ARM-87001 C38 CLASS NSW PACIFIC EXPRESS PASSENGER LOCO

ARM-87001 C38 CL ASS NSW PACIFIC EXPRESS PASSENGER LOCOMOTIVE
4-6-2 DCC READY
HO SCALE

C38 Class locomotive was commissioned for the NSW Government Railways to eliminate the expense and complications of double-heading express passenger and mail trains on the demanding line between Sydney and Albury.
Designed and built in Australia, the boasted an impressive 20 tonnes and up to 2500 horsepower. The first fine locomotives were constructed by Clive Engineering of Sydney. They each featured a streamlined design that was considered fashionable to attract passengers at the time. The first locomotive appeared in January 1943. After a successful introduction, the second batch of 25 non-streamlined locomotives were ordered in 1943, the even numbers built at Eveleigh and the odd numbers at the Cardiff locomotive workshops. The first non-streamlined locomotive rolled out in November 1945. The late 1950s saw the rise of the Diesel locomotive and the loss of the prestigious passenger duties for the C38s as they went on to haul mixed freight. 1962 saw the beginning the C38 withdrawal from service with the final C38 withdrawn in 1970. The C38 is often seen as Australia's most successful steam passenger locomotive... a true Australian Railway icon.