Melbourne and Hobson's Bay Railway Company 2-2-2WT (1854)
Melbourne and Hobson's Bay Railway Company 2-2-2WT was the first locomotive operated on a railway line in Australia. The Melbourne and Hobson's Bay Railway Company completed the first steam-hauled railway line to operate in Australia, a line between Flinders Street Melbourne and Sandridge beach on 12 September 1854. The delay in obtaining locomotives from Robert Stephenson and Company meant that the railway was without a locomotive, so that the company engaged Melbourne foundry company Robertson, Martin & Smith to construct a 2-2-2 tender locomotive. The firm had previously constructed a small donkey engine for hauling supplies along the line during construction.
The boiler was made by Langlands foundry and Robertson, Martin & Smith assembled it at Joseph Raleigh's disused boiling down works on the Saltwater River near Footscray. Raleigh had died in 1852, so it appears the buildings were not in use at the time.
The locomotive was completed in just ten weeks and cost £2,700. Forming the first steam train to travel in Australia. It had its trial run on 9 September 1854, and first official passenger running on 12 September 1854.
The locomotive had 200 mm diameter cylinders, was capable of producing 22.4 kilowatts, reached 40 km/h and hauled 130 tons.
The partnership of Robertson, Martin & Smith was dissolved on 10 July 1855.
