The South Australian Railways E class was a class of steam locomotives acquired to work passenger and goods train services on the South Australian Railways broad-gauge system.

History In January 1862, Slaughter Gruning & Co, Bristol delivered two locomotives of 2-4-0 wheel arrangement to the Melbourne and Essendon Railway Company. Only one was required, so the second was sold to the South Australian Railways in April 1862, entering service numbered 10. It was joined by the other locomotive in January 1865, numbered 13. A third example was delivered by the Avonside Engine Company, Bristol in September 1865 and numbered 14.

In 1878, a further three that had been made redundant by a track gauge conversion project were purchased from the Canterbury Railway of New Zealand. All were aboard the ship Hyderabad, which ran aground on 24 June 1878 on Waitarere Beach between Ōtaki and Foxton. They eventually arrived at Port Adelaide on other ships. The first entered traffic in April 1880.

In September 1881, no. 13 was converted to a tender locomotive for use on the Kapunda to Adelaide line. A seventh was built in 1882 by the Adelaide Locomotive Works using parts from other locomotives. Number 13 was the first withdrawn, in September 1896; the last, nos. 49 and 51, were withdrawn in April 1929.

Class list Road numberBuilderBuilder'snumberIn serviceWithdrawnNotes10Slaughter, Grüning & Co459April 1862December 1904Was Melbourne and Essendon Railway Company no. 213Slaughter, Grüning & Co458January 1865September 1896Was Melbourne and Essendon Railway Company no. 114Avonside Engine Company587September 1865August 1899Purchased new from successor company to Slaughter, Grüning42Avonside Engine Company742April 1880April 1929Was Canterbury Railway no. 4; renumbered no. 49 by SAR in 188950Avonside Engine Company699January 1882October 1900Was Canterbury Railway no. 351Slaughter Gruning & Co532December 1881April 1929Was Canterbury Railway no. 256Adelaide Locomotive Works1May 1882December 1904Frame and wheels from Canterbury Railway no. 1 via Melbourne and Essendon Railway Company; assembled with parts from SAR no. 2

References

Further reading "The E-class tank engines of South Australia" Australian Railway Society Bulletin issue 373 November 1968 pages 375-380

External links