In the mid 1930’s, there became a need for a light lines express engine & the Islington workshops designed & built the 620 class, with 620 being introduced in 26-6-1938, 10 locos
 were built & the last, 629 entered service 22-3-1938.

   They proved to be a very good engine, maintaining high speeds on the Port Pirie Express & over light lines, travelling to most country destinations, 620 was the first streamlined loco in Aust, was named ‘Sir Winston Dugan’ & put on display at the SA Centenary Exhibition at Wayville on 16-3-1936 & was the SA Centenary Train engine in 1936 & ran 659,259 miles, was condemned on 6-7-1961.

   621 entered service 7-9-1936 & was condemned in 1969 after running 672,814 miles. In 1971
 it was restored & recommissioned to run ARHS (Steam Ranger) tours around SA & was named ‘Duke of Edinburgh’, it was also, I believe, the first SAR steam engine to run into Victoria, teaming up with R761 & going as far as Baccus Marsh in 1994, also 623 is preserved
at the National Railway Museum at Port Adelaide.

   When the main Melbourne line was standardised in 1996, Steam Ranger relocated to the
Mt Barker-Victor Harbour line, where 621 now runs on tour trains.

   Ref:- Steam Locomotives & Railcars of the South Australian Railways
   by R E Fluck, R Sampson, K J Bird

   National Railway Museum at Port Adelaide   http://www.natrailmuseum.org.au

   SteamRanger at Mount Barker   http://www.steamranger.org.au