South Australian Railways 740 class

73 ft 1+1⁄2 in (22.29 m)Height14 ft 0 in (4,254.5 mm)Axle load17 long tons 17 cwt (40,000 lb or 18.1 t)Loco weight93.95 long tons 0 cwt (210,400 lb or 95.5 t)Tender weight71.10 long tons 0 cwt (159,300 lb or 72.2 t)Total weight165 long tons 1 cwt (369,700 lb or 167.7 t)Fuel typeCoalFuel capacity10 long tons 0 cwt (22,400 lb or 10.2 t)Water cap.6,350 imp gal
(7,630 US gal; 28,900 L)Firebox: • Grate area47 sq ft (4.4 m²)Boiler pressure200 psi (1,379 kPa)Heating surface: • Firebox194 sq ft (18.0 m²) • Tubes2,400 sq ft (220 m²)Superheater:
• Heating area620 sq ft (58 m²)Cylinders2Cylinder size22 in × 28 in
(559 mm × 711 mm)Valve gearWalschaertsValve typePiston

Performance figures
Tractive effort	40,454 lbf (179,950 N)
Factor of adh.	3.81

Career
Operators	South Australian Railways
Class	740
Number in class	10
Numbers	740-749
First run	1/3/1952
Withdrawn	1963-1965
Scrapped	1963-1966
Disposition	All scrapped

The South Australian Railways 740 class was a class of 2-8-2 freight locomotives built by Clyde Engineering, Granville for the South Australian Railways in 1951-1952.

History

In the late 1940s, the Federal Government placed an order with Clyde Engineering, Granville for fifty 2-8-2 locomotives. These were ordered as part of Australia's contribution to the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration rehabilitation of China. With the first locomotives under construction, China fell to the Communists and Australia's obligations ceased.^[1]

The government was able to renegotiate the contract, with only twenty built. Ten were taken by the Commonwealth Railways as the L class, with the other ten going to the South Australian Railways as the 740 class after being converted for broad gauge operation. The 740 class remained in service until the early 1960s when replaced by diesels. The last was condemned in November 1965.^[1]