Queensland 6D16 class locomotive
| Company type | Steam locomotive class |
|---|---|
| Industry | Rail transport |
| Founded | May 1901 |
| Founder | Walkers Limited |
| Defunct | 1951 |
| Fate | Withdrawn from service and scrapped |
| Headquarters | Brisbane , Australia |
Area served | Brisbane suburban passenger and freight services |
| Products | Steam tank locomotives |
The Queensland Railways 6D16 class locomotive comprised a series of steam locomotives with an initial 4-6-2T configuration, later modified to 4-6-4T, which were operated by Queensland Railways.
History
From May 1901 through July 1902, Walkers Limited supplied Queensland Railways with a total of 20 locomotives. According to Queensland’s classification, these were identified as the 6D16 class: the '6' denoted the count of driving wheels, 'D' signified a tank locomotive, and '16' represented the cylinder diameter measured in inches. Eventually, the '6' prefix was eliminated following the retirement of other tank locomotives without six driving wheels.
Initially constructed with a 4-6-2T wheel setup, the design featuring a double front bogie paired with a single rear truck led to derailment issues. As a result, between 1904 and 1905, all units underwent reconstruction to install four-wheel swinging bolster bogies at both ends, thus converting them into 4-6-4T locomotives. Enhancements including new round-top boilers and enlarged bunkers were implemented between 1912 and 1918 to improve operational capabilities.
These locomotives were chiefly assigned to suburban passenger services around Brisbane, predominantly running routes between Ipswich and Sandgate, with occasional extensions reaching Kingston and Lota.
In July 1935, locomotive number 375 was equipped with a tender from a B15 class engine and reclassified as B16D class; similarly, number 376 received this modification in July 1939. Both units were then redirected to handle freight operations within Brisbane. During 1942/43, twelve locomotives were withdrawn from service, with the remaining eight retired by 1950/51.