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The reference for locomotives and railcars

Midland Railway of Western Australia class B

Australia 1891 9 produced
The B6 still preserved today in 1910 collection Passey

The Midland Railway of Western Australia, founded in 1890, received its first major order from Hawthorn, Leslie & Co. in England. There were nine 4-4-0 steam locomotives with a gauge of 3 ft 6 in. They were given the numbers B2 to B10 and with a driver diameter of 4 ft 4 in, the small railway could use them in front of any type of train. Decommissioning began in 1929, but stopped after four engines. The remaining five continued to be used as shunting locomotives and remained in service until the 1950s.

One of the last engines to be retired was the B6, which was exhibited in Geraldton in the park not far from its previous route after its end of service in 1956. It is the only MRWA steam locomotive still in existence today. It changed hands in 1995 and ended up unseen in a locomotive shed. After renewed interest in railroad history among Geraldton residents, it was retrieved in 2010 and placed in the Walkaway Railway Station Museum, where plans have been made for its restoration ever since.

Technical data

General

Built
1891
Manufacturers
Hawthorn, Leslie & Co.
Wheel arrangement
4-4-0 (American)
Gauge
1,067 mm (Cape gauge)

Dimensions and weights

Length
13.18 m
Total mass
50.6 t

Boiler

Grate area
1.301 m²

Power plant

Driver diameter
1,321 mm
Boiler pressure
11 bar
Expansion type
simple expansion
Cylinders
two, 381 x 508 mm

Power

Power source
steam
Indicated power
490 kW (666 PS)
Starting effort
52.4 kN

Calculated values

Optimal speed
58 km/h
Power-to-weight ratio
9.7 kW/t
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