Melbourne and Hobson's Bay United Railway Company 4-4-0WT (1871)

This was a group of 6 passenger steam locomotives, built by Robert Stephenson & Company for an early private railway operator in Victoria, and expanded by another 20 locomotives locally built by Robinson Brothers and Phoenix Foundry for the Victorian Railways. They later were known as the Victorian Railways C class.

Owners
The original six 4-4-0WT locomotives built by Stephenson were ordered and operated by the Melbourne and Hobson's Bay United Railway Company and later the Victorian Railways.

Melbourne and Hobson's Bay United Railway Company (M&HBUR) 1871–1878
The first 4-4-0WT locomotive for the Melbourne and Hobson's Bay Railway Company (B/n 1995) arrived in Hobson's Bay aboard the vessel 'Khandeish' on 13 June 1871 at a cost of £2,444 to land (including customs duty) — it is possibly the first bogie engine in Victoria — and is numbered No.20. The ship 'Astracan' reached Melbourne on 6 April 1973 with the next engine No.21 (B/n 2123) entering service soon after, followed by the 'Loch Ness' on 17 January 1974 with the next two engines No.22 & No.23 (B/n 2130 & 2214), although these locomotives didn't enter service until September and October 1875. Around this time, one of these four locomotives was hired by the Victorian Railways for trial observations. The M&HBUR ordered a final two 4-4-0WT's in February 1877, they arrived aboard the 'Hawarden Castle' (B/n 2328) and the 'Melanope' (B/n 2329) both arriving 1 February 1878 and numbered No.25 & No.26.

When the M&HBUR was taken over by the Government in 1878, the six locomotives were transferred on 1 July 1878 to the Government for use on their South Suburban system (see below).

South Suburban System (Victorian Railways) 1878–1886
On the 1 July 1878, the six 4-4-0WT locomotives (No. 20–No. 23, No. 25–No. 26) of the Melbourne and Hobson's Bay United Railway were transferred to the Government's Victorian Railways. This was separate to the main Government system, and they were able to retain their previous numbers as they were not incorporated into the main Victorian Railways register until the introduction of letter classification in 1886. It was referred to as the Hobson's Bay system from 1879 to 1881, then as the South Suburban system from 1881 to 1886.

In 1880–81, eight were locally built by Robinson Brothers of South Melbourne, and a further twelve were built by Phoenix Foundry of Ballarat in 1882–83.

All twenty-six were added to the main Victorian Railways register (see below).

Victorian Railways (VR) 1886–1906
The South Suburban system was finally incorporated into the Victorian Railways register on 1 January 1886 along with the introduction of the letter classification system. As there were already locomotives with the same numbers, these older locomotives were given the next available numbers; 42, 262–310 (even only) and became known as the C class.

Motor service
In 1904, C272, C282, C286, C294, C296, C306 were modified for motor running, while C284 was also converted at a later date. This involved the addition of handrails and footboards to allow guards to return to the engine while the train was moving, as well as cowcatchers.

Design improvements
Over the years they were fitted with various alterations to the cabs. There were also various upgrades over the years; with constant improvements to safety — these including things like updates to safety valves (and domes), smokeboxs and chimneys (with spark arrestors), and brakes.

Accidents

 * 2 December 1882 - South Sub 32 collided with R191 at m
 * 11 May 1887 - C266 was on the ordinary train involved in the m accident
 * 1888 - C288 broke trailing axle
 * 1890 - C310 broke leading axle
 * 16 April 1909 - C310 broke leading axle
 * 1 December 1909 - C286 broke trailing axle at Hartwell

Demise
All scrapped. The first was taken off the register on 9 April 1904 and the last on 19 February 1916.

C266 was fitted up as a washing out engine in 1900, and was at North Melbourne until 7 February 1906 when C310 was similarly equipped and took over. — The boilers of engines needed frequent washing out to remove sediments around the firebox which if allowed to remain would interfere with the circulation of water and lead to overheating of the firebox plates. Before boilers could be washed out with cold water, several hours were needed for the boiler to cool slowly, thus avoiding stress arising from rapid and unequal contractions. Washing out with hot water greatly reduced this delay.