotive 409, National Railway Museum, Port Adelaide, 18 January 2017. 409 is the sister engine of 406, the last steam engine to enter service with South Australian Railways.
