NSWGR I17 / Z26 Class Steam Locomotives

We often tend to think that rail planners these days are short-sighted and miss obvious signs that they’re plans are not going to produce the outcomes they hoped for but the history of short-sightedness goes back much further than we might think and these locos, ordered in the early 1890’s are an example of that problem.

In 1882 25 B55 class 2-6-0 goods locomotives were ordered from Dubs and Co with the first of these not being delivered until 1891. These locomotives proved quite successful, and Dubs must have been able to speed up the time between order and delivery because the railways went back to them and placed an order for 20 I17 Class saddle tank versions of the B55.

These 20 locomotives, delivered between January and May 1892, were to be used on banking services over the Blue Mountains but, when you think about it, a steam locomotive uses a lot of coal and lot of water … especially when they’re working hard on steep inclines … and these locos didn’t carry much of either.

2605 in the roundhouse at Lithgow loco in 1962
2605 in Lithgow Loco on 20th April 1962

Sure, the tank looks big but looks can be deceiving and they were soon transferred away from the mountains. Some went to the Waterfall to be used on banking trains there … a much shorter grade that these locomotives could cope with.

Others went to Newcastle and the Illawarra to haul coal trains and they worked in that service for many years. As more and more modern locomotives came into use these locos were slowly shuffled down lesser duties such as shunting at Darling Harbour, banking duties out of Bathurst and Lithgow as well as shunting around the Port Kembla network

2619 at Lithgow Loco in January 1962
2619 at Lithgow Loco in April 1962

Renumbering

These locomotives were originally introduced as the I17 Class but did not have consecutive numbers. In 1924 the Railways introduced a new numbering system and this class was reclassified as the Z26 Class with numbers 2601 to 2620

See the list below for the numbers each locomotive carried.

Withdrawals

The first withdrawal came in 1956 when 2602 was withdrawn at Bathurst and by 1961 there were only nine on the books but the last of the class in Government service wasn’t withdrawn till October 1970.

In December 1966 the Commonwealth Portland Cement Company purchased 2605 and it remained in service with that company, transferring wagons between Portland railway station (north of Wallerawang) and the plant until the Company moved to road transport. By that time the loco it was in such poor condition that, from my own observations, it’s maximum load in the Up direction was just 3 S trucks of bagged cement.

2605 is now preserved at the State Mine Railway & Museum near Lithgow and 2606 is preserved at Thirlmere.

The 26 Class was never going to win any prizes for good looks but there is something about the design that just appeals to people.

2613 and 2601 at Port Kembla
2613 and 2601 at Port Kembla March, 1961

Specifications:

Cylinders – 18 x 26in (46 x66cm)

Boiler pressure – 150lb (1034kPa)

Coupled wheels – 4ft 0in (122cm)

Tractive Effort – 21,060lb (93.7kN)

Total weight – 65.9 tons (67.2 tonnes)

History

17 / 2601

Builder: Dubs & Co.

Builders No: 2790

In service: 7.1.1892

Withdrawn: 5.1961

Scrapped: 29.4.1963

Mileage: 1,766,520km*

18 / 2602

Builder: Dubs & Co.

Builders No: 2791

In service: 14.1.1892

Withdrawn: 9.1956

Scrapped: 26.2.1964

Mileage: 1,752,736km*

19 / 2603

Builder: Dubs & Co.

Builders No: 2792

In service: 18.1.1892

Withdrawn: 2.1962

Scrapped: 14.12.1963

Mileage: 1,197,665km*

20 / 2604**

Builder: Dubs & Co.

Builders No: 2793

In service: 22.1.1892

Withdrawn:

Scrapped:

Mileage:

21 / 2605

Builder: Dubs & Co.

Builders No: 2794

In service: 1.3.1892

Withdrawn: 7.1964

Sold: 1967

Mileage: 1,842,114km*

22 / 2606**

Builder: Dubs & Co.

Builders No: 2795

In service: 1.3.1892

Withdrawn:

Scrapped:

Mileage:

103 / 2607

Builder: Dubs & Co.

Builders No: 2796

In service: 3.5.1892

Withdrawn: 6.1960

Scrapped: 11.11.1963

Mileage: 1,982,450km*

127 / 2608

Builder: Dubs & Co.

Builders No: 2797

In service: 7.3.1892

Withdrawn: 2.61

Scrapped: 22.10.1963

Mileage: 1,911,950km*

128 / 2609

Builder: Dubs & Co.

Builders No: 2798

In service: 15.3.1892

Withdrawn: 24.1.1964

Scrapped: 5.3.1964

Mileage: 1,653,425km*

129 / 2610

Builder: Dubs & Co.

Builders No: 2799

In service: 11.3.1892

Withdrawn: 10.56

Scrapped: 13.11.1963

Mileage: 1,686,363km*

292 / 2611

Builder: Dubs & Co.

Builders No: 2800

In service: 30.3.1892

Withdrawn: 12.1960

Scrapped: 23.11.1964

Mileage: 1,890,019km*

293 / 2612

Builder: Dubs & Co.

Builders No: 2801

In service: 28.3.1892

Withdrawn: 12.63

Scrapped: 5.3.1964

Mileage: 1,585,963km*

391 / 2613

Builder: Dubs & Co.

Builders No: 2802

In service: 1.4.1892

Withdrawn: 6.1962

Scrapped: 3.6.1963

Mileage: 1,360,901km*

394 / 2614

Builder: Dubs & Co.

Builders No: 2803

In service: 22.3.1892

Withdrawn: 8.1957

Scrapped: 3.12.62

Mileage: 1,800,544km*

397 / 2615

Builder: Dubs & Co.

Builders No: 2804

In service: 24.3.1892

Withdrawn: 1.1961

Scrapped: 14.4.1965

Mileage: 1,8497,008km*

398 / 2616

Builder: Dubs & Co.

Builders No: 2805

In service: 3.5.1892

Withdrawn: 10.1962

Scrapped: 22.11.1963

Mileage: 1,952,125km*

399 / 2617

Builder: Dubs & Co.

Builders No: 2806

In service: 6.5.1892

Withdrawn: 12.1960

Scrapped: 22.9.1964

Mileage: 1,694,811km*

400 / 2618

Builder: Dubs & Co.

Builders No: 2807

In service: 10.5.1892

Withdrawn: 8.1959

Scrapped: 21.2.1964

Mileage: 1,900,891km*

401 / 2619

Builder: Dubs & Co.

Builders No: 2808

In service: 13.5.1892

Withdrawn: 1.1964

Scrapped: 1.6.1964

Mileage: 1,966,638km*

402 / 2620

Builder: Dubs & Co.

Builders No: 2809

In service: 16.5.1892

Withdrawn: 12.1960

Scrapped: 30.11.1964

Mileage: 1.869,984km*

* Mileage figures have been converted to kilometres by multiplying miles by 1.6

** Records for 2604 and 2606 are incomplete

References
Forsyth, John. Locomotive Data Sheets, unnumbered edition, produced by the NSW Government Railways, Sydney.

Oberg, L Locomotives of Australia – 1850s ~ 1900s Third Edition 1996, Kangaroo Press

The photos on this web page is by Weston Langford.
They are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License