Commonwealth Railways L class
{{Short description|Class of Australian 2-8-2 locomotives}}
{{Use Australian English|date=May 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2014}}
{{Infobox locomotive
|name = Commonwealth Railways L class
|powertype = Steam
|image = Commonwealth Railways L class locomotive no81 passes Stirling North signal box, nr Port Augusta (NRM AKA13345) -- cropped.jpg
|alt =
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|designer =
|builder = Clyde Engineering
|ordernumber =
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|buildmodel =
|builddate = 1951–1952
|totalproduction = 10
|rebuilder =
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|numberrebuilt =
|whytetype = 2-8-2
|uicclass =
|gauge = {{track gauge|1435 mm|allk=on}}
|leadingdiameter =
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|locoweight = {{convert|165|LT|t ST|abbr=on}}
|tenderweight =
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|fueltype = Coal
|fuelcap =
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|tendercap =
|sandcap =
|boiler =
|boilerpressure = {{convert|200|psi|bar kPa|0|abbr=on}}
|feedwaterheater =
|firearea = {{convert|47|sqft|m2|abbr=on}}
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|cylindersize = {{convert|22|x|28|in|mm|0|abbr=on}}
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|tractiveeffort = {{convert|40,418|lbf|kN|abbr=on}}
|factorofadhesion =
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|locobrakes =
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|safety =
|operator = Commonwealth Railways
|operatorclass =
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|numinclass =
|fleetnumbers = L80-L89
|officialname =
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|retiredate =
|withdrawndate = May 1959
|preservedunits =
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|scrapdate = Mid 1960
|currentowner =
|disposition = All scrapped}}
The Commonwealth Railways L class was a class of {{whyte|2-8-2}} freight locomotives built in 1951–1952 by Clyde Engineering, Granville, for the Commonwealth Railways, Australia.
History
In the late 1940s, the federal government placed an order with Clyde Engineering, Granville for fifty 2-8-2 locomotives. These were ordered as part of Australia's contribution to the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration rehabilitation of China. With the first locomotives under construction, China fell to the Communists and Australia's obligations ceased.{{cite book|last=Oberg|first=Leon|title=Locomotives of Australia 1850s-1980s|year=1984|publisher=Reed Books|location=Frenchs Forest|isbn=0-730100-05-7|page=198}}[http://www.comrails.com/cr_locos/r_l.html#80 L class] Chris's Commonwealth Railways Pages
The government was able to renegotiate the contract, with only twenty built. Ten were taken by the Commonwealth Railways, even though it already had diesel locomotives on order, with the other ten going to the South Australian Railways as the 740 class. Some were immediately placed on the scrap line at Port Augusta and never entered service. All were officially withdrawn by May 1959. They were scrapped in the mid 1960s with the boilers sold overseas.
Some of the tenders were converted into water carriers for use on the Commonwealth Railways weed killer train, still being in use in the early 1980s.
References
=Notes=
{{Reflist}}
=Bibliography=
{{refbegin}}
- {{FluMarWil-LocRailCR}}
{{refend}}
{{AusLocos|state=collapsed}}
Category:Clyde Engineering locomotives
Category:Railway locomotives introduced in 1951
Category:1′D1′ steam locomotives