A line drawn between Darwin and Port Augusta roughly approximates the route of an incomplete narrow gauge Australian north-south transcontinental route. Work commenced on the route in 1879 with the last additions completed in 1929, leaving a substantial gap between Alice Springs & Birdum. (This substantial gap would not be closed for another seventy five years when work commenced in 2001 on a railway of 1,420km between Darwin & Alice Springs - expected to open in 2004). Operation of the southern route had been under the control of the Commonwealth Railways since 1911, the northern section not coming under their control until 1918. During the early 1950's the prospect of dieselisation beckoned, the advantages of which would not only bring cost savings but an improvement in dealing with the onerous conditions in this hot desert region.
Because of the presence of standard gauge track in the Port Augusta area the order therefore included four standard gauge bogies to permit two locomotives to operate over these lines, this however seems not to have been a frequent occurrence. The axle loading could not exceed 10.5 tons on most of the route due to lightly laid rail of 41, 50 & 60lb per yard. The greatest altitude was only 1,900 feet, temperatures and humidity varied but the Central section (Port Augusta - Alice Springs) endures long periods of 100F+ temperatures, with highs to 120F. The hot winds on this route carry large quantities of sand.
The ruling grade is 1 in 60 with 460 feet uncompensated curves. Specified trailing loads were:
Port Augusta - Quorn: 25 miles: passenger 162 tons, freight 202 tons
Quorn - Copley: 139 miles: passenger 264 tons, freight 330 tons
Copley - Alice Springs: 607 miles: passenger 344 tons, freight 430 tons.
At the time of the placing of the order for the BRCW diesels the services on both lines was limited. A mixed train ran weekly over the entire length of the Central route, a bi-weekly service ran as far as Marree. Freight trains were more frequent on the southern half of the route, particularly coal from the Leigh Creek area. Passenger journeys on the Northern section were about one tenth of the Central line, freight tonnage was about 10,000 tons per annum.
Maximum speed is 50mph on the most favourable sections, an over-speed relay activates at 53mph, which reduces power and applies the brakes, normal control then becomes available at 45mph. Air brakes are standard on Central region trains, the Northern train have automatic vacuum.
The freight timetable for steam service between Port Augusta & Alice Springs allowed six hours 'standing time' en-route, which included three mechanical examinations at Marree, Oodnadatta & Abminga in addition to coaling & watering. This time would be almost completely eliminated with the arrival of the new diesels.
An order for fourteen locomotives was placed with the Birmingham Railway Carriage & Wagon Co Ltd as main contractor, with the engine and auxiliary equipment supplied by Sulzer Brothers (London), electric transmission and control equipment was provided by Crompton Parkinson Ltd. Because of the long history of Sulzer in this field they were asked to assume full technical responsibility for the entire design.
The power unit was a Sulzer 6LDA28 pressure-charged vertical four stroke with six 280mm by 360mm (11in by 14.2 in) cylinders. For the local Australian conditions the one hour rating was set at 955hp at 750rpm, continuous output was 850hp at 700rpm. Dry weight including mounted accessories was 20,000lb. The engine followed the normal Sulzer practices of a welded mild steel crankcase with cast steel tranversals welded in, crankcase & engine-generator underbed as an integral structure; welded steel cylinder block bolted to the crankcase with cast iron wet cylinder liners inserted; U-shaped main bearing saddles with top caps let into the crankcase structure - to increase the lateral strength of the frame and having no bearing studs in shear; a toothed wedge locking & adjusting device permits bearing adjustments as fine as 0.1mm.
One inlet and one exhaust valve are housed in each cylinder head. The forged aluminium alloy pistons carry five pressure and two scraper rings and drive fully machined and polished I-section chrome nickel steel rods with white metalled bearings on the crankpin and four-bolt big ends provided with special toothed locking of the nuts. The crankshaft steel is fully annealed, large white-metalled bearings allow soft steel to be used for the shaft. At the forward end of the shaft a Sarazin vibration damper permits safe operation at any rpm. Individual Sulzer fuel injection pumps with double helix plungers are fitted, they and the engine inlet and exhaust valves are actuated from a gear driven camshaft.
The Sulzer exhaust gas pressure charger is carried on the main generator frame, it is a plain-bearing machine with a high-efficiency impeller of special aluminium alloy, the turbine rotors are made up of milled steel blades. A Sulzer centrifugal air cleaner is fitted at the pressure charger inlet.
The main generator is a ten pole machine with continuous ratings of 535kW at 700rpm 535 volts 1,000 amp and 520kW at 700rpm 800 volts 650 amp, maximum voltage is 900 and maximum current 1,540 amp. The magnet frame is of cast steel, armatures are combined on a common rotor which is of cast steel bottle form. Tandem brushes are used, the brush holders are carried on a revolving rocker with a rack & pinion arrangement allowing rotation for access to the brush holders. Rating of the eight-pole auxiliary generator was 63kW continuous at 500 to 750rpm 110 volts 575 amp. The auxiliary generator is recessed into the main machine.
The four traction motors are rated at 197hp 300 amp 550 volts one hour and 165hp 250 amp 550 volts continuous. Ratio of the single-reduction non-resilient gears is 14:65. The four traction motors are in permanent parallel with field weakening introduced automatically at three stages by electromagnetic contactors operated automatically when the generator excitation reaches its maximum.
The control gear was designed & constructed by Allen West & Co Ltd to specifications provided by Crompton Parkinson Ltd. Two cubicles house this equipment, the main one situated near the generator, the cubicle containing the auxiliary gear is at the other end of the engine room. The main motor contactor group and the reverser are electro-pneumatically operated; the weak field contactors and all the auxiliary contactors are of the electromagnetic type.
A completely welded superstructure of steel plate and pressed sections is riveted to a completely welded underframe. The main longitudinals are of box section and are used as ducts to distribute air to the traction motors. End buffing loads and equipment weight was carried entirely by the underframe. The main transoms are specially designed to accommodate the low position of the centre pivots. From the cab bulkhead forward the flooring is of steel plate, forming part of the strengthened nose area. Removeable roof panels allow for the complete removal of the engine/generator set, or of the smaller components. Because of the extemely sandy conditions encountered, the engine room is pressurised through the installation of two Keith Blackman electrically driven fans at diagonally opposite corners of the engine room. Forced upwards, then downwards this deposits the larger particles at floor level, the finer material is captured by oil wetted Visco air filters prior to the air entering the engine room. Pressure release is through three air outlet traps, two in the engine room roof and one in the cab.
The cab nose houses the Crompton Parkinson 48-cell lead acid battery of 243 amp/hr capacity, at the five hour rate of discharge. Also housed in the nose are the air reservoirs and lockers for the crew's belongings.
Bogie frames were single welded steel structures, as was the bolster, both these assemblies being stress relieved. Main members are of box form though the side members are of open box shape to accomodate the equalisers. The bogie is of the swing bolster type though the bolster is not itself sprung. Nests of helical springs between the side equalisers and the frame form the primary suspension. The springing is soft to provide easy riding over the light tracks, assisted by twin Newton Bennett shock absorbers to minimise the bounce. The swing links are on knife edges, the side swing stabilised against horizontal pre-loaded rubber springs. Side motion is finally limited by rubber stops.
Timken roller bearing axleboxes have thrust faces and liners of manganese steel, which is also used for the thrust faces on the bolster & bogie transoms. To prevent the bogie slewing round in the event of a derailment bogie-underframe interlocks were fitted, this would also stop the body from lifting off the bogie.
The brake system was the Australian Westinghouse A7-EL standard, interchangeability being achieved through the manufacture of certain components in Australia. Each bogie carried four horizontal brake cylinders and standard pattern of slack adjusters. Air is provided by a Westinghouse 2C.100 two cylinder reciprocating compressor. On the two machines destined for the Darwin - Birdum route one cylinder acted as an exhauster. Air is also used to operate the sanding gear and the electro-pneumatic control gear. Fuel is carried in a 700 gallon tank slung under the frame between the bogies, additionally a fifty gallon service tank is in the engine room roof space.
Two Serck radiators provided the means for cooling the water and lubricating oil. Electrically driven fans pull air up through the side mounted radiators. The speed of the motor is connected electrically to the traction motor blower group, running at reduced speed until the controller is open above notch 5 - there are 18 positions available.
Prior to shipping the first locomotive made several test runs on British Railways between Smethwick, Birmingham & Banbury, using two of the four standard gauge bogies. The first locomotive was destined for the Central section & was therefore air brake equipped, this required the use of an ex-LNER quintuple articulated suburban set, a specially piped new BR saloon was provided for guests and observers. Maximum load was 360 tons trailing. The test run from Banbury to Birmingham Snow Hill on February 25th 1954 ran with a load of 250 tons trailing. The 45.75 miles was covered in 80 minutes, maximum speed was 50mph, with half a dozen 20mph restrictions through certain stations due to restricted clearances.
Another view of the test train, the locomotive features a decal on the nose, which appears to have been removed prior to shipment of the locomotives.
The locomotives were shipped through Liverpool to Port Augusta.
Fire-ring groove wear: 0.5 - 1.5mm
2nd to 5th ring wear: 0.2 - 1.00mm
Wear in scraper ring grooves: did not exceed 0.1mm
Play in teeth of crankshaft connecting gears: 0.05mm (was 0.03 - 0.04mm when new)
Cylinder liner wear: 1.0mm (at the top, after 499,000 miles, when replaced due to corrosion)
Rateau exhaust gas turbo pressure-charging groups: began to show defects by 1958, as these were non-standard components the delivery of spares was heavily delayed, such that for 129,000 miles one engine ran normally aspirated. The electric control system embodying automatic regulation of engine output according to the inlet air pressure was able to handle this condition, though the power unit suffered greater thermal stresses and the internal condition was dirtier.
Length over buffers (both units): 108ft 5in
Height over radiator fans: 14ft 0.5in
Height over cab roof: 13ft 5.1825in
Maximum width: 9ft 6.625in
Wheelbase (both units): 95ft 11.5in
Wheelbase of bogies: 7ft 10.5in
| Locomotive |
Builders Number |
Delivered |
Withdrawn |
| NSU51 |
DEL 1
|
June 3rd 1954 |
?? - to Pichi Richi Rly 1980 - spares for NSU 52 |
NSU52 |
DEL 2
|
May 26th 1954 |
?? - to Pichi Richi Rly April 1982 |
NSU53 |
DEL 3
|
July 27th 1954 |
9/82 - Ghan Preservation Soc; Alice Springs |
NSU54 |
DEL 4
|
December 15th 1954 | ?? - to Pichi Richi Rly 1983 - spares for NSU 52 |
NSU55 |
DEL 5
|
December 24th 1954 | ?? - to Steamtown, Peterborough 1994 |
NSU56 |
DEL 6
|
December 31st 1954 | ?? |
NSU57 |
DEL 7
|
February 2nd 1955 |
1980 |
NSU58 |
DEL 8
|
January 14th 1955 |
?? - Ghan Preservation Soc; Alice Springs July 1988 |
NSU59 |
DEL 9
|
March 8th 1955 |
?? - Ghan Preservation Soc; Alice Springs |
NSU60 |
DEL 10
|
February 18th 1955 |
1980 |
NSU61 |
DEL 11
|
March 20th 1955 |
1980 - Port Dock Station Rly Museum 1988 |
NSU62 |
DEL 12
|
May 25th 1955 |
1980 - to Steamtown Peterborough 1994 |
NSU63 |
DEL 13
|
July 9th 1955 | 1982 - to Ghan Preservation Soc; Alice Springs |
NSU64 |
DEL 14
|
October 12th 1955 | 1982 - to Ghan Preservation Society; Alice Springs |
NSU 51 & NSU 54 are held by the Pichi Richi Railway Preservation Society to provide a source of spares for NSU 52, which with NT 76 are used on a regular basis for tourist trains through the Pichi Richi Pass during the fire ban season when steam locomotives are not permitted. They are also used as general shunting locomotives around Port Augusta & Quorn including track work and ballast trains.
Miscellaneous Notes
This page was not meant to be a detailed historical document on the individual locomotives, however a number of contributors have supplied information which may be of definate interest:
The NSU's initially worked the full Central Australia Railway (CAR) from Port Augusta to Alice Springs. A power station at Port Augusta provided much coal traffic from the coalfields in the Marree area, creating demanding work for the NSU's. Such was the level of traffic that in 1957 a new standard gauge route was laid between Port Augusta & Marree. This new alignment avoided the scenic Pichi Richi pass, though Commonwealth Railways continued to operate the narrow gauge section from Marree to Alice Springs.
Eleven NSU's covered the Marree - Alice Springs line, and from 1958 to 1960 one was retained at Port Augusta to handle the barytes traffic on the Hawker line, the end of the truncated narrow gauge line to Marree. After 1961 it proved cheaper to use the South Australian Railways locomotive (available at Quorn)
NSU 63 & 64 were sent to Darwin in 1956. These locomotives assisted with the heavy traffic volumes left over from World War Two, initially covered by the transfer of many vacuum braked Western Australia Locomotives & wagons, later supplanted by post WW2 built stock. They also worked a weekly train to Larrimah & Katherine. In the latter years this traffic was mostly containers and trailers on flat wagons, which looked most precarious on the narrow gauge track!
During the 1950's stone traffic, in air braked hoppers was a staple traffic for a new RAAF airfield at ??.
The NSU's returned to the Quorn & Wilmington lines in 1980 with 53 & 58 working the goods and block grain trains. They were later joined by 52 & 56 and several NT's. These branches had remained narrow gauge long after the Broken Hill - Port Pirie line had converted to standard gauge. 58 was probably the last NSU in traffic, operating at least into 1988.
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The power unit for NSU 51 is about to be placed within the locomotive body.
Photograph courtesy BRCW/Sulzer |
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I wonder how many more gems like this one are tucked away in archives in libraries and manufacturers premises? And how many have perhaps gone out with the rubbish?
Seen here are the first two NSU's BRCW's in the process of being shipped between the United Kingdom & Australia. The placard on the diesel references shipment to Port Adelaide, though I don't know where this view is taken. |
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A view taken from a publicity brochure about the LDA28 engine. |
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A pair of NSU class locomotives, led by 54 photographed during 1977.
Photograph courtesy Rodney Williams |
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NSU62 at Marree September 15th 1980.
Photograph courtesy Rodney Williams |
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NSU56 at Marree.
Photograph courtesy Rodney Williams |
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NSU 57 at Marree.
Photograph courtesy Rodney Williams |
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The heart of the matter, inside NSU57 at Marree.
Photograph courtesy Rodney Williams |
Pichi Richi Railway, October 2006
On my Australia adventure during August 2006 I had stayed for several days in the Adelaide area and paid a visit to the Pichi Richi Railway at Quorn, this was on a winter's weekday so not surprisingly all was very quiet and the Workshop area was closed. Some might have considered this a wasted drive from Adelaide but we were tourists so 'nothing ventured, nothing gained' and we got to see a little more of Australia!
However shortly after my return to the USA the following text and pictures came from Gordon Byles announcing a unique event (so far!) on the Pichi Richi & perhaps best told in his words -
Pichi Richi Railway has just recorded a "FIRST"!!!
We have, for the first time, double headed our two SULZER powered locos on a passenger service.
This only occurred as the result of a number of events:
1. A windy day during drought conditions and temperatures in the high thirties on October 4th 2006 saw a decision made due to fire risk to
cancel the steam hauling of our Afghan Express on the return trip to
Port Augusta (PA). Instead, it was hauled by "NSU52". This left us
with no steam locos available at PA to haul Saturday's Afghan Express.
2. Saturday's roster included two train services: The Pichi Richi
Explorer (From Quorn to Woolshed Flat and return) and The Afghan
Express (From PA to Quorn and return). This included combining the
two trains at Woolshed Flat as a double headed train for the journey
to Quorn before the Afghan Express returned to PA.
3. It was decided to use steam loco "NM25" to haul the Exporer to
Woolshed Flat, lead the double header to Quorn and haul the Express
back to PA. This would give us the desired situation of having our
Commonwealth Railways loco stabled and ready to haul our Commonwealth
Railways consist at PA.
4. Less than an hour before departure "NM25" was failed due to a
severe leak from the boiler blowdown valve leaving no time to prepare
another steam loco to haul the Explorer.
5. "NT76" was then pressed into service instead of "NM25" with steam
loco "W22" being prepared for service for the Return journey to PA
This gave us the wonderful experience of hearing SULZERS in STEREO!!!!!!!
Thanks Gordon for the views and the events leading up to it.
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NSU52 with the Afghan Express about to decouple before coming around the Explorer. The Explorer with NT76 at the head would back down to couple on to the Afghan Express, NSU 52 had moved up to the opposite end of the loop and would drop down onto NT 76 and the combined trains.
Photograph courtesy Gordon Byles. |
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NSU52 coming round the combined train at Woolshed Flat. The photograph illustrates the considerable design differences between these two machines, the NSU with 1950's influenced styling, whilst the NT has the utilitatrian looks of the 1970's. But both carried a Sulzer 6LDA28 who parentage goes back to the early 1930's.
Photograph courtesy Gordon Byles |
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The combined 'Sulzers' NSU 52 & NT 76 wait for departure at Woolshed Flat.
Photograph courtesy Gordon Byles |
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A fine backdrop provides scenery for this unique passenger pairing of NSU 52 & NT 76.
Photograph courtesy Gordon Byles |
