Victorian Railways R Class 0-6-0 Light Lines Locomotives comprised a group of 25 engines destined for branchline goods traffic. The class were built by Robinson's Bros South Melbourne and given road numbers and where, in odd notation, 447 to 495 (builder's no. 9 - 33) and where called 'Kitson's Design' to distinguish them from the Beyer Peacock Design which later became 'Old' R Class. In 1893 the class was re-looked at from it's design and the activities of the class became restricted to mainline goods traffic as the high axle loading of 13tons and 17cwt precluded their use on the light lines which they were intended for. These locomotives were fitted with two inside cylinders, 17in x 26in, the slide valves being actuated by Stephenson's valve gear. Each of the six coupled driving wheels measured 4ft 6in, the boiler had a total heating surface of 1054.00 sq ft, of which the tubes contributed 971.00 sq ft. The firebox of 83.00 sq ft had a fire grate area of 17.8 sq ft. The working boiler pressure was 140lbs, which gave a tractive effort of 15,585lbs, with the axles oddly spaced at 7ft 8in and 6ft 9in. Cast-iron sandboxes were mounted on the running plates adjacent to the smokebox and incorporated the leading splashers. Number 447 was on register 31st December 1889 with number 449 on register 29th January 1890 and a average of one locomotive per month with the last on register 15th September 1891. From 1899 modifications started by fitting them with A & Y Class 18in diameter cylinders and reclassed to RY, the 'Y' prefix was to indicate some tonnage as Y Class locomotives with the last getting converted on 7th October 1908, however after 1903 all new conversions where painted Candian Red.
The 'New' R class was built to be a Light Lines Goods Engine which looks the same as the main Line goods Egine Y Class but was 10 inches shorter and the wheels spaced oddly being 7ft 8in and 6ft 9in. The 6 wheel tender which was standard on the 'New A', 'Y' and 'D' classes carried 10,001 litres of water and 3.556 tons of coal.
In 1890 they were allocated as follows: Geelong (2), Stawell (7), Melbourne (4), Bendigo (5), Ballarat (3), Benalla (2), Princess Bridge (1) and Sale (1).
Some of the class where also involved in accidents, 463 and 467 had a collision at Baddaginnie 1894, 463 was damaged at Dooen 1894, 477 ran into a goods train at Lara 1906, 459 collided with a DDE on a showgounds special in 1912, 485 derailed and struck the platform at Canterbury 1923.
This model represents the class that where converted to RY and numbered 459, 467, 471, 475, 479, 481 & 487 between 1899 to 1903 painted in 2 Tone Green and where not re-boilered till around 1907 to 1909.