"52 Engines...

....K175 ...the old K-CLASS Locomotives first appeared in 1922 as 2-8-o Light Freight Engines..
A total of 52 Engines were built.

This old K175 Locomotive was built in Newport Railways Workshop in 1941 and saw service throughout the state working both freight and at times as passenger trains.

The engine as it is in its present state is fitted with wheels of the traditional spoke type, however, the main driving wheel is a later design called BOXPOX. This type was fitted to the last 7 of the class.

The final days of this locomotive saw it being held in reserve for heavy wheat seasons and supplementing diesel power. It was withdrawn from service in 1972 having steamed 290,355 miles.

Both my maternal grandfather and great grandfather were boilermakers on the old steam trains, in South Australia, and both ended up becoming extremely deaf.

My great grand-father, on the day he retired from his working life, being so very deaf, was run down whilst crossing a tram line when he stopped to re-light his pipe.

A sad demise to one of the a hard working men of the day, and my grandfather died aged 50 - an early death for another hard working man...