The South Australian Railways R class was a class of 4-6-0 steam locomotives operated by the South Australian Railways. The initial 30 of the class were upgraded and reclassified as the Rx class; the
Rx149 with a load of wine barrels at McLaren Vale, 1920
Backhead and cab of an Rx class locomotive after rebuild from R class
James Martin & Co
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James Martin & Co was an Australian engineering company which progressed from making agricultural equipment to making railway locomotives.
South Australian Railways R class
…were built to Rx specifications. In 1886, Dübs and Company of Glasgow, UK delivered the first six R class locomotives. A further 24 were built by James Martin & Co, of Gawler SA by November 1895. Starting in 1899, all of the class were rebuilt with Belpaire boilers, achieving a 20 per cent increase in tractive…
The James Martin & Co. works yard (1906, when production of agricultural machinery continued)
Workers in the 1890s, holding up the tools of trade used in manufacturing locomotives and agricultural and mining equipment
Workers leaving the factory (1907)
Sketch of the factory (about 1890)