Talk:58 Class/@comment-110.146.137.77-20170320020721

The 58 class 4-8-2 was said to be the freight engine version of the 38 class. Unfortunately many Enfield and Lithgow drivers didn't drive the 38 class when the 58's entered service. They looked upon the 58 as an updated version of the older 57 class and drove the 58's the same. It was a big mistake. To get the most out of a 38 class they had to be driven hard and the same with the 58 class. Southern line driver did drive the 38's on expresses to Albury and they drove the 58's the same way on express fruit trains which they 58's were very suited too. Many preferred them to the older 57 class as they were more suited to slow heavy coal trains. However the 58's did have problems. The rack and pinion valve gear required expert maintanence and in the 1950's that just wasn't available. They only had a maximum boiler pressure of 200psi and if the pressure dropped to below 190psi then their performance dropped off. If the boiler had a pressure of 250psi then there would have been a bigger margin before power suffered from a falling boiler pressure. There is only one recorded run of a 58 class on the main north when 5807 was repaired at Cardiff. It's said that the loco pushed the pilot loco up Cowan bank. So driven correctly the 58's could be very powerful and solid performers.