NZR X class
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| Type and origin | |
|---|---|
| Power type | Steam |
| Builder | NZR Addington Workshops |
| Build date | 1908 - 1909, 1913 - 1915 1943 - 1949 (rebuild) |
| Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Configuration: |
|
| • Whyte | 4-8-2 |
| Gauge | 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) |
| Driver dia. | 45 in (1.143 m) |
| Length | 56 ft 9.75 in (17.32 m) |
| Adhesive weight | 46.7 long tons (47.4 t; 52.3 short tons) (original) 45.6 long tons (46.3 t; 51.1 short tons) (rebuild) |
| Loco weight | 66.7 long tons (67.8 t; 74.7 short tons) (original) 66.6 long tons (67.7 t; 74.6 short tons) (rebuild) |
| Tender weight | 27.3 long tons (27.7 t; 30.6 short tons) (original) 28.55 long tons (29.01 t; 31.98 short tons) (rebuild) |
| Total weight | 94.0 long tons (95.5 t; 105.3 short tons) (original) 95.15 long tons (96.68 t; 106.57 short tons) (rebuild) |
| Fuel type | Coal |
| Fuel capacity | 4.0 long tons (4.1 t; 4.5 short tons) (original) 5.0 long tons (5.1 t; 5.6 short tons) (rebuild) |
| Water cap | 2,200 imp gal (10,000 L; 2,600 US gal) |
| Firebox: • Firegrate area |
37.1 square feet (3.4 m2) (original) 37.5 square feet (3.5 m2) (rebuild) |
| Boiler pressure | 230 psi (1,586 kPa) (original) 215 psi (1,482 kPa) (rebuild) |
| Heating surface | 2,066 sq ft (191.9 m2) (original) 1,185 sq ft (110.1 m2) (rebuild) |
| Superheater: |
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| • Heating area | None (original) 168 square feet (15.6 m2) (rebuild) |
| Cylinders | 2 high pressure + 2 low pressure (original) 4 high pressure (rebuild) |
| High-pressure cylinder | 13.5 in × 22 in (343 mm × 559 mm) |
| Low-pressure cylinder | 22 in × 22 in (559 mm × 559 mm) |
| Performance figures | |
|---|---|
| Maximum speed | 30 mph (48 km/h) |
| Tractive effort | 26,620 lbf (118.4 kN) (original)/ 31,150 lbf (138.6 kN) (starting) 29,500 lbf (131 kN) (rebuild) |
| Career | |
|---|---|
| Number in class | 18 |
| Numbers | 439–446 588–597 |
| Locale | North Island Main Trunk |
| First run | 1909 |
| Last run | 1957 |
| Retired | 1935–1950 |
| Current owner | Feilding & Districts Steam Rail Society (1) |
| Disposition | Withdrawn, one preserved |
The NZR X class was a pioneering class of eighteen 4-8-2 steam locomotives designed by A. L. Beattie that operated on the national rail network of New Zealand. In 1908, a heavy and powerful locomotive was required to haul traffic on the newly completed mountainous central section of the North Island Main Trunk Railway, and as a logical progression of the 4-6-2 Q class design, the 4-8-2 wheel arrangement was created for the X class.
When the first X was completed in 1908 at NZGR's Addington Workshops in Christchurch, it was the very first 4-8-2 locomotive built in the world. The 4-8-2 design went on to be popular in the United States and was nicknamed the "Mountain" type; one theory suggests this name stems from the mountainous terrain that inspired the X's design, while another suggests the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway first coined the name in reference to its 4-8-2s of 1911 that were built to operate in the Allegheny Mountains.
The X class initially operated as the freight counterpart of the passenger A class, but they struggled to operate at speeds higher than 50 km/h (30 mph). They were built as de Glehn compound locomotives, but during the 1940s, most of the class were converted to simple, superheated locomotives. This increased their power but did not prolong their lives and most were officially withdrawn from service on 2 March 1957, though a few had been taken out of service earlier and two were sold to the Ohai Railway Board (ORB) that operated a private industrial line at the end of the Wairio Branch.
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