| South Australian Railways 500 class |
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South Australian Railways 500B class locomotive no. 504 "Tom Barr Smith", newly streamlined, about 1937 |
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| Specifications |
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Configuration:
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| • Whyte | As built: 4-8-2 2'D1' 2'2′
After boosters installed:4-8-4 2'D2' 2'2' |
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| Gauge | 1600 mm (5 ft 3 in) |
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| Leading dia. | 33 in (838 mm) |
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| Driver dia. | 63 in (1600 mm) |
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| Trailing dia. | 36 in (914 mm) 42 in (1067 mm) |
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| Length | 83 ft 11 in (25,578 mm) (as built)
84 ft 2 in (25,654 mm) (upgraded) |
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| Height | 13 ft 11+1⁄2 in (4,254.5 mm) |
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| Axle load | 22 long tons 7 hundredweight 2 quarters (25.06 short tons; 22.73 t) (as built)
222 long tons 3 hundredweight (24.8 short tons; 22.5 t) (rebuilt) |
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| Adhesive weight | 88.85 long tons (99.51 short tons; 90.28 t) (as built)
87.20 long tons (97.66 short tons; 88.60 t) (rebuilt) |
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| Loco weight | 135.80 long tons (152.10 short tons; 137.98 t) (as built)
143.80 long tons (161.06 short tons; 146.11 t) (rebuilt) |
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| Tender weight | 85.15 long tons (95.37 short tons; 86.52 t) (as built)
78.80 long tons (88.26 short tons; 80.06 t) (rebuilt) |
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| Total weight | 218 long tons 13 hundredweight (244.9 short tons; 222.2 t) (as built)
222 long tons 6 hundredweight (249.0 short tons; 225.9 t) (rebuilt) |
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| Fuel type | Coal |
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| Fuel capacity | 12 long tons (13 short tons; 12 t) (as built)
11 long tons (12 short tons; 11 t) (rebuilt) |
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| Water cap. | 8,300 imperial gallons (10,000 US gal; 38,000 L) as built (Water capacity reduced to 7,100 imperial gallons (8,500 US gal; 32,000 L) in 1930)
7,000 imperial gallons (8,400 US gal; 32,000 L) (rebuilt) |
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| Firebox: | |
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| • Grate area | 66.6 sq ft (6.19 m2) |
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| Boiler pressure | 200 psi (1,379 kPa) |
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| Heating surface: | |
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| • Firebox | 395 sq ft (36.7 m2) |
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| • Tubes and flues | 3,253 sq ft (302.2 m2) |
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Superheater:
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| • Heating area | 835 sq ft (77.6 m2) |
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| Cylinders | 2 |
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| Cylinder size | 26 in × 28 in (660 mm × 711 mm) |
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| Valve gear | Walschaerts valve gear |
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| Valve type | Piston |
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| Career |
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| Operators | South Australian Railways |
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| Class | 500 |
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| Number in class | 10 |
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| Numbers | 500–509 |
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| First run | 22 May 1926 |
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| Last run | 11 May 1963 |
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| Withdrawn | 1958–1963 |
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| Preserved | 504 |
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| Scrapped | 1961–1965 |
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| Disposition | 1 preserved, 9 scrapped |
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The South Australian Railways 500 class was a class of 4-8-2 steam locomotives introduced by the former South Australian Railways (SAR) in 1925. The locomotives were upgraded in 1929 by the installation of booster engines to increase the tractive effort to 59,000 pounds-force (260 kN). The resulting 500B class, with a 4-8-4 wheel arrangement, was briefly the most powerful steam locomotive class to operate in Australia until supplanted by the slightly more powerful NSWGR D57 class 4-8-2. During the late 1930s, the SAR followed the image-building trends being pursued by overseas railroads, covering all but two of the locomotives' piping and plumbing with a smooth casing and adding valances under the running boards. The last of the class was withdrawn from service in 1963.