Commonwealth Railways KA class
| Industry | Railway transport |
|---|---|
| Founded | September 1918 |
| Headquarters | Australia |
| Products | Steam locomotives |
The Commonwealth Railways KA class consisted of tender locomotives utilized by Commonwealth Railways along the Trans-Australian Railway.
History
From September 1918 through June 1920, Commonwealth Railways took delivery of 26 KA class freight engines, which were modeled after the New South Wales Government Railways' TF class (subsequently known as the D53 class). Of these, six were constructed by Perry Engineering in Gawler, South Australia, while the remaining twenty were produced by Walkers Limited in Maryborough, Queensland. This series was an enhanced version of the preceding K class design.
In 1943, the locomotives built by Perry Engineering received superheater installations. During the coal strike of 1949, three locomotives underwent temporary conversion to oil fuel but returned to coal operation shortly thereafter. The majority of the KA class engines continued service until the arrival of the GM class diesel locomotives led to their phase-out, with the final unit retired in September 1952.