In some ways the N class was a failure. The drawbacks were that they were too long for the light lines turntables and they were very light for main line service. This meant they had all the extra costs for very little practical benefit. Shortly before this clip I had ridden my pushbike to Maryborough and spent a week there. Although almost all services were J class there was one N class that came in from Dunolly. I read below about trying to rebuild one but I ask "what would be the point"? How would it fit into an operating schema for preserved engines? Unless it was standard gauge and could go anywhere from SA to Brisbane.
It seems as that if it wasn't for the introduced policy to ensure future locomotives had to be standard gauge convertible, then the N class locomotives would not have been built but rather they would have built more K class locos. Interestingly, if they could have been able to see into the future to the age of diesels where all they had to do was to change bogies to suite whatever gauge, then there would be no need for a design of steam locomotive convertible to standard gauge. Ironically, it was never required that any N class steam be converted which means again that it would have been better to build more Ks rather than Ns - which were basically longer Ks. The Js were improved Ks with the advantages of being shorter than the Ns and yet were standard gauge convertible as well. It's good to have hindsight on these matters. It is interesting to know the reasons the N class came into existence.
@@reidgck ,there were differences between the k and n firebox. it seems the j's got the n firebox. there were some k's pumped out of the newport workshops during ww2. this lot of k's should have got the n firebox so that they could have been converted to j's by rebuilding with the boiler set higher on the chassis. there was and always will be a need for locos to be convertible to sg since the railways started in this country. i am disgusted with the people who govern us that standardisation isn't being done properly now nor ever done properly and in most cases never done at all. for god's sake, to those who govern us, just bloody do it. it was estimated in an honest report released in the noughties that the ballsup costs industry about $5billion every year. for 2 years of $5billion the job could be done, capital city networks and all.
Hmm, it all depends on perspective. In the final days N class (especially oilies) were seen to do amazing things, boiler up to the anything a driver could ask.
I'm aware of two orignial N Class Locomotives left, them being N 432, and SA Railways No. 752 or (N 477) There is also a the N 411 project, which involves turning K 154, into a N class, however I haven't heard anything from this group in some time. Do you its possible well ever see any of these locomotives in operation again?
The project you mention is a big job. One of the drivers on the Mornington preserved line at Moorooduc told me of it about a year back. There are a couple of N boilers apparently available according to Wikipedia, and they can modify the frame of the K and fit a trailing truck that can be salvaged from somewhere. Seems ambitious but hopefully it will steam out of Warragul some day.
Victoria locos looked so 19 th century. And no Victoria locos were ever altered to standard gauge. The last advanced Pacific locos were a limited number of S class in the 1920s. The R class while admirable were too little too late. Victoria railways never was able to create the advanced designs of NSW railways. Thanks.
There were 70 R class main line steam locomotives in Victoria. Pity they came at the end of the steam era. In comparison there were 30 of the NSW 38 class. Fortunately there are some still some Rs in existence in Vic and a few operational which is more than can be said for the unfortunate scrapping of many impressive classes of steam such as in South Australia. Old railway maps of Victoria show, a maze of branch lines for which the bigger locos would have not been suitable. New South Wales maintained some very ancient steam locos even to the end of the steam age which made that system interesting. Each government system was unique in it own way, and the various gauges added more interest. Things have changed now but It is interesting to look back on the railway history of the states and of the nation with all the variations and differences.
more amazing stuff!
Can I use your footage for a video I'm working on?
In some ways the N class was a failure. The drawbacks were that they were too long for the light lines turntables and they were very light for main line service. This meant they had all the extra costs for very little practical benefit. Shortly before this clip I had ridden my pushbike to Maryborough and spent a week there. Although almost all services were J class there was one N class that came in from Dunolly. I read below about trying to rebuild one but I ask "what would be the point"? How would it fit into an operating schema for preserved engines? Unless it was standard gauge and could go anywhere from SA to Brisbane.
It seems as that if it wasn't for the introduced policy to ensure future locomotives had to be standard gauge convertible, then the N class locomotives would not have been built but rather they would have built more K class locos. Interestingly, if they could have been able to see into the future to the age of diesels where all they had to do was to change bogies to suite whatever gauge, then there would be no need for a design of steam locomotive convertible to standard gauge. Ironically, it was never required that any N class steam be converted which means again that it would have been better to build more Ks rather than Ns - which were basically longer Ks. The Js were improved Ks with the advantages of being shorter than the Ns and yet were standard gauge convertible as well. It's good to have hindsight on these matters. It is interesting to know the reasons the N class came into existence.
@@reidgck ,there were differences between the k and n firebox. it seems the j's got the n firebox. there were some k's pumped out of the newport workshops during ww2. this lot of k's should have got the n firebox so that they could have been converted to j's by rebuilding with the boiler set higher on the chassis. there was and always will be a need for locos to be convertible to sg since the railways started in this country. i am disgusted with the people who govern us that standardisation isn't being done properly now nor ever done properly and in most cases never done at all. for god's sake, to those who govern us, just bloody do it. it was estimated in an honest report released in the noughties that the ballsup costs industry about $5billion every year. for 2 years of $5billion the job could be done, capital city networks and all.
Hmm, it all depends on perspective. In the final days N class (especially oilies) were seen to do amazing things, boiler up to the anything a driver could ask.
I'm aware of two orignial N Class Locomotives left, them being N 432, and SA Railways No. 752 or (N 477)
There is also a the N 411 project, which involves turning K 154, into a N class, however I haven't heard anything from this group in some time.
Do you its possible well ever see any of these locomotives in operation again?
The project you mention is a big job. One of the drivers on the Mornington preserved line at Moorooduc told me of it about a year back. There are a couple of N boilers apparently available according to Wikipedia, and they can modify the frame of the K and fit a trailing truck that can be salvaged from somewhere. Seems ambitious but hopefully it will steam out of Warragul some day.
752 is at NRM port Adelaide but owned by the state historysa not the museum. Would love it running again
Would a Boiler from one of the two locomotives still be around?
Nope, only 2 full Ns survive, neither being the ones from the video
@@Alzaar_The_Gunzel There is a possibility of N Class Boiler escaping into private use, as there are many boilers which made it into industrial use.
Victoria locos looked so 19 th century. And no Victoria locos were ever altered to standard gauge. The last advanced Pacific locos were a limited number of S class in the 1920s. The R class while admirable were too little too late. Victoria railways never was able to create the advanced designs of NSW railways. Thanks.
There were 70 R class main line steam locomotives in Victoria. Pity they came at the end of the steam era. In comparison there were 30 of the NSW 38 class. Fortunately there are some still some Rs in existence in Vic and a few operational which is more than can be said for the unfortunate scrapping of many impressive classes of steam such as in South Australia. Old railway maps of Victoria show, a maze of branch lines for which the bigger locos would have not been suitable. New South Wales maintained some very ancient steam locos even to the end of the steam age which made that system interesting. Each government system was unique in it own way, and the various gauges added more interest. Things have changed now but It is interesting to look back on the railway history of the states and of the nation with all the variations and differences.
spell railways correctly