That Was Then - S549 - 1940's to 1971

S549 - An Operational history

S549, Greenmount entered service on the 9^th of October 1947 and was the ninth member of a batch of ten S class locomotives built by the Western Australian Government Railways at their Midland Workshops.

The cost to build was £15,305 which converted using the Reserve Bank of Australia inflation calculator it calculates out to be approximately $973,289.00 today, which compared to the cost of a new locomotive today, it is extremely well priced.

The role in which S549 would take in its early years was to haul freight between Midland and Northam along the steep Eastern Railway which transverses over the Darling Rangers. On level track, the S class could haul 1323 Tons (1200 Tonnes), however on the ER with is ruling grades up to one-in-forty the load was reduced to only 320 Tons (290 Tonnes).1

S549 would be out of service for light repairs for a short period between 16.3.1948 and 9.4.1948.

During 1948 the WAGR had their hands full with repairs to the ASG, S and U classes. The ASG class were undergoing mandatory modifications laid down from the Royal Commission, while the U class had been worked hard during their brief time on the system. The S class continued to be troublesome and by November 1948 only 2 were in service, with the remainder laid up for repairs.

S549 would again visit the Midland Workshops in November 1948 for cages & tender repairs after having travelled 31,732 miles in just over 13 months. It is possible the tender repairs involved the replacement of the lower curved welded sides (similar to that fitted to the Pm locomotive tenders) with the current riveted base. It would leave Midland in March 1949 and back to its home depot of East Perth.

S class 549 Greenmount, view looking into cab from rear, Midland Junction Loco Depot
Photo D, Burke - Rail Heritage P06931 

The situation with the S class reliability had not changed much by January 1949, when only 4 S class were available for traffic. After the Midland Workshops reopened from holidays in February 1949, the CME Fred Mills organized 3 teams of men to work on each class (ASG, U & S). The S class were allocated the ‘Light Repair Pit’ and fitted with new type regulators and improved piston valves.

During 1949-50, when S 549 was working out of Northam depot it would work the Eastern and Eastern Goldfields Railways, but it would also go north as far as Mullewa. There was a spate of derailments in 1949 with S class, which identified a problem with the single pin coupling between the engine and tender. Those engines fitted with a ‘Semi Goodall’ coupling, like S 549, were not affected and the single pin engines were barred from working over 60lb rails. The five S class with ‘Semi Goodall’ couplings worked to Mullewa until the rest were converted.

When the Assistant Commissioner (Engineering), Charles Clarke took up his position in 1949 he found himself with a fleet of old worn out and troublesome engines. After a few months in the job he had formulated a plan for the future and this was based around a large number of modern steam and diesel engines. He was also keen to rid the system of what he termed ‘wartime engines’, which had been built during the war years but were now no longer required. These were the ASG, S and U classes and he intended to phase them out by 1955. This pretty much did happen for the ASG and U class, but events transpired to save the S class from a similar fate. The cancelled plans for a class of Beyer-Garratt’s, delayed delivery of the V class and mechanical problems with the X class, ensured that the S class stayed in service.

Once again S549 would be out of service for an extended period for light repairs between 7.9.1949 and 14.10.1949, what these repairs entailed is unknown. When returned S549 would be stationed at the Midland Junction depot along with sisters 541, 543, 545 & 547.

After almost three years and 58,635 miles later, S549 was released from traffic on 27/07/1950 for heavy repairs, it is thought these repairs were similar to a general overhaul but excluding the removal of the boiler. S549 returned to traffic on 15/09/1950. 

The six month long metal trades strike commenced on the 21^st of February, 1952, at that time the department had 354 locomotives in service. The West Australian Newspaper later reported on the 19th August, 1952 “The Railway Department faces the task of rehabilitating its services with only 79 locomotives serviceable. Of these, 11 can be used for shunting purposes only”. The strike almost crippled the railways as locomotives requiring repair had to be stowed due to limited labour available to repair them. It was noted on the 6.11.1952 that S549 was one of the locomotives out of service: awaiting repairs at Midland Junction. It would finally get to the front of the queue in February 1953 for the heavy repairs required, it was finally released back into traffic in the first week of March 1953. By this time S549 had travelled 91,704 miles mainly between Perth/Midland and Northam.

 S549 at Midland, photo taken in 1954 during the visit by the Victorian Division of the ARHS
Rail Heritage WA - P05599

Between May and July 1954, S549 would receive another general overhaul, the locomotive had now travelled 110,154 miles. It would be released back into traffic on the 18 July 1954 but this time something was different, the locomotive was now painted larch green and sporting the WAGR crest on the tender. The Larch Green livery was introduced with the W class in April 1951 and in September 1953 the railway department made a decision to paint other classes (P, Pr, Pm, Pmr, S & U) in the same livery. It must be noted that the S classes at this stage maintained the full length cowling.

On 15 June 1956 the V class were banned from the Brunswick Junction-Collie section. A combination of waterlogged formation, inadequate ballast and high axle load, conspired to damage the track with V class hauled trains. Almost immediately, the whole allocation of Midland Junction-based S class were transferred to Collie to work this line, while the displaced V class engines headed for the Eastern Railway. Some months of ballasting repaired the track and the V class once again returned on 11 February 1957. During their time at Collie, the S class had shown themselves to be effective on the South West Railway, and from 29 April 1957 they were approved to work in the ‘pool’ from Perth-Fremantle-Brunswick Junction-Collie. Over the following 3 years all ten S class were involved in this working, although by 1960 they were mostly back on the Eastern Railway.

A further general overhaul would occur between October and December 1956 after travelling a total of 150,775 miles since first released in 1947, this time she would be released into traffic with a speed recorder fitted. For a short period S549 would now be operating in the South West of the system namely between Brunswick Junction and Collie returning back to Midland depot by September 1958.

In June/July 1958, repairs would require S549 out of traffic for a month of which were carried out at the East Perth locomotive depot.

After a total of 213,680 miles, S549 would return to the workshops for a general overhaul of which was carried out between February and April 1960. It would be assumed that it was during this overhaul that the full length cowling was reduced to the front section only as drawings for this modification were dated March 1957.

During 1960, it appears that S549 would work the line mainly between Midland and Chidlow or Koojedda and return, it would also be seen operating between Midland and Fremantle.

S class 549 Greenmount passing Meltham station with a goods train 1960
Photo R. Taylor - Rail Heritage WA - T03447 

With only 12 months since its last overhaul, S549 returned to Midland workshops on 10 April 1961 and would be released back into traffic on 9 May 1961. In the previous 12 months, S549 had clocked up 23,619 miles giving her a total of 237,299 miles traveled to date. Another overhaul would occur two years later between February and early May 1963.

With the introduction of the A class modern diesels and the opening of the lighter gradient Avon Valley line to Northam in the mid 60’s, the S classes were reallocated further south and by 1966 S549 was working the Brunswick Junction-Collie line before returning back to Midland for a general overhaul between September and October 1966. When returned to traffic she would make Bunbury and Bridgetown home for the next two years.

W921 and S549 "Greenmount" at Bridgetown loco
Photo G. Kaufman 6.2.68

S549 returned to the Midland Workshops on the 22^nd of August 1968 for a “D” service and it was during this service that it was noted the right hand cylinder was cracked, something that would play havoc to its restoration to working order some twenty seven years later. Once released back into service at the beginning of October she would once again return to the Bridgetown area.

Steam was on the way out as far as the WAGR was concerned; in 1967 a plan was drawn up for complete dieselization to come into effect 1974 or 1975 however it would end much, much earlier.

A specialized locomotive utilization cell was formed 1969 and part of its tasks were to optimize the diesel fleet and get as many steam locomotives off traffic as possible.

S549 on turntable in Bunbury roundhouse
Photo G.Brown

S549 Greenmount would enter the Midland Workshops on the tenth of June, 1970 for what would be the last general overhaul carried out on a steam locomotive for the WAGR. During the GO, the boiler was swapped for the spare boiler (11^th boiler) of which was built new and completed on the 10^th of March, 1948. 549 would be released for traffic on the 28^th of August, 1970.

W class 951 without tender, stowed at Midland Workshops,
Tender from S549 is stored on a flat wagon behind the W during what would be her last overhaul.
Photo G. Wilson 1970 - Rail Heritage P06807 

S549 would once again venture down south, working out of the locomotive depots of Bridgetown, Bunbury and finally ending up at the Collie depot in late 1970. From the Collie depot, 549 would work out to Narrogin as well as shunting the various mine lines that radiated from the town.

By 1971 steam was confined to the South-West however it was dying fast. One by one the locomotive depots were saying farewell to steam, Bunbury in February, Bridgetown in March, Midland in May leaving Collie as the only steam depot remaining.

The crew take a break at Hillman which is the half way point on the Collie to Narrogin line.
Photo J. Joyce - Rail Heritage P05494 

In a letter from the Secretary for Railways, K.D. Reeves dated 14 June 1971, in which he listed the disposal status of various steam loco’s. At the end of the list was a category, “Locomotives retained for hired special trains”. The loco’s listed were DD 592, FS 460, G 123, G 233 and S 549, all of which survived the cutting torch.

S549 sits alongside slightly younger sister S550 at Collie
Photo K. Raynes - Rail Heritage WA - P00683

Time ran out for S549 Greenmount on Christmas Eve 1971, she would be rostered on for what would become the last steam hauled main line goods train operated by the WAGR, out from Collie to Western Collieries and return. The last steam operation was however in March 1972 being a shunt in Collie yard performed by W943.

Following S549’s last run, it would be stowed in Collie yard until late 1972 from which it was towed to Perth and delivered to the Rail Transport Museum, Bassendean on the Second of December 1972.

References

All dates, locations and notes supplied and compiled by Jeff Austin
On Track – The Making of Westrail