South Australian Railways F class of 1902 ("2nd F class")
F class locomotive no. 240 in 1952
Type and origin Power type Steam Builder Islington Workshops (21) James Martin & Co (12) Perry Engineering (10) Build date 1902–1922 Total produced 43
Specifications Configuration: ​  • Whyte 4-6-2T 1'C2' Gauge 1600 mm (5 ft 3 in) Leading dia. 2 ft 11 in (889 mm) Driver dia. 5 ft 3 in (1600 mm) Trailing dia. 3 ft 6 in (1067 mm) Length 40 ft 7.25 in (12.38 m) Height 13 ft 3 in (4038.6 mm) Axle load 12 long tons 6 cwt (27,600 lb or 12.5 t) Adhesive weight 35.25 long tons 0 cwt (79,000 lb or 35.8 t) Loco weight 59 long tons (66 short tons; 60 t) Fuel type Coal Oil Fuel capacity 2.25 long tons (3 short tons; 2 t) 375 imp gal (450 US gal; 1,705 L) oil Water cap. 1160 imp gal (1393 US gal; 5273 L) Firebox: ​  • Grate area 18 sq ft (1.7 m2) Boiler pressure 185 psi (1276 kPa) Heating surface: ​  • Firebox 130.7 sq ft (12.14 m2)  • Tubes 1204 sq ft (111.9 m2) Cylinders 2 Cylinder size 17+1⁄2 in × 24 in (444 mm × 610 mm) Valve gear Allan straight link Valve type Piston
Performance figures Tractive effort 18,335 lbf (81.56 kN) Factor of adh. 4.35
Career Operators South Australian Railways Class F (distinguished from the 1896 1st F class) Number in class 43 Numbers 167–189, 236–255 First run 30 April 1902 Withdrawn 1955–1969 Preserved 245, 251, 255 Scrapped 1956–1968 Disposition 3 preserved, 41 scrapped

The South Australian Railways F class were a class of 4-6-2T steam locomotives operated by the South Australian Railways.

The F class hauled the majority of Adelaide's suburban passenger trains from its introduction in 1902. The first 22 were built by the Islington Railway Workshops. James Martin & Co built 12 units, with the remaining 10 built by Perry Engineering, the last entering service in October 1922.^[1]

The type replaced the smaller P class 2-4-0T engines, which were struggling with the increasing sizes of suburban passenger trains. From the 1930s on lightly patronised routes, F class locomotives were replaced by Brill model 55 and 75 railcars. They continued to be deployed on busier suburban routes until they were displaced after 1955 by increasing numbers of 300 and 400 class "Red Hen" railcars. Some locomotives were retained for shunting duties at Port Adelaide and Mile End with F225, the final member of the class being condemned in 1969.^[1]

The locomotives had saturated steam boilers and were considered attractive. While slow to accelerate away from stations, the locomotives were capable of reaching speeds of up to 60 mph (100 km/h). They were a capable locomotive that faced few restrictions other than on the Belair line in the Adelaide Hills, on which they were limited to hauling three carriages.^[1]

Three members of the class have been preserved:

• F177 (re-numbered to 245): under a shelter at Gawler railway station^[2]
• F251: in storage at SteamRanger Heritage Railway^[3][4]
• F255: on static display at the National Railway Museum, Port Adelaide.^[1][5]

Media related to South Australian Railways F class (1902) at Wikimedia Commons