THE "V" Class 0-4-4 Tnak Locomotive(Narrow Gauge"       
   Initially, the "V' class comprised 4 units, with the Road Nos 9-12, built
 for service on the Kingston Railway. These small 0-4-4 tank locomotives were
 built by Beyer Peacock & Co. of Manchester, England (Builder's Nos. 1597,
 1598, 1599 and 1619), and shipped to Port Adelaide in the "South Australian"
 where they were transhipped for movement to Kingston.
   "V"11 was issued to traffic in January, 1877,V.9 and V. 10 in February, 
 1877, and V. 12 in May of the same year.
    The "V" class, being a small tank locomotive,were not actually successful
 for even the limited traffic offering on the Kingston to Naracoorte Railway.
 In fact, it is hard to reconcile the reason for ordering such a small tank
 locomotive for duty as main line power,even if horses were used as a haulage
 medium on the line before the introduction of steam locomotives. These
 diminutive 0-4-4T's weighed 14 tons 17 cwt. in working order, and had space
 for 315 gallons of water and 12 cwt. of coal.
    During the latter part of 1879, two tender locomotives were introduced to
 the Kingston-Naracoorte Railway, and three of the "V" class were stored in
 the locomotive shed at Kingston. V.9 was retained for shunting duties at 
 Kingston.
    In 1882,V.10 was transferred to Wallaroo for shunting duties on the jetty
 and V.12 to Port Pirie for similar working, the short wheelbase of this
 engine being suitable for negotiating the sharp curves leading on to the 
 wharves. V. 11 was also transferred in 1885, for work at Port Wakefield.
  The B.H.P. Co. exchanged a side tank engine for one of the S.A.R.s "V"
 class during 1892 but exact details are not readily available. Because of
 increased ore traffic from Broken Hill, four additional "V" Class were 
 ordered for shunting duties. 	
   These additional locomotives were built locally by James Martin & Co. of
 Gawler, South Australia and were given the road numbers 143-146 inclusive
 (Builder's Nos. 67-70) and were all placed in service during 1893.
   The first of the "V" class to be withdrawn from traffic was No. 144,which 
 was sold to the Marine Board on 291h May, 1906.
    On the 8th February ,1912, V.9 was sold to the South Australian Mines
 Department, but was repurchased and re-issued into service on the S.A.R. 
 on 21st January, 1914.
    With the Western Division gauge conversion from the narrow to broad gauge
 in the 1920's, "V"11, V.143 and V.145 were sold to a Mr. A. H.Russell of
 Melbourne. These three locomotives became redundant after being used for a
 number of years on shunting duties at Wallaroo.
    Next of the "V" class to be withdrawn from the register was No. 10 which
 was acquired by the S.A. Harbors Board for shunting on the jetty at
 Port Germein. The remaining two units of the "V" class, Nos.9 and 146,ended 
 their "active service" days shunting at the Peterborough  Loco. Depot.
   "V"146 was condemned during May, 1953, followed by V. 9 during April, 
 1955.            
                          Extract from
       [RAILWAYS INSTITUTE MAGAZINE July - August  1969]