Victorian Railways O class
Type and origin Power type Steam Builder Beyer, Peacock & Company, Manchester, UK (11) Slaughter, Gruning & Co., Bristol, UK (6) Robert Stephenson & Company, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK (12) Yorkshire Engine Company, Sheffield, UK (6) VR - Williamstown Workshops (2) Phoenix Foundry, Ballarat (7) Serial number Beyer, Peacock: 553 - 558, 1040, 1041, 1709 - 1711 Slaughter & Grüning: 460 - 465 Robert Stephenson: 1441 - 1452 Yorkshire Engine: 153 - 158 Phoenix Foundry: 48 - 54 Build date 1861 - 1881 Total produced 44
Specifications Configuration: ​  • Whyte 0-6-0 Gauge 5 ft 3 in (1,600 mm) Victorian broad gauge Driver dia. 5 ft 0 in (1,520 mm)[1] Tender wheels 3 ft 6 in (1.07 m)[1] Wheelbase 33 ft 10 in (10.31 m)[1] ​  • Coupled 15 ft 11 in (4,850 mm)[1]  • Tender 10 ft 9 in (3.28 m)[1] Length: ​  • Over couplers 45 ft 8 in (13.92 m)[1] Height 13 ft 6 in (4.11 m)[1] Axle load 13 long tons 8 cwt (30,000 lb or 13.6 t)[2] 1904 diagram: 15 long tons 6 cwt (34,300 lb or 15.5 t)[1] 1914 diagram: 15 long tons 17 cwt (35,500 lb or 16.1 t)[3] Loco weight 38 long tons 11 cwt (86,400 lb or 39.2 t)[2] 1904 diagram: 37 long tons 12 cwt (84,200 lb or 38.2 t)[1] 1914 diagram: 39 long tons 5 cwt (87,900 lb or 39.9 t)[3] Tender weight 25 long tons 13 cwt (57,500 lb or 26.1 t)[2] 1904 diagram: 25 long tons 13 cwt 1 qr (57,480 lb or 26.07 t)[1] 1914 diagram: 25 long tons 12 cwt 2 qr (57,400 lb or 26.04 t)[3] Total weight 64 long tons 4 cwt (143,800 lb or 65.2 t)[2] 1904 diagram: 63 long tons 5 cwt 1 qr (141,710 lb or 64.28 t)[1] 1914 diagram: 64 long tons 17 cwt 2 qr (145,320 lb or 65.92 t)[3] Fuel capacity Rebuilt 1865: 70 long cwt (7,800 lb or 3,600 kg)[2] 1914 diagram: 60 long cwt (6,700 lb or 3,000 kg)[3] Water cap. 1,400 imp gal (6,400 L; 1,700 US gal)[2] Rebuilt 1865: 1,915 imp gal (8,710 L; 2,300 US gal)[2] 1904 diagram: 2,150 imp gal (9,800 L; 2,580 US gal)[1] 1914 diagram: 2,100 imp gal (9,500 L; 2,500 US gal)[3] Firebox: ​  • Grate area 17.77 sq ft (1.651 m2)[2] 1904 diagram: 20.62 sq ft (1.916 m2)[1] Boiler pressure Original: 130 psi (896 kPa) 1904 diagram: 27, 41: 120 psi (827 kPa) 19 - 25, 29 - 39, 43 - 55, 59 - 81, 127, 129, 135, 139, 141, 145, 147: 130 psi (896 kPa) 57, 131, 133, 137, 143, 149: 140 psi (965 kPa) 135: 160 psi (1,103 kPa) 1914 diagram: 129: 130 psi (896 kPa) 131, 149: 140 psi (965 kPa) 45, 51, 67, 69, 71, 79, 81, 133, 135, 137, 139, 141, 143, 145, 147: 160 psi (1,103 kPa) Heating surface: ​  • Firebox 137.75 sq ft (12.797 m2)[2] 1904 diagram: 100.00 sq ft (9.290 m2)[1]  • Tubes 1,014.14 sq ft (94.217 m2)[2] 1904 diagram: 1,125.72 sq ft (104.583 m2)[1]  • Total surface 1,151.89 sq ft (107 m2)[2] 1904 diagram: 1,225.72 sq ft (113.873 m2)[1] Cylinders 2, inside Cylinder size 17 in × 24 in (432 mm × 610 mm)[2] 1914 diagram: 17+1⁄2 in × 24 in (444 mm × 610 mm)[3]
Performance figures Tractive effort 11,560 lbf (51.4 kN) at 100 psi[2] 1904 diagram - 140psi: 12,950 lbf (57.6 kN)[1] 1914 diagram - 160psi: 15,680 lbf (69.7 kN)[3]
Career Operators Victorian Railways Number in class 44 Numbers Numbers at delivery: 26-31, 52-63, 70-81, 88-89 (never ran with these), Numbers in service: 19-81, 127-149 (odd only) Nicknames Overarmers Delivered 1861 First run October 1862 Last run 10 June 1922 (59.7 years) Withdrawn 1904 - 1922 Disposition All scrapped

The Victorian Railways O class was a class of 0-6-0 goods locomotives operated by the Victorian Railways between 1862 and 1922, built by various builders.

Victorian Railways initially numbered passenger and goods locomotives separately, the engines were delivered with numbers 26–31, 52–63, 70–81, 88–89. This system was changed before these locos entered service to odd numbers for goods locomotives and even numbers for passenger locos with these locomotives taking the odd numbers 19–81, 127–149.^[4] This odd and even system remained in use until 1912. In 1886, they were allocated to Class O.

The first order for six locomotives was placed with Slaughter, Gruning & Co. (builder's numbers 460–465) in April 1861 and twelve locomotives with Robert Stephenson & Company (B/n 1441–1452) in January 1862. The locomotives built by Slaughter, Grüning (B/n 231–237, 261–266) arrived in Port Phillip June 1862, and the Robert Stephenson ones in October 1862.^[4]
In June 1865, an order for six more locomotives was placed with Beyer, Peacock & Company (B/n 553–558) which arrived May 1966. In 1870, a further order for six more locomotives was placed with Yorkshire Engine Company (B/n 153–158) which arrived March 1971. The last imports were ordered from Beyer Peacock, two in July 1871 (B/n 1040–1041) and three in 1878 (B/n 1709–1711). The imported locos had an average cost of £3919-14-10 for each.^[4]
Seven locomotives were locally built by the Phoenix Foundry of Ballarat in 1878/9 (B/n 48–54) and a further two by the Victorian Railways at the Williamstown Workshops in 1879 and 1881 at an average cost of £4142-15-0 for each local loco.^[4]

Before entering regular service, O129 was exhibited at the Melbourne International Exhibition in 1880^[4].
In 1894, they were allocated; ten at Melbourne; fourteen at Bendigo; ten at Ballarat and ten at Benalla^[4].

Over the years they were fitted with various alterations to the cabs. There were also various upgrades over the years; with constant improvements to safety — these including things like updates to safety valves (and domes), smokeboxs and chimneys (with spark arrestors), cowcatchers, and brakes.
There were subsequent reboilerings which raised the working pressure to 140 psi (970 kPa) then to 160 psi (1,100 kPa), while their cylinder bore was increased from 17 to 17.5 inches (430 to 440 mm) when rebuilt after 1896. These changes led to considerably increased tractive effort.^[4]

• 15 October 1862 - O25 derailed after hitting spoil bank at Elphinstone^[4]
• 1870 - O57 derailed at Harcourt^[4]
• 1872 - O51 boiler exploded at North Melbourne, locomotive was repaired and returned to service^[4]
• 20 August 1873 - O23 boiler exploded at Geelong, locomotive was repaired and returned to service^[4]
• 1 September 1876 - O49 derailed at Melbourne Yard^[4]
• 4 September 1876 - O53 involved in accident at Riddells Creek^[4]
• 13 February 1877 - O43 derailed between Epsom and Huntly due to floods^[4]
• November 1877 - O53 involved in accident at Woodend^[4]
• 5 January 1879 - O149 ran away Melbourne Yard^[4]
• April 1879 - O65 broke leading axle at Gisborne^[4]
• August 1879 - O65 collided with V17 in Melbourne Yard^[4]
• 11 July 1881 - O135 involved in accident on North East line^[4]
• 28 August 1883 - O79 collided with L20 at Newmarket^[4]
• January 1884 - O27 collided with S215 at Warrenheip Bank^[4]
• 2 April 1884 - O49 boiler exploded at Sunbury, locomotive was repaired and returned to service^[4]
• 9 July 1884 - O35 broke crank axle^[4]
• November 1884 - O145 collided with A202 in Melbourne Yard^[4]
• February 1885 - O31 collided with R315 in Melbourne Yard^[4]
• November 1887 - O51 boiler exploded at Elphinstone, locomotive was repaired and returned to service^[4]
• 22 August 1894 - O71 collided with R477 at Baddaginnie^[4]
• July 1895 - O69 collided with B88 at Spencer Street^[4]
• October 1895 - O19 ran off road at Williamstown^[4]
• 15 March 1897 - O141 involved in accident on Mordialloc line^[4]
• April 1905 - O67 in shops after accident^[4]
• January 1907 - O27 involved in accident at Williamstown^[4]
• 3 February 1910 - O149 derailed with D^D616 at Trawalla^[4]

Some were used as a stationary engines at Newport Workshops; O31 from 24 December 1908, five (O35, O39, O41, O53, O61) from 19 May 1909, and finally the boiler from O149 was used in a forge at Newport from 21 August 1916^[4].
In 1912, O57's frames were sold to Mr Freeman of Echuca for £423, while it's tender was sold to Kerang & Koondrook Tramway for £60.^[4] On 19 May 1909, O63 converted to stationary engine and sold to Mr Arbuthnott of Koondrook (along with the boiler of R173) and was used in PS Arbuthnot^[4].
^[4].
The remainder were withdrawn between 1904 and 1921^[4].
An unknown boiler from either a O or B class was used until 1941 to power refrigeration plant at Spencer Street where ice was made for T vans.^[4]

• Dee; et al. (1981). Power Parade. Melbourne: VicRail Public Relations Division. p. 4. ISBN 0-7241-3323-2.
• Cave, Norman; Buckland, John; Beardsell, David (2002). "Chapter 5". Steam Locomotives of the Victorian Railways. Vol. 1: The First Fifty Years. Melbourne, Vic: ARHS Victoria Division. pp. 37–52. ISBN 1876677384.

• VPRS 12903/P0001, 302/01 - Drawing of O class steam locomotive 0-6-0 c1862
• VPRS 12903/P0001, 302/02 - Drawing of O class steam locomotive 0-6-0 c1862
• VPRS 12800/P0001, H 4749 - Steam locomotive no. 25, goods 0-6-0 type built by Slaughter, Grunning & Company, Bristol, 1861. Later known as O class locomotive
• VPRS 12800/P0001, H 1568 - O class steam locomotive no.43 on turntable
• VPRS 12800/P0001, H 1062 - O class steam locomotive side view
• VPRS 12800/P0001, H 1756 - O class steam locomotive no.53
• VPRS 12800/P0001, H 1778 - O class steam locomotive no.143
• VPRS 12800/P0001, H 2855 - Old steam locomotive O class no.25
• VPRS 12800/P0001, H 1105 - O class steam locomotive no.47 at Golden Square station
• VPRS 12800/P0001, H 5005 - O class steam locomotive no.81 on goods train at North Melbourne
• VPRS 12800/P0001, H 1077 - O class steam locomotive perspective view engine no.27
• VPRS 12800/P0001, H 3742 - O class steam locomotive goods main line 64tons and 4cwt and 2qrs tractive power 11560lbs 1870
• VPRS 12800/P0001, H 1943A - O class steam locomotive numbers 69
• VPRS 12800/P0001, H 1043 - O class steam locomotive no.23 perspective view
• VPRS 12800/P0001, H 1249 - Derailment Epsom 13th of February 1877 O class locomotive