Valley Heights Locomotive Depot Heritage Museum

Exhibits

Locomotive 5711

CLASS D57 (1924 classification)
TYPE - 4-8-2 HEAVY GOODS -- 25 IN CLASS

Photo of 5711 at Valley Heights.
Note the two level signal box in the middle background

These large "Mountain" type locomotives, the first in the service, were built by Clyde Engineering Company to Departmental design but their tenders came from Mort's Dock & Engineering Company. No 5701 commenced to run in September 1929, and the contract was completed by the end of 1930. The arrangement if three simple cylinders was the first in the system and their tractive effort was 67% greater than that of a D50 class goods engine. The outside cylinders were controlled by Walschaert's valve gear and the inside cylinder by Gresley conjugating gear.

A new departure was the use of a single piece cast steel frame for the trailing truck. For the first time a power reverse gear was fitted. As a concession to their large fireboxes, they were fitted with mechanical stokers, the first on the system. The large turret tender had an axle load of no less than 22 tons. Owing to their weight and cylinder dimensions, they were strictly confined to working between Sydney and Thirroul, Junee and Wallerawang and were not permitted to run on any part of the Northern Line.

	Superheated
Cylinders (3)	23.25 in. x 28 in.	591 mm x 711 mm
Driving wheels	5 ft.	1524 mm
Boiler pressure	200 lb/in²	1379 kPa
Tractive effort	56,000 lbs. (at 70% max limited cutoff)	249100 N
Total weight	227 tons 17 cwt.	231.51 t

5711 was built by Clyde Engineering in 1916.

Text and photo from Century Plus of Locomotives, © Australian Railway Historical Society, 1965. Used by permission.

The 57 class locomotives were withdrawn relatively early during the elimination of steam but fortunately 5711 was retained for preservation and stored at Enfield pending the formation of a railway museum - which became the NSWRTM. 5711 became somewhat derelict during its years of storage and in 1985 a restoration attempt was begun by members of the NSWRTM at Thirlmere, with the intention of returning the locomotive to steam. 5711 and tender are now dismantled, but technical and operational issues have precluded restoration to steam and although many components have been restored there has been little visible progress since the mid-1990's.