Victorian Railways No.1 (1857)

Victorian Railways No.1 was the first government passenger steam locomotive on Victorian Railways(VR). It was a 2-2-2 tender locomotive built in 1857 by George England & Co. with their builders number 146. It arrived at Port Phillip in September 1858 along with 4 goods locomotives of 0-6-0 tender configuration.[2]

This small 2-2-2 passenger locomotive was quite successful over easier runs, which resulted in five similar locomotives being introduced on the line in 1860. In 1871 it was converted to 2-4-0 wheel arrangement to cope with heavier loads and steeper gradients on the new route.[3]

The first system used by VR to identify the locomotives was consecutive numbering from 1 onwards for both passenger and goods locomotives; thus the goods engines were numbered 1-4 while the sole passenger locomotive was numbered 1. This numbering system was later replaced by the introduction of a new system whereby goods locomotives were allocated odd numbers starting from 1 and passenger locomotives were allocated even numbers starting from 2, which continued until 1912. Thus the goods locomotives were renumbered to 11-17 (Odds only) while the passenger locomotive was renumbered to 12.

In the 1886 classification system, No. 12 remained unclassified. It was eventually sold to the Yarrawonga Council for use on the Katamatite tramway. When it was returned to VR, it was given the number 528 instead of its former running number 12, as another locomotive had already received that number in the meantime.[3] It was withdrawn from service in 15 April 1904.