Victorian Railways H class

This article is about the 1941 H class steam locomotive. For the 1877 H class steam locomotives, see Victorian Railways H class (1877). For the 1968 diesel locomotives, see Victorian Railways H class (diesel).

Victorian Railways H class
Builder's photograph of H220, 1941
Type and origin
Power typeSteam
BuilderNewport Workshops
Build date1941
Total produced1
Specifications
Configuration:
​
 • Whyte4-8-4
Gauge1,600 mm (5 ft 3 in)
Driver dia.67 in (1,702 mm)
Length92 ft 5+3⁄4 in (28.19 m)
Axle load23 long tons 5 cwt (52,100 lb or 23.6 t)
Adhesive weight92 long tons 12 cwt (207,400 lb or 94.1 t)
Loco weight146 long tons 10 cwt (328,200 lb or 148.9 t)
Tender weight113 long tons 11 cwt (254,400 lb or 115.4 t)
Total weight260 long tons 1 cwt (582,500 lb or 264.2 t)
Fuel typeCoal
Fuel capacity9 t (8.9 long tons; 9.9 short tons)
Water cap.14,000 imp gal (64,000 L; 17,000 US gal)
Firebox:​
 • Grate area68 sq ft (6 m2)
Boiler pressure220 lbf/in2 (1,517 kPa)
Heating surface4,760 sq ft (442 m2)
Cylinders3
Cylinder size21.5 in × 28 in (546 mm × 711 mm)
Valve gearWalschaerts
Performance figures
Tractive effort55,000 lbf (245 kN) at 85% boiler pressure
Career
OperatorsVictorian Railways
NumbersH220
Nicknames"Heavy Harry"
DispositionOn static display, based at Newport Railway Museum

The Victorian Railways H class was an express passenger steam locomotive operated by the Victorian Railways from 1941 to 1958. Intended to eliminate the use of double heading A2 class locomotives on The Overland services on the steeply graded Western line to Adelaide, wartime restrictions led to only one locomotive being built. Nicknamed Heavy Harry, H220 was the largest locomotive ever built in Australia and the largest non-articulated steam locomotive to run on Australian railways.