Kim Thurlow's Portfolio of Queensland Steam 1960s

No 9 in this photo was a C16 with a history.

In 1903, the Ipswich Railway Workshops built their first locomotive, a new design of 4-8-0 with 16 inch diameter cylinders, as class C16. It trialled successfully, and eventually over 150 were built through to 1919. The C16 design was well suited for its original pupose of hauling cattle trains over light lines for that burgeoning market. So it was adopted by the Australian Government as a standard goods engine on the standard gauge Trans Australian Railway from Port Pirie to Kalgoorlie. The Commonwealth Railways actually had some built by the Toowoomba Foundry in 1916-17.

This C16 No 9 was built in 1917, the 76th locomotive built at the Ipawich Workshops. The number was allocated on the basis of convenience, re-using the cast numberplate from an out-of-service locomotive built in 1866. That was an elegant means of saving material and effort.

During the Second World War loco No. 9 was loaned to the Commonwealth Railways for service on the 3'6"gauge Central Australia line, south of Alice Springs and into South Australia. This was after the arrival of General Douglas MacArthur in March 1942, so we are unable to make a historical connection to his journey south from Darwin.

Anyway here is No. 9 in 1961 or 1962 running southbound through Harristown on the main line, probably waiting to cross a down train on the loop.