SAR "T" class

SAR "T" class National Railway Museum, Port Adelaide.

I have seen one of these with markings to suggest that the pattern for the design came from a "Casey Jones". An almost identical motor to those seen in the "T" class is pictured in a book published in 1931, describing a range of "Casey Jones" products.

This may have been the motor. But as with the "S" series cars, the railways were great at knocking out their own copies. These cars where built in the Islington Workshops, Adelaide.

The Commonwealth Railways also had a car very similar to this, but it was known as the "Victorian Casey Jones". There is evidence of these being used on the Central Australia Railway into at least the 1950s.

Large single cylinder two stroke engine, flat belt drive with a sliding base motor to tension. Magneto ignition. The cast wheels have a bolt on rim with separate hub. One wheel was "free" to allow turning

There is evidence to suggest that these where built for both the broad 63" and narrow 42" gauges. Car above is narrow.

A few preserved: Quorn SA, Port Pirie SA and the National Railway Museum (all 42" gauge cars).

From a drawing dated 1932 showing the broad gauge version of the car.

The drawing is labelled to describe the car as a "Casey Jones".

© Nic Doncaster

Uploaded September 2002, Updated September 2, 2007