Victorian Railways A2 Class

The A2 Class locomotive is a 4-6-0 'Ten Wheeler' type of steam locomotive that ran on the Victorian Railways of Australia from 1907 to 1963.
==History==
Due to a massive boom in traffic at the turn of the century, greater motive power was needed to pull heavier trains as the Dd Class 4-6-0's were no longer capable of keeping up with the increasing workloads. Thus the A2's were built and entered service, replacing the Dd's and relegating them to branch line duties. Thus the A2 Class took over mainline express passenger duties, allowing for faster timetables to be introduced.
Initially they were limited to mainline services, but due to track upgrades were capable of branch line services. In later years, all of the class were upgraded with superheated steam boilers.
Increasing traffic and thus workloads later required the A2's to double head on passenger trains between Albury and Serviceton, as the workload had become too much for one A2 alone. Thus, in 1928 they were replaced on the North Eastern line to Albury by the considerably more powerful 3 cylinder S Class 4-6-2 Pacifics; however, with the economic onslaught of the Great Depression, the A2's continued in service on every other main line and were not replaced by newer engines (their construction was cancelled or put on hold due to the depression).
In 1933, they were fitted with a 'modified front end', a self cleaning smokebox also to be tested on the C Class 2-8-0 Consolidations. The success of these saw them being fitted onto not only the A2's and C's, but also the K Class 2-8-0's, the N Class 2-8-2's, S Class and X Class 2-8-2's as well as become standard on every VR design afterwards.
During World War II, increasing workloads and an unprecedented boom in traffic saw the A2's undergo heavy, punishing labor and little maintenance, frequently causing them to suffer wearing out and frame cracking. In 1941, it was intended for the hugely more modern and powerful H Class 4-8-4 #220 "Heavy Harry" to replace the double heading A2's on the Western line to Serviceton; though lack of upgrades to several bridges meant this never came to fruition, so H 220 was assigned to pulling fast express freights along the North Eastern line, and the A2's were forced to continue along the Western line in doubleheaded passenger service.
Later on, they were converted to oil firing due to the poor quality of coal and were refitted with boxpok driving wheels; as their conventional spoked wheels were prone to crack from fatigue.
After the war, the A2's were left in a deplorable condition, necessitating for newer motive power across all lines, leading to the more powerful R Class 4-6-4 locomotives being put into service on express passenger trains from 1951 on, thus ending the A2's extended reign. The final A2's were to be relegated to branchline duties and excursion specials, the last example finally being withdrawn in 1963.
==Preservation==
Only one example of the original Stephenson A2's survive, that being A2 #884 in the ARHS Museum at North Williamstown.
Four of the Walschaerts-equipped A2's survive.
*A2 #964 is preserved as a static exhibit in a park in Resevior, Melbourne.
*A2 #986 has been restored to full working order by Steamrail Victoria after a 15 year overhaul. Has ran the last broad gauge steam hauled train to Wycheproof on the Sea Lake railway line, intended to be the last before gauge standardization. However gauge standardization has yet to occur.
*A2 #995 is also preserved in the ARHS Museum at North Williamstown.
*A2 #996 is preserved in Echuca Victoria, having recently been moved back to the Port of Echuca for light steaming as part of the "meeting of the whistles" events, after being stored in the Echuca yard for a decade.
==Specifications==
The A2 Class weighs 123.3 tonnes. The locomotives have 2 cylinders with a 22 inch bore by 26 inch stroke (559 x 660 mm) with a boiler pressure of 185 psi with a tractive effort of 27,480 lbf. The firebox possesses a grate area of 29 square feet (2.7 m^2).The engine's driving wheels were 73 inches (1.85 m)
The coal burning tender is capable of carrying 6 tons of coal and 4700 gallons (21000 litres) of water. The oil burning tender is capable of carrying 1500 gallons (6800 litres) of oil.
==Trivia==
*The A2's service life as a top link express passenger locomotive was forcibly extended due to the Great Depression and war delaying upgrading of lines and introduction of more modern and powerful locomotives.
*In 1951, four A2's (two trains, both double headed) pulling both the Eastound and Westbound Overland Express were involved in a head on collision at Serviceton. All four locomotives were so badly damaged that three of them were scrapped on site.
*Two A2's hold a haulage record in Victoria, hauling a 1,598 ton wheat train from Seymour to Benalla.
==Gallery==
*Gallery
Category:Victorian Railways
Category:Steam locomotives
Category:Six-coupled locomotives
Category:Tender locomotives
Category:4-6-0 steam locomotives
Category:Australian Locomotives
Category:4-6-0 locomotives
Category:Built in 1907
Category:Australia
Category:Australian Steam Locomotives
Category:Locomotives
Category:Passenger locomotives