What is WAGR C class (1880)?
{{no sources|date=October 2023}} [[File:WAGR 1 (5360594359).jpg|thumb|C class No. 1 ''Katie'' on display at Bassendean in 2010.]] The '''WAGR C class''' were a total of 2 steam locomotives built in 1880 by [[Robert Stephenson and Company|Robert Stephenson & Coy]] for use by the [[Western Australian Government Railways]] (WAGR). The C class were originally built for the [[Eastern Railway (Western Australia)|Eastern Railway]] as [[0-6-0]] [[saddle tank locomotive|saddle tanks]] and were intended to operate the first services on the Eastern Railway upon its opening on the 1<sup>st</sup> of March in 1881. However, neither No. 1 nor 2 were ready, though No. 1 entered service the day after the opening from [[Fremantle Railway Workshops|Fremantle workshops]] where they were assembled. Originally they featured no bunkers with fuel being stored in the cab, later bunkers were added. From the start, the two engines were considered poor quality and after an accident known as the Cape Horn crash (near [[Boya, Western Australia|Boya]]) caused by braking failure and inadequate safety precautions, No. 1 was rebuilt with tender and vacuum brakes in 1887 with No. 2 following shortly. After their rebuilds, both [[Locomotive|locos]] were reallocated to [[Spencers Brook, Western Australia|Spencers Brook]] in order to run services to [[York, Western Australia|York]], [[Beverley, Western Australia|Beverley]] and [[Northam, Western Australia|Northam]]. No. 1 was sold in 1899 to the [[timber]] industry and named ''Katie'', it was preserved in 1956 and has been on display at the [[Bassendean Railway Museum]] ([[Rail Heritage W.A.]]) since 1970. No. 2 was sold into the timber industry in 1902 and later named ''Nevada'', being scrapped in 1969. [[Category:Western Australian Government Railways locomotives]] {{Transport-stub}} {{Technology-stub}}