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Rx 191 Plinthed at Victor Harbour |
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Rx 191 plinthed at Victor Harbour on 24 May 1987; at this
date Rx 191 had already been at Victor Harbour for 24 years.
The antique tender can be seen in this old scanned photo
view.
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Builder |
South
Australian Railways, Islington
Workshops |
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Builder’s Number |
41 of 1916 |
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Wheel Arrangement |
4-6-0 |
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No. in class |
84 |
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The South
Australian Railways (SAR) Rx-class were a very successful type of mixed
traffic locomotive, developed from the earlier R-class 4-6-0 design of 1886
via adoption of a larger boiler. Several of the Rx-class also received
superheaters. The Rx-class ultimately grew to 84 examples comprising the 30
original R-class locos rebuilt to Rx specification, together with a further
54 built new, becoming the SAR’s most numerous type of broad-gauge steam
locomotive. The Rx-class were assigned to both passenger, mixed and freight
turns until the arrival of larger locomotives in the 1920's, after which they
settled into branch line, suburban and shunting roles. Many were withdrawn in
the mid-1930’s but the remainder lasted to the end of regular SAR steam
operations. Rx 191 was condemned by the South Australian Railways on 30 October 1963 and placed in a playground near Victor Harbour station shortly afterwards on 30 December 1963. It is paired with a low-side 6-wheel tender of relatively early design, and which may have been one of the original Dubs & Co tenders supplied with the first 6 R-class engines or perhaps the Q-class 4-4-0 locomotives. It also carries a stovepipe chimney. The photo
displayed above dates from 24 May 1987 during the webmaster’s memorable
SteamRanger excursion from Adelaide to Victor Harbour behind loco 520. (Rx 191
is placed in a playground and next to a large toilet block, which makes
photography rather difficult!) The salty maritime air at Victor Harbour has
taken its toll on Rx 191 over the decades, but the local council has provided
periodic maintenance and taken efforts to combat deterioration. By 2002 a
large weather roof had been constructed over the locomotive, but the antique tender
superstructure had been cut down to the frames. I believe the original boiler
clothing has been replaced by galvanised steel sheeting at some stage; the
replacement sheets appearing to be well made and fit appropriately. The
webmaster’s visit to Victor Harbour of 21 January 2017 found Rx 191 showing
her age and somewhat sheltered under the weather roof, but salty maritime air
continues to affect the loco. A concrete slab has been poured across the
tender frames and into the cab to provide a level area for children to play,
with access to the cab provided next to various other play equipment. The
tender sides have been replaced by a low steel fence which approximates the
tender walls. Update: As of August
2025, Rx 191 remains plinthed at Victor Harbour, but I am informed it now needs
further repainting and repair. I fear for this locomotive’s continued
survival given the ongoing ravages of the salty atmosphere in its current
location. Is it too much to hope that it might come into the care of a
benevolent organisation that would restore it for appropriate museum display,
or perhaps it has some value as a source of heavy spares and possible future
restoration by SteamRanger? |
Rx 191 plinthed at Victor Harbour on 5 June 1994, wearing ‘James’ red livery.This view was kindly contributed by Chris Johnson.
The webmaster’s visit to
Victor Harbour of 21 January 2017 found Rx 191 showing her age but now somewhat
sheltered under a large weather roof.
References
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a |
Fluck R. E., Sampson R., & Bird K. J. 'Steam locomotives and Railcars of
the South Australian Railways', published by The Mile End Railway Museum (SA) Inc, 1986. |
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b |
‘Locomotives
of Australia - 1985 to 2010’ (Fifth Edition), by
Leon Oberg, published
2010 by Rosenberg Publishing Pty Ltd. |
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c |
Webmaster's observation or comment. |
Page updated: 2 September 2025
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