Victorian Railways K class

Victorian Railways K class
VR photo of K 103 as built, 1922
Type and origin Power type Steam Builder VR Newport Workshops Build date 1922-1946[1] Total produced 53
Specifications Configuration: ​  • Whyte 2-8-0 Gauge 5 ft 3 in (1,600 mm) Driver dia. 55 in (1,397 mm) Length 60 ft 3+1⁄2 in (18.38 m) Axle load 13 long tons 10 cwt (30,200 lb or 13.7 t) Adhesive weight 53 long tons 2 cwt (118,900 lb or 54 t) Loco weight 62 long tons 7 cwt (139,700 lb or 63.4 t) Tender weight 42 long tons 5 cwt (94,600 lb or 42.9 t) Total weight 104 long tons 12 cwt (234,300 lb or 106.3 t) Fuel type Coal Fuel capacity 5 long tons 0 cwt (11,200 lb or 5.1 t) Water cap. 4,200 imp gal (19,000 L; 5,000 US gal) Firebox: ​  • Grate area 25+3⁄4 sq ft (2.39 m2) Boiler pressure 175 psi (12.1 bar; 1,210 kPa) Heating surface 1,680 sq ft (156 m2) Cylinders 2 Cylinder size 20 in × 26 in (508 mm × 660 mm) Valve gear Walschaerts Valve type Piston valves
Performance figures Tractive effort 28,650 lbf (127,400 N) at 85% boiler pressure
Career Operators Victorian Railways Number in class 53 Numbers 100-109 (later 140-149), 150-192. Delivered 1922[2] First run 22 August 1922[2] Last run 13 March 1982[3] Retired 13 March 1982[3] Withdrawn 1958-1982[4][3] Preserved 151, 153, 154, 157, 159, 160, 162, 163, 165, 167, 169, 174, 175, 176, 177, 181, 183, 184, 190, 191, 192. Current owner Various heritage groups Disposition 21 preserved, 32 scrapped

The K class was a branch line steam locomotive that ran on Victorian Railways in Australia from 1922 to 1979. Although its design was entirely conventional and its specifications unremarkable, the K class was in practice a remarkably versatile and dependable locomotive. It went on to outlast every other class of steam locomotive in regular service on the VR, and no fewer than 21 examples of the 53 originally built have survived into preservation.