A10 No.204

Croydon Station

 

This photo is kindly provided by Murray Lawrence and shows the frames, wheels and tenders of No.203 and No.204 at Normanton in January 1993.

Neither had a boiler at that stage, whereas No.204 has a boiler in later photos; closer inspection suggests it may be that previously on sister No.202.

Builder

Built by Vulcan Foundry, Lancashire

Supplied by Fairlie Engine Coy.

Builder’s Number & Year

Vulcan 802 of 1877

Fairlie 602 of 1877

Wheel Arrangement

2-4-0

No. in class

3

 

A10 No.204 is a fascinating survivor of the Queensland Railways’ early years, having been built as early as 1877. It owes it survival to having been transported to the isolated and remote Normanton - Croydon Railway in 1889.

No.204 was not used after 1895. The boiler was scrapped in 1905 but the frames and wheels remained at Normanton. The 4-wheel tender was possibly used as a water cart (together with that from No.203) as both were derelict at Croydon by 1985 but were reunited with the engine frames at Normanton in that year.

No.204 has now been moved to the other end of the line and is displayed at the front of Croydon Station and has acquired a boiler. Judging by the faded blue boiler clothing, this would probably be the boiler previously fitted to No.202 and painted blue when that loco was prepared for display at Croydon in the 1980's. (Refer photo on separate page for No.202.)

No.204 displayed at Croydon Station - 28 August 2008. Photo courtesy of Dan Van Scherpenseel.

The loco frames and tender had previously been stored – boilerless - at Normanton.

No.204 displayed at Croydon Station - 28 August 2008. Photo courtesy of Dan Van Scherpenseel.

Sky blue paint on the boiler clothing (under a thin layer of black) suggests this may be No.202’s old boiler.

Another view of No.204 displayed at Croydon Station - 28 August 2008.

Photo courtesy of Dan Van Scherpenseel.

References

a

Knowles, J. W. 'Lonely Rails in the Gulf Country –

The story of the Normanton - Croydon Railway and the Gulflander',

Revised second edition 1993,

published by J. W. Knowles and distributed by the

Australian Narrow Gauge Railway Museum Society,

PO Box 270, Brisbane 4002. (Appendix 4, Page 58)

b

Armstrong, J. 'Locomotives in the Tropics - Volume 1

(Queensland Railways 1864 - 1910)’,

published by the ARHS Queensland Division, 1985. Page 35.

c

Information provided by Graham Wilson

(Operations Manager, Heritage Rollingstock & Component Services, QR)

at our meeting of 8 October 2004.

Page updated: 30 November 2024

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