Railways and Tramways of Australia

7 January

Builder’s photo of C36 class leader 3601, Eveleigh, 7 January 1925. Photo: NSW State Archives, NRS-17420-2-9-445/003.

Pigs might fly

Class leader 3601 of the New South Wales Railways C36 Class 4-6-0 steam locomotives commenced service on 7 January 1925.

The C36 Class was designed locally under the leadership of EE (Ernest) Lucy, who was Chief Mechanical Engineer of the New South Wales railways from 1911 until 1932. They were heavier and more powerful than the earlier NN Class (renumbered C35 Class in 1924). Engines 3601–3610 were bult at the Eveleigh Workshops in Sydney, while 3611–3675 were built by Clyde Engineering, also in Sydney.

After initial trials the C36 Class engines were put to work hauling express trains. 3601 operated several trips between Sydney and Albury, a distance of 646 km. It was the longest unbroken journey by a steam locomotive in Australia. The class soon became a regular sight on passenger services along all main lines from Sydney, and proved to be very successful.

Enginemen soon began to refer to the C36 Class as ‘Pigs’ because of their boiler profile, but also because of the challenges they provided for firemen.

And they were fast. In May 1941, 3619 reached a maximum speed of 81.8 mph (131.6 km/h) at Werrington, the first time that a speed greater than 80 mph had been recorded by a locomotive in New South Wales.

Dieselisation led to the 36 Class being withdrawn from 1959 onwards, and the 1960s saw their numbers dwindle. The last in regular service was 3642, which was withdrawn on 30 September 1969.

Three members of the C36 Class have been preserved: 3609 is at the Junee Roundhouse Railway Museum, while 3616 and 3642 are at the NSW Rail Museum at Thirlmere.

3642 has been regularly used for heritage train services for many years. A pig keeps flying.

Bibliography

JH Forsyth, Steam locomotive data, Public Transport Commission of New South Wales, Sydney, 1974.

A Grunbach, A compendium of New South Wales steam locomotives, Australian Railway Historical Society (NSW Division), Sydney, 1989.

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

JB Thompson, 36: a service history of the C36 class locomotives of the New South Wales Government Railways, New South Wales Rail Transport

     Museum, Sydney, 1988.