E Class 2-4-2T
The E class were originally introduced to haul Melbourne's suburban trains from 1890, and were built by Phoenix at Ballarat and Munro and Co in Melbourne. With electrification of the suburban network in the 1920s, they were relegated to shunting duties, apart from 20 which were sold to the SAR (classified there as the M class). They underwent extensive design modifications as their usage patterns changed: E236 is shown here as a 2-4-2T, while the other surving examples are both 0-6-0Ts. There are three surviving examples: 506 (now numbered as 236), 369 (both at ARHS Museum), and 371 (Newport shunter, now at Victorian Goldfields Railway).
E236
E371
E371 was the Newport shunter, and as such had a hard life. It is now preserved at Maldon, if preserved is the right word, sans boiler cladding, sans coupling rods, sans number: in fact without a good number of working or otherwise parts. I am informed that the boiler is well and truly past restoration: if this loco is to steam again, it will need a fair amount of money spent on it.
(from the Australian Steam web page) E371 was rebuilt to 0-6-2T from its original configuration as a 2-4-2T. E371 survived as a shunter at Newport workshops into the 1970's before finding a home on the VGR. The loco was partially dismantled at Maldon for assessment in 1992 but the report was apparently not favourable and E371 was reassembled (sans boiler cladding, most fittings and numberplates) and placed on display at Maldon station.
