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R707
R707 was built by the North British Locomotive Company Limited in Glasgow, Scotland and allocated the builders number 26997 (the builders plate is mounted on the smoke deflectors).
R707, together with R708 and R709, was shipped aboard the MV Rhexenor and landed at Nelson Pier, Williamstown, on 10 July 1951.
R707 was not issued to traffic due to major damage to the roller bearings on the driving wheels caused by the entry of salt water while being shipped to Australia as deck cargo. The leading driving wheel assembly (wheels, axles and roller bearings) also suffered alignment defects and repair work required the driving wheels to be pressed off the axles, replacement roller bearings fitted and re-balancing after re-assembly. The locomotive was stored at Newport Workshops.
The PCB Experiment
During the 1923 and 1924 the Victorian Railways experimented with the use of pulverised brown coal dust (PBC) on various locomotives of the A2, DD and C classes. Although the tests showed that PBC could be used as a source of fuel in locomotives, testing was discontinued as the technology at the time was not considered advanced enough to warrant widespread service application.
In 1936 developments made in Germany justified further studies. Since the very early 1930's the German Federal Railways had been operating a number of freight locomotives using brown coal dust with very successful results. This ultimately brought together representatives of the brown coal industry and locomotive manufactures to form an association known as STUG (Studiengesellschaft) which conducted research and development of the 'stug' system of PBC firing.
This led the Victorian Railways, in conjunction with the State Electricity Commission of Victoria to investigate the possibilities of using brown coal from Yallourn as fuel for locomotives. This dust was obtained from the briquette factory at Yallourn and was derived by means of electrostatic separation of the dust from the flue gases. PBC was now the abbreviation for precipitated brown coal dust.
By the late 1940's, development had advanced sufficiently to enable the VR to purchase two sets of 'stug' PBC equipment from Henschel and Sohn in Germany. The first set was fitted to an 'X' class locomotive No. 32 in July 1949.
Following successful trials with X32, in early 1952 VR decided to fit R707, which had not entered service since delivery, with the remaining set of 'stug' equipment.
Modifications to R707 included:
removal of the MB-1 type stoker and associated equipment
fitting of the 'stug' burner equipment
alterations to the firebox involving the re-design of the brick arch and the replacement of the grate and ash pan with a fire-brick lined firepan
reducing the length of the superheater elements by some 12" (305mm) due to the higher superheat temperatures experienced with the running of X32, with the resultant effects on the piston packing in the cylinders
reconstructing the tender with a new tank and fuel hopper fitted to the existing under frame and bogies. The fuel hopper was completely enclosed and tapered down to the fuel conveying equipment. As a result of these modifications and the addition of transmission units, etc., the water capacity was reduced from 9,000 gallons (40,900 litres) to 6,000 gallons (27,300 litres).
R707 was finally issued to traffic as a PBC equipped locomotive on 4 August 1954, just three years since its delivery. Prior to its entry into service, steaming trials were undertaken at North Melbourne Locomotive Depot and following adjustments, R707 then made a number of test runs to Bendigo.
Because if the reduced water capacity of the tender, R707 did not have sufficient margin to allow for bad weather and traffic delays while running express passenger trains to Bendigo. The expenditure which would have been required to construct new fuel handling equipment at Bendigo Locomotive depot was not justified and as these facilities already existed at North Melbourne depot along with the availability of specially trained crews, fitters and workshop facilities. R707 was therefore based at North Melbourne during its PBC service life and was confined to running passenger and freight trains from Melbourne to Geelong and to Seymour.
R707 was taken out of service in May 1956 following some major damage as a result of a derailment. Directions were issued on 7 May 1956 for repairs to be carried out at North Melbourne depot, however with further additions to the diesel fleet and the withdrawal of X32 for repair; it was decided to discontinue the PBC test program. R707 had only run 30,761 miles (49,494km) in twenty-one months of service.
The engine was stored until 28 February 1957 when it was sent back to Newport Workshops for re-conversion to black coal firing. The PBC equipment (including the pulverised fuel tender) was removed. R744, which has been shopped some months earlier for heavy mechanical and boiler repairs, was stripped of various parts and fittings and the tender to complete the re-conversion of R707. It was re-issued to traffic as a black coal burner on the 31 May 1957.
It is currently restored, and operational at the Newport Railyards.
R707
R707 was built by the North British Locomotive Company Limited in Glasgow, Scotland and allocated the builders number 26997 (the builders plate is mounted on the smoke deflectors).
R707, together with R708 and R709, was shipped aboard the MV Rhexenor and landed at Nelson Pier, Williamstown, on 10 July 1951.
R707 was not issued to traffic due to major damage to the roller bearings on the driving wheels caused by the entry of salt water while being shipped to Australia as deck cargo. The leading driving wheel assembly (wheels, axles and roller bearings) also suffered alignment defects and repair work required the driving wheels to be pressed off the axles, replacement roller bearings fitted and re-balancing after re-assembly. The locomotive was stored at Newport Workshops.
The PCB Experiment
During the 1923 and 1924 the Victorian Railways experimented with the use of pulverised brown coal dust (PBC) on various locomotives of the A2, DD and C classes. Although the tests showed that PBC could be used as a source of fuel in locomotives, testing was discontinued as the technology at the time was not considered advanced enough to warrant widespread service application.
In 1936 developments made in Germany justified further studies. Since the very early 1930's the German Federal Railways had been operating a number of freight locomotives using brown coal dust with very successful results. This ultimately brought together representatives of the brown coal industry and locomotive manufactures to form an association known as STUG (Studiengesellschaft) which conducted research and development of the 'stug' system of PBC firing.
This led the Victorian Railways, in conjunction with the State Electricity Commission of Victoria to investigate the possibilities of using brown coal from Yallourn as fuel for locomotives. This dust was obtained from the briquette factory at Yallourn and was derived by means of electrostatic separation of the dust from the flue gases. PBC was now the abbreviation for precipitated brown coal dust.
By the late 1940's, development had advanced sufficiently to enable the VR to purchase two sets of 'stug' PBC equipment from Henschel and Sohn in Germany. The first set was fitted to an 'X' class locomotive No. 32 in July 1949.
Following successful trials with X32, in early 1952 VR decided to fit R707, which had not entered service since delivery, with the remaining set of 'stug' equipment.
Modifications to R707 included:
removal of the MB-1 type stoker and associated equipment
fitting of the 'stug' burner equipment
alterations to the firebox involving the re-design of the brick arch and the replacement of the grate and ash pan with a fire-brick lined firepan
reducing the length of the superheater elements by some 12" (305mm) due to the higher superheat temperatures experienced with the running of X32, with the resultant effects on the piston packing in the cylinders
reconstructing the tender with a new tank and fuel hopper fitted to the existing under frame and bogies. The fuel hopper was completely enclosed and tapered down to the fuel conveying equipment. As a result of these modifications and the addition of transmission units, etc., the water capacity was reduced from 9,000 gallons (40,900 litres) to 6,000 gallons (27,300 litres).
R707 was finally issued to traffic as a PBC equipped locomotive on 4 August 1954, just three years since its delivery. Prior to its entry into service, steaming trials were undertaken at North Melbourne Locomotive Depot and following adjustments, R707 then made a number of test runs to Bendigo.
Because if the reduced water capacity of the tender, R707 did not have sufficient margin to allow for bad weather and traffic delays while running express passenger trains to Bendigo. The expenditure which would have been required to construct new fuel handling equipment at Bendigo Locomotive depot was not justified and as these facilities already existed at North Melbourne depot along with the availability of specially trained crews, fitters and workshop facilities. R707 was therefore based at North Melbourne during its PBC service life and was confined to running passenger and freight trains from Melbourne to Geelong and to Seymour.
R707 was taken out of service in May 1956 following some major damage as a result of a derailment. Directions were issued on 7 May 1956 for repairs to be carried out at North Melbourne depot, however with further additions to the diesel fleet and the withdrawal of X32 for repair; it was decided to discontinue the PBC test program. R707 had only run 30,761 miles (49,494km) in twenty-one months of service.
The engine was stored until 28 February 1957 when it was sent back to Newport Workshops for re-conversion to black coal firing. The PBC equipment (including the pulverised fuel tender) was removed. R744, which has been shopped some months earlier for heavy mechanical and boiler repairs, was stripped of various parts and fittings and the tender to complete the re-conversion of R707. It was re-issued to traffic as a black coal burner on the 31 May 1957.
It is currently restored, and operational at the Newport Railyards.