#0217

South Australian Railways M class (first)

🇬🇧 United Kingdom ·built by Avonside Engine Company· from 1868· class of 5 Australian 0-4-2T locomotives

1 photo from Wikimedia Commons · credits & licences

1. South Australian Railways M Class (1st) No. 43: Lionel Kingsborough· Public domain

what is it?

The South Australian Railways M class (1st) locomotives were originally built by the Avonside Engine Company for the Canterbury Provincial Railways in 1868 to 1874. They were later sent to South Australia in 1878 and were first in service on the South Australian Railways between 1880 and 1881.

who runs it

South Australian Railways Canterbury Provincial Railways

base stats

weight 22.4 tin working order
built 5made in total

Bars compare against all trains: 600 km/h (maglev), 1,700 seats; power, weight and number built on a log scale up to 20 MW, 1,000 t and 20,000 built.

fun facts

First built 158 years ago, in 1868.
Weighs about as much as 4 African elephants (~6 t each).

steam locomotive: Burns coal, wood or oil to boil water; the steam drives pistons that turn the wheels.

spec sheet

built: 1868–1874
retired: 1917
status: retired
number built: 5
kind: Steam
traction: steam
origin: 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
builders: Avonside Engine Company
operators: South Australian Railways, Canterbury Provincial Railways
top speed: —
power: —
wheel arrangement: 0-4-2WT
length: 7.3 m
weight: 22.4 t

From the Wikipedia infobox and Wikidata. Blank means the sources don't say.

Sources: Wikidata Q66103219, Wikipedia: South Australian Railways M class (first) (CC BY-SA 4.0).Updated 2026-10-25.