New South Wales C38 class locomotive

New South Wales C38 Class
3801 on a Newcastle Flyer charter in October 2005
Type and origin Power type Steam Builder Clyde Engineering (5) Eveleigh Railway Workshops (13) Cardiff Locomotive Workshops (12) Build date January 1943 – November 1949
Specifications Configuration: ​  • Whyte 4-6-2 Gauge 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge Driver dia. 5 ft 9 in (1,753 mm) Wheelbase 65 ft 7+1⁄8 in (19.99 m) Length 76 ft 5 in (23.29 m) Total weight 201 long tons (204 tonnes; 225 short tons) when in steam Fuel type Coal Fuel capacity 14 long tons (14.225 tonnes; 15.680 short tons) Water cap. 8,100 imp gal (37,000 L; 9,700 US gal) Firebox: ​  • Grate area 47 sq ft (4.4 m2) Boiler pressure 245 psi (1.69 MPa) Heating surface: ​  • Tubes 142 tubes, 2+1⁄4 in (57.1 mm) dia each  • Flues 36 flues, 2+1⁄4 in (57.1 mm) dia each  • Total surface 3,367.79 sq ft (312.878 m2) Superheater 36 element Cylinders Two, outside Cylinder size 21.5 in × 26 in (550 mm × 660 mm) Valve gear Walschaerts
Performance figures Tractive effort 36,273 lbf (161.35 kN)
Career Operators New South Wales Government Railways Class C38 Number in class 30 Numbers 3801–3830 Locale New South Wales, Australia First run 22 January 1943 Last run 29 December 1970 Preserved 3801, 3813, 3820, 3830 Disposition 4 preserved, 26 scrapped

The C38 class (occasionally known as the 38 class and nicknamed "Pacifics" by some railwaymen) was a class of steam locomotive built for the New South Wales Government Railways in Australia.

Constructed between January 1943 and November 1949, the 30 locomotives in the class were designed to haul express passenger services throughout New South Wales. They were the only New South Wales locomotives to use the popular Pacific 4-6-2 wheel arrangement and were the last steam locomotives in the state to be built for passenger train operation, all subsequent deliveries being specifically for freight haulage.^[1]