WAGR Msa class

WAGR Msa class
Works photo of Msa468, taken in 1930.
Type and origin Power type Steam Builder Midland Railway Workshops Serial number 46–55 Build date 1930 Total produced 10
Specifications Configuration: ​  • Whyte 2-6-0+0-6-2 (Garratt)  • UIC (1′C)(C1′) h4t Gauge 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) Driver dia. 39 in (991 mm) Adhesive weight 60 tonnes (59 long tons; 66 short tons) Loco weight 74 tonnes (73 long tons; 82 short tons) Firebox: ​  • Grate area 27 sq ft (2.5 m2) Boiler pressure 160 lbf/in2 (1.10 MPa) Heating surface 1,088 sq ft (101.1 m2) Superheater: ​  • Heating area 180 sq ft (17 m2) Cylinders 4 (Garratt) Cylinder size 13.25 in × 20 in (337 mm × 508 mm)
Performance figures Tractive effort 24,489 lbf (108.93 kN) Factor of adh. 4.9
Career Operators Western Australian Government Railways Numbers Msa466–Msa475 (later Msa491–Msa500) Withdrawn 1962-1963 Current owner all scrapped

The WAGR Msa class was a class of 2-6-0+0-6-2 Garratt articulated steam locomotives. The class was built at the Midland Railway Workshops and operated by the Western Australian Government Railways (WAGR) between 1930 and 1963. It was the first Garatt type to be designed and constructed entirely in Australia.

Class Msa Garratt articulated steam locomotive

History

The class was preceded on the WAGR system by the M/Ms class Garratts. The class were used extensively on WAGR lines with light rails and sharp curves, as a consequence many of the smaller older branch lines on the Darling Scarp; as well as those with steep inclines such as those on the Mundaring Weir, Nannup, and Flinders Bay lines. In their later years, the boiler pressure was reduced to match that of the M/Ms class. By this stage they had been concentrated on the Bunbury to Boyup Brook and Pinjarra to Boddington lines.

Contrary to popular belief, the last Msa was not accidentally cut up. In 1951, the Commissioner of Railways issued a directive to the Chief Mechanical Engineer not to cut up any written off locomotives and retain a "strategic reserve" in case they were required for future increases in traffic. In the ensuing years the directive was not strictly adhered to, though Ministerial approval was required before locomotives could be disposed of, which allowed many steam locomotives to survive long enough to be preserved. In 1964, the Commissioner reaffirmed the 1951 directive. A number of locomotives were approved for scrapping in February 1964, though it was specified that Msa, Ds, Es and U Class locomotives be retained, and "NOT TO BE CUT UP" was painted on the locomotives.

In 1965, Rail Heritage WA sent a letter to the WAGR requesting an Msa be retained for preservation. However, the Chief Mechanical Engineer at the time, Sidney Griffiths, believed the Msa was not a successful design and the WAGR refused to offer an example for preservation. Griffiths worked as a draftsman under Frederick Mills on the design of the MSA and later noted that when designing the locomotive there was a directive from the then Chief Mechanical Engineer, Ernest Alfred Evans, to make the firebox of the MSA one foot longer than the MS Class garratt, which threw out all the firebox and boiler proportions and made it a relatively poor steamer.

The MSA were finally approved for scrapping in 1966 and the last MSA locomotive was cut up in 1967.

Class list

The numbers and periods in service of each member of the Msa class were as follows:

Builder's number First number Second number In service Renumbered Withdrawn Notes 46 466 491 22 February 1930 22 September 1947 7 October 1963 Stowed 3 April 1962 47 467 492 22 February 1930 16 November 1949 7 October 1963 48 468 493 26 April 1930 29 July 1948 7 October 1963 Stowed 20 September 1961 49 469 494 31 May 1930 1 November 1947 7 October 1963 Stowed 8 November 1961 50 470 495 28 June 1930 2 October 1947 7 October 1963 51 471 496 19 July 1930 1 October 1947 7 October 1963 Stowed 27 September 1959 52 472 497 16 August 1930 11 July 1947 7 October 1963 Stowed 29 June 1961 53 473 498 13 September 1930 3 June 1948 6 September 1962 Stowed 20 January 1962 54 474 499 4 October 1930 30 April 1948 7 October 1963 Stowed 12 August 1960 55 475 500 1 November 1930 6 February 1948 7 October 1963 Stowed 14 December 1958

See also

• Rail transport in Western Australia
• List of Western Australian locomotive classes

References

Bibliography

• Durrant, A E (1981). Garratt Locomotives of the World (rev. and enl. ed.). Newton Abbot, England: David & Charles. ISBN 0-7153-7641-1. OCLC 9326294.
• Gunzburg, Adrian (1984). A History of WAGR Steam Locomotives. Perth: Australian Railway Historical Society (Western Australian Division). ISBN 0959969039.

External links

Media related to WAGR Msa class at Wikimedia Commons