|
|
C17 No. 966 Stored at the Zig Zag Railway |
|
C17 No.966 stored near Clarence Station on the Zig Zag
Railway, 31 March 2007.
|
Builder |
Walkers
Limited, Maryborough |
|
|
Builder’s Number & Year |
503 of 1950 |
|
|
Wheel Arrangement |
4-8-0 |
|
|
No. in class |
227 |
|
|
No.966
is one of Queensland Railways’ 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 Queensland Railways’ (QR) Northern and Central
Divisions. The final C17 class members were retired at the very end of QR
revenue steam operations in August 1970. No
966 represents the final 1950 design of C17 which featured Timken roller
bearings on all axles, together with the 1938 design improvements of piston
valves, Laird crossheads, a wider & taller sedan cab sporting sliding
windows, a slender stovepipe chimney with a capuchion lip and a
higher-capacity tender. It is one of the final 40 C17’s known as ‘Brown
Bombers’ due to their original livery of handsome mid-brown with green
lining. No.966
was placed in Queensland Government Railways service during August 1950 and
written off in July 1970 after a working life of nearly 20 years. Upon
retirement No. 966 was plinthed at Cooee Bay, Yeppoon for Livingstone Shire
Council. It was later acquired by the Capricornian Historical Steam Train
Association and relocated to Archer Park, Rockhampton. By
1994 it appears that No.966 had become derelict and was offered for sale.
Later that year it was acquired by the Zig Zag Railway
following an appeal for donations from members and transported from
Queensland to Lithgow, NSW. No.966 was placed initially placed in storage
behind the Zig Zag Railway’s Bottom Points workshop
and depot. It then spent several years in storage at Edgecombe Loop, midway
along line, until 2006 when towed to Clarence for further storage. Hopefully
No. 966 will one day be fully restored and join sister No.934 as an operational loco on the Zig Zag Railway, although
it is likely to act as a source of heavy spares for No.934 in the interim.
Indeed, around 2012 the tender bogies were removed (presumably for one of the
operating locos) and the tender tank placed at a separate storage site (as
per photo below) leaving No.966 tenderless in the Clarence siding. Despite
being derelict, No.966 does attract the interest of passing motorists as it
is visible from the nearby Bells Line of Road. Some non-enthusiast friends with young
children tell me they know the Zig Zag’s Clarence Station as “that place with
the old steam engine”, a favoured stopping point on their regular journeys to
the west! No.966 perhaps acts as an unlikely ambassador for the Zig Zag
Railway; if given a suitable static restoration, it could become a worthwhile
landmark and attraction at Clarence Station, maintaining a steam railway
ambience and photo piece between service trains. A bay platform is under
construction at Clarence Station and No.966 would make an excellent resident!
However the first job needing to be done prior to any restoration, either
static or operational, would have to be removal of the old boiler insulation
by specialist contractors, which would be an expensive task. For
further information about the Queensland Railways’ C17 class locomotives,
refer to the page for C17 No.2. |
|||
A second view of C17 No.966 & tender stored near
Clarence Station on 31 March 2007.
No.966’s tender (minus bogies) is now stored away from the
locomotive, as per this view of 29 March 2015.
The Zig Zag Railway also has a number of spare C17 boilers
in store, such as this example seen on 29 March 2015.
References
|
a |
‘Locomotives of Australia’ by Leon
Oberg, published by J. W. Books Pty Ltd |
|
b |
Armstrong,
J. 'Locomotives in the Tropics - Volume 2 (Queensland Railways 1910 – 1958 and
beyond)’, published by the ARHS
Queensland Division, 1994. |
|
c |
Webmaster's
observation or comment |
Page updated: 19 August 2018
|
Government Railways: |
|
|||||||||
|
Private & Industrial Railways: |
|