This image was scanned from an original glass plate or negative. The original is held by the Australian Railway Historical Society, New South Wales Division. Please direct any enquiries regarding these images to ARHS NSW.

Information provided by Greg Hallam, Historian, Queensland Rail:

The three A10 locomotives were ordered from the Fairlie Engine Company which sub-contracted the order to the Vulcan Foundry of Lancashire and both companies gave them their own works numbers. The three “Fairlie” 2-4-0’s were built by Vulcan Foundry of Warrington, in 1877, under sub-contract for Robert Fairlie, Engineer and Broker, who had tendered to supply them for the then Great Northern Railway (renamed Central Railway in 1878) of Queensland. These locos had 10” x 18”(254mm x 457 mm) cylinders and 36” (914 mm) driving wheels. Regarding the builders numbers of Fairlie-supplied locos, it should be remembered that Robert Fairlie ceased loco-building in 1872. Locos supplied by Fairlie after 1872 were built by sub-contractors, such as Vulcan Foundry or Avonside Engine Coy., with Fairlie allotting his own numbers
(on paper at least) before shipment.

To possibly confuse the issue somewhat, Fairlie’s 604 was numbered Vulcan’s 804 and Fairlie’s 603 was numbered Vulcan’s 803. The locomotives arrived in Rockhampton late in 1877; and one, Great Northern Railway (GNR) No. 8 (Vulcan’s 802 of 1877) — (Central Railway no. 8 in 1878), entered service in December 1877, while the other two were being fitted up for service as at 31 December 1877. These two locomotives entered service in 1878; Vulcan’s No. 803 as Central Railway No. 10 and Vulcan’s No. 804 as Central Railway No. 9. They were small and underpowered for their use as passenger locomotives, and were used mainly on construction trains and for shunting work. They featured a 2-4-0 wheel arrangement which was similar to the first A10 locomotives that entered service for QR in 1865.

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AndyBrii: The nameplate of 'Fairlie Engine & Rolling Stock Co' No. 591?, London 1877. 1400 RPM Photography: Queensland Railways A10 class locomotive, dating back to 1865. No.6 is preserved in working order with Queensland Rail Heritage, while another, No.3 I think, has been salvaged from parts in the Gulf Country of Far North Queensland around Normanton, and is to be restored to working order.

This image has been identified as being in the Public Domain and is free to use, without obtaining permission. As a courtesy, please acknowledge the image source, “Image from the ARHS Collection courtesy of the  University of Newcastle Library's Special Collections".