Locomotives of the Western Australian Government Railways

The Western Australian Government Railways (usually abbreviated to WAGR) operated many unique steam, diesel and electric locomotive classes.

The first WAGR locomotives were two 1875 2-6-0 tender engines, later classified as the M class, built in England in 1875 and shipped to WA by sea.

[2] The contractor responsible for the construction of the Fremantle-Guildford railway, John Robb, sold his locomotive to the WA government also in 1881, and it became Number 3.

During this time the WAGR had been greatly expanded over the Darling Scarp and into the large agricultural strip to the East, specifically to the centers of Chidlow, Northam and Toodyay (then Newcastle).

In the event further orders were placed until the class totaled fifty-six, with 10 being built locally at the Midland Railway Workshops.

The engines featured the largest diameter wheels of any WAGR locomotive at 1.45m, which allows for higher speeds at reduced power.

Given the nature of WA's railways, however, this was not beneficial and the class saw limited service in its intended role as express engines, but continued to serve in country areas (such as around Northam) for many years.

[5] In the years following World War Two, the WAGR underwent a massive expansion and quickly introduced new services and many new locomotive classes.