Locomotive No. 1

Locomotive No. 1
Powerhouse Museum static display
Type and origin
Power typeSteam
DesignerJames McConnell
BuilderRobert Stephenson and Company
Serial number958
Specifications
Configuration:
 • Whyte0-4-2
Gauge4 ft 8+12 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Driver dia.5 ft 6 in (1,676 mm)
Length14 ft 2 in (4.32 m)
Loco weight26 long tons 1 cwt 1 qr (58,380 lb or 26.48 t)
Tender cap.4 long tons
(4.064 tonnes; 4.480 short tons) coal,
2,000 imperial gallons
(9,100 litres; 2,400 US gallons) water
Firebox:
 • Grate area13.8 sq ft (1.28 m2)
Boiler pressure120 lbf/in2 (830 kPa)
Heating surface:
 • Firebox85.3 sq ft (7.92 m2)
 • Tubes1,060 sq ft (98 m2)
CylindersTwo
Cylinder size16 in × 24 in (406 mm × 610 mm)
Performance figures
Tractive effort8,900 lbf (40 kN)
Career
OperatorsSydney Railway Company
Class1
Number in class4
DeliveredJanuary 1855
First run24 May 1855
Last run15 May 1877
Retired1877

Locomotive No. 1 hauled the first passenger train in New South Wales, Australia. It was built by Robert Stephenson and Company. In 1846, the Sydney Railway Company[1] was formed with the objective of building a railway line between Sydney and Parramatta. No. 1 was one of four locomotives that arrived by sea from the manufacturer in January 1855. The first passenger train hauled by No. 1 was a special service from Sydney Station to Long Cove viaduct (near the present site of Lewisham) on 24 May 1855, Queen Victoria's birthday.

A common misconception is that Locomotive No. 1 hauled the first train at the grand opening of the first New South Wales railway, on 26 September 1855. In fact, No. 1 was in need of maintenance that day and not in steam. Its identical sister locomotive No. 3 worked the first passenger train from Sydney at 9:00 am and this was followed by the official train at 12:00 noon hauled by No. 2, driven by William Sixsmith and fireman William Webster.[2]

  1. ^ "OPENING OF THE SYDNEY RAILWAY". The Sydney Morning Herald. National Library of Australia. 27 September 1855. p. 4. Retrieved 26 August 2013.
  2. ^ Grunbach, A. (1989). A compendium of New South Wales steam locomotives. ARHS NSW Division.