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C17 No. 761 Formerly plinthed at Mitchell, now at QPSR Swanbank |
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No.761 is plinthed in a park at Mitchell, as seen in this
28 May 2001 view provided by David Rowe.
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Builder |
Walkers
Limited, Maryborough |
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Builder’s Number & Year |
422 of 1927 |
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Wheel Arrangement |
4-8-0 |
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No. in class |
227 |
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No.761
is one of Queensland Government Railways’ (QGR) highly successful C17 class
4-8-0 locomotives of which 227 units were constructed by a variety of
builders between 1920 and 1953. The C17’s were a ‘maid of all work’ type that
were powerful enough for main line freight duties, yet with a low axle load
which permitted wide deployment and accordingly they could be found on
everything from suburban and express passenger trains to main, secondary and
branch line freight and mixed traffic work, although the type are perhaps
best associated with the long rural routes through QGR’s Northern and Central
Divisions. The final C17 class locos were retired at the very end of QGR
revenue steam operations in August 1970. No
761 is of the original C17 ‘1920 design’ which are identifiable by a
straight-sided cutaway cab, tall steam dome, cast iron chimney and a
low-sided bogie tender. At some stage it has received the ‘1938 design’
boiler which has a low steam dome and a slender stovepipe chimney with
capuchion lip. No.761
was placed in Queensland Government Railways service in April 1927 and
written off 42 years later in October 1969. Following retirement it was
placed in a park in the town of Mitchell, west of Roma. Photos show that the
boiler and cylinder clothing and lagging has been removed, together with the
steam dome cover, presumably due to rusting of this sheet metal. Ownership of
the locomotive had been transferred to Booringa Shire Council. UPDATE:
In March 2019 it was announced that C17 No.761 will leave Mitchell Memorial
Park for a new home at the Queensland Pioneer Steam Railway (QPSR) at
Swanbank, near Ipswich. The intention is for No.761 to eventually be returned
to steam for use on the QPSR Swanbank line, and the loco will be named
‘Booringa’ in recognition of its links to the town of Mitchell. ‘Light Railways’
magazine for February 2020 included a ‘Letters’ article stating that No.761
had now arrived at the QPSR Swanbank, together with an explanation that
No.761 was in better condition that No.966 ex-Southport (presumably a
reflection of the drier climate at Mitchell) and hence had been acquired for
restoration in place of No.966. For
further information about the Queensland Railways’ C17 class locomotives,
refer to the page for C17 No.2. |
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References
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a |
‘Locomotives of Australia’ by Leon
Oberg, published by J. W. Books Pty Ltd |
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b |
Armstrong,
J. 'Locomotives in the Tropics - Volume 2 (Queensland Railways 1910 – 1958 and
beyond)’, published by the ARHS
Queensland Division, 1994. |
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c |
Information table provided by
Graham Wilson (Operations
Manager, Heritage Rollingstock & Component Services, QR) at our meeting of 8 October 2004. |
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d |
'Light
Railways - Australia's Magazine of Industrial & Narrow Gauge Railways', Number 271, February
2020. Published by Light Railway Research Society
of Australia Inc. (Letters item
& photograph on page 36) |
Page updated: 10 April 2020
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Government Railways: |
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Private & Industrial Railways: |
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