This locomotive is representative of the type of small industrial and mine engines that once operated all over New South Wales. They were not favoured for main-line working but were commonly used on industrial sites, for shunting coal in collieries, at quarries and on various construction projects including building breakwaters and reservoirs.
It was built by Manning Wardle and Company Limited of Leeds, England, in 1911. One of two consecutive engines ordered by the Public Works Department of the New South Wales Government, it is thought to have initially been put to work on construction of the North Coast Railway between Gloucester and Taree. In 1914 the locomotive joined its sister engine at Coffs Harbour to work with the Navigation Department on harbour improvement.
In 1916 both locomotives were purchased by the Metropolitan Water Sewerage and Drainage Board (now Sydney Water) and sent to Sydney for construction of the Potts Hill reservoir. The engines hauled Western dump trucks loaded with excavated spoil and brought sand and gravel to the concrete mixers for the reservoir lining. After completion of the reservoir in 1923 the Museum's locomotive, No. 4 (1781), was transferred to the new Ryde Water Pumping Station in Sydney. The locomotive hauled 40 ton (40.6 tonne) and 60 ton (61 tonne) coal wagons from the main railway line via a siding to the coal bunkers over the boilers in the pumping station.
Following a boiler replacement in 1936 and cracks to the boiler in 1954 and 1958, the locomotive was considered unreliable. In September 1958 it was replaced by a Hibbard 'Planet' diesel locomotive that had previously been used on the construction of Warragamba Dam. The Manning Wardle locomotive was placed on standby for 12 months but was retired in 1960 and presented to the Museum in 1966. It was restored to steaming condition in 1986 and is thought to be only one of five of its type in operating condition left in the world.
Margaret Simpson
Thorpe N.J. and K.T. Groves, 'The Potts Hill Lines in Retrospect' in "Australian Railway Historical Society Bulletin", Vol. XXXII, No. 519, 1981.
Emblin, Robert, "Sir Berkley & Friends: An impression of Manning Wardle's six-wheeled saddle tank engines", Vintage Carriages Trust, Haworth, Keighley, West Yorkshire, England, 1993.
Kramer, John, 'Ships and Timber: a short history of Coffs Harbour port and assoicated railways' in " Light Railways", No. 86, October 1984.
The Manning Wardle Engine Records, 1857-1926, Leeds Industrial Museum, Leeds, England.
This locomotive is one of two consecutive engines, Nos 1780 and 1781, built by Manning Wardle and Co. Ltd at the Boyne Engine Works in Leeds, England in 1911 for the NSW Department of Public Works. They were described as Manning Wardle class H engines.
Between 1857 and 1926 the Manning Wardle company built 2,047 locomotives, mostly four or six-coupled engines. They specialised in building saddle tank industrial or contractor's locomotives which were used throughout Britain by engineering and industrial firms and as shunting engines by several railway companies. Their locomotives were exported extensively to Africa, Asia, Australasia, continental Europe and South America. By 1993 only five were known to still be in working order around the world, of which the Museum's is one.
Two saddle tank industrial locomotives, built in 1911 by the Manning Wardle Company, were ordered by the Public Works Department of the New South Wales Government. They left the company's Leeds factory on 28 October 1911 and were shipped from Britain to Australia. The Museum's locomotive, with builder's No.1781, is thought to have initially been put to work on construction of the North Coast railway between Gloucester and Taree, but in February 1914 it joined its sister engine at Coffs Harbour for work with the Navigation Department, on the early stages of harbour improvement works. In 1915 the harbour works were contracted to Norton Griffiths and Company. One of the locomotives remained operating on the jetty tramway, whilst the other was used for constructing a breakwater.
The engines were later acquired by the Metropolitan Water Sewerage and Drainage Board (now Sydney Water) and sent to Sydney for construction of the Potts Hill reservoir. At this time Locomotive 1780 became No. 3 and 1781 became No. 4. At the reservoir site the engines hauled Western dump trucks loaded with excavated spoil and brought sand and gravel to the concrete mixers for the reservoir lining. After completion of the reservoir in 1923 the locomotives were separated. Number 3 (1780) was bought by the Public Works Department and transferred to the south coast town of Moruya where it worked on tramways hauling granite from the quarry supplying the stone for the pylons of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. The granite was taken by rail to waiting steamers on the Moruya River, which carried it to the Bridge construction site on Sydney Harbour. The locomotive continued its work until the Bridge pylons were completed and the quarry closed in December 1928. In March 1929 No.3 locomotive was sold to Associated Blue Metal Quarries and transferred to its Dunmore Quarry.
The Museum's locomotive, No. 4 (1781), was transferred to the new Ryde Water Pumping Station in Sydney in May 1923. The locomotive hauled 40 ton (40.6 tonne) and 60 ton (61 tonne) coal wagons from the main railway line via a siding to the coal bunkers over the boilers in the pumping station. Following a boiler replacement in 1936 and cracks to the boiler in 1954 and 1958, the locomotive was considered unreliable. In September 1958 it was replaced by a Hibbard 'Planet' diesel locomotive, No. 51, which had previously been used on the construction of Warragamba Dam. The Manning Wardle locomotive was placed on standby for 12 months but was retired in 1960 and presented to the Museum in 1966. It was restored to steaming condition in 1986.
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