V/Line G class
V/Line G class | |
---|---|
High Adhesion | |
Length | 19.82 m (65 ft 0 in) |
Loco weight | 127 tonnes (125 long tons; 140 short tons) |
Fuel type | Diesel |
Fuel capacity | 9,600 L (2,100 imp gal; 2,500 US gal) |
Prime mover | Original: EMD 16-645E3C Rebuilt: EMD 16-645F3B |
Generator | EMD AR16A-D18 (G511-G515) EMD AR16A-CA5 (G516-G543) |
Traction motors | EMD D77 (G511-G525) EMD D87 (G526-G543) |
Performance figures | |
---|---|
Power output | Original: 3,300 hp (2,500 kW) Rebuilt: 3,600 hp (2,700 kW) |
Tractive effort | Starting: 337 kN (76,000 lbf) Continuous: 311 kN (70,000 lbf) at 18 km/h (11 mph) |
Career | |
---|---|
Operators | V/Line |
Number in class | 33 |
Numbers | G511-G543 |
First run | 16 October 1984 |
Current owner | Aurizon Linx Cargo Care Group Pacific National Southern Shorthaul Railroad Qube Rail First Asset Management Watco Australia |
Disposition | 30 in service, 2 scrapped, 1 Overhaul Repair |
The G Class are a class of diesel locomotive built by Clyde Engineering, Rosewater and Somerton for V/Line between 1984 and 1989.
History
By the early 1980s, the first generation diesels purchased by the Victorian Railways were nearly 30 years old, with an average fleet age of 20 years. In addition, 70% of the fleet was of 1,000 horsepower or less, a consequence of the historically large number of branch lines in the state.[1]
Rationalisation of the rail freight task had also been carried out, with small freight consignments being consolidated to 'freight centres' from 1976. Moves had also been made towards the operation of
Delivery
At the same time Australian National had placed an order with Clyde Engineering, Rosewater for 10 BL class locomotives, with an option for a further five. VicRail's chairman Alan Reiher, stepped in and negotiated for the five to be completed for the newly formed V/Line.[2][3] The new diesels had a much higher axle load than the smaller T and Y class diesels used on branch lines, with these lines either being upgraded to carry heavier trains or closed.[2] These were all delivered in late 1984.[4][5]
A second order was placed for ten further units that were more tailored to V/Line's requirements. The first five were built with standard gauge bogies being delivered via Sydney. Over the next few years, members of the second batch would frequently swap gauges as needs dictated. In July 1986, through running without changing locomotives at Albury began with G class locomotives operating through to Sydney.[6] Two further contracts for eleven and seven broad gauge units had brought the fleet up to 33 by November 1989.[5][7] The first 15 were built at Clyde Engineering's, Rosewater factory with the balance built at Somerton.[8]
Although primarily intended for hauling freight services, they were also used on passenger trains such as the
National Rail
When
The class were also used on the first privately operated train on government tracks in Australia, operated by SCT Logistics with V/Line locomotives and crews between Melbourne and Adelaide on 13 July 1995.[2] This was extended through to Perth from October 2000.[13]
Freight Australia
All 33 were included in the sale of V/Line Freight to
Freight Australia commenced a program of engine upgrades purchasing new, more powerful EMD 16-645F3B engines for some of the G class, with the old engines being used to repower X class locomotives, later recoded the XR class.[15][16] The upgraded G classes were G523, G526, G529, G530, G531, G536, G541 and G543. These locos now have a power output of 3,800 hp (2795 kW).
In the early 2000s, Freight Australia was contracted to move freight between Melbourne and Sydney for CRT Group. The contract contained a clause that if Freight Australia was acquired by a competitor of CRT Group, 10,000 hp (7,500 kW) of locomotive power (calculated by the business CRT Group was offering Freight Australia) was to be transferred to CRT Group.[17] As a result, when Freight Australia was acquired by Pacific National in 2004, G516 & G534 were handed over to Linx Cargo, while 2 X class locomotives went to CRT Group, and later to QR National.
A condition imposed by the
By mid 2008, SCT Logistics had received new locomotives, and their G classes were sold to the Australian Wheat Board, CFCLA and Southern Shorthaul Railroad.[5]
Pacific National's fleet operate on both the broad and standard gauges, with the latter often operating in New South Wales.
In 2015, Freightliner purchased G533 and G535 from AWB Limited. [21] In the same year, they passed to Genesee & Wyoming Australia when their parent company, Genesee & Wyoming purchased Freightliner and integrated their Australian operations. [22] The 2 Gs now operate with Aurizon, following their purchase of ORA (formerly GWA) in 2022.
Features
The G class featured imported General Motors-
The first five units were fitted with carbody pressurisation, as fitted to many other Australian National locomotives for operation in the dusty outback areas they operated in. Differences in the subsequent units included the fitting of double blade windscreen wipers, lowering of the multiple-unit jumper receptacle, and the changing of the marker light orientation from vertical to horizontal. Recent years have seen many of the class fitted with on line refuelling, and working from Melbourne to Perth on the SCT Logistics service.
Fleet list
Key: | In Service | Stored | Preserved | Converted | Under Overhaul | Scrapped |
---|
Locomotive | Name | Serial Number | Entered service | Withdrawn | Owner | Operator | Livery | Gauge | Status |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G511 (BL36) | 84-1239 | October 1984 | Watco Australia | Watco Australia | Watco Black & Yellow | Standard | Operational | ||
G512 (BL37) | Peter Pan
|
84-1240 | November 1984 | Rail First Asset Management | Qube | Railfirst silver & blue | Broad | Operational | |
G513 (BL38) | Mike Moy | 84-1241 | November 1984 | Southern Shorthaul Railroad | Southern Shorthaul Railroad | SSR yellow & black | Standard | Operational | |
G514 (BL39) | Graham Cotterall | 84-1242 | November 1984 | Southern Shorthaul Railroad | Southern ShorthaulRailroad | SSR yellow & black | Standard | Operational | |
G515 (BL40) | Rising Fast | 84-1243 | November 1984 | RailFirst | Qube | Railfirst silver & blue | Broad | Operational | |
G516 | 85-1229 | December 1984 | Linx Cargo Care Group | Linx Cargo Care Group | Linx Cargo Care Blue with Swift logos | Standard | Operational | ||
G517 | 84-1231 | February 1985 | November 1999 | Freight Australia | Freight Australia | V/Line Orange & Grey | Broad | Scrapped due to accident | |
G518 | 85-1232 | May 1985 | November 1999 | Freight Australia | Freight Australia | V/Line Orange & Grey | Broad | Scrapped due to accident | |
G519 | 85-1232 | December 1985 | Pacific National | Pacific National | Pacific National Blue & yellow | Standard | Operational, reactivated March 2022 | ||
G520 | 85-1233 | March 1986 | Pacific National | Pacific National | Freight Australia Green & Yellow | Standard | Operational | ||
G521 | 85-1234 | February 1986 | Qube | Qube | Qube Yellow and Grey | Standard | Operational | ||
G522 | 85-1235 | March 1986 | Pacific National | Pacific National | Pacific National blue & yellow | Broad | Operational | ||
G523 | 86-1236 | March 1986 | Pacific National | Pacific National | Freight Australia green & yellow | Standard | Operational | ||
G524 | 86-1237 | April 1986 | Pacific National | Pacific National | Freight Australia green & yellow | Broad | Operational | ||
G525 | 86-1238 | April 1986 | Pacific National | Pacific National | Pacific National blue & yellow | Standard | Operational | ||
G526 | 88-1256 | March 1988 | Pacific National | Pacific National | Freight Australia green & yellow | Standard | Operational | ||
G527 | 88-1257 | April 1988 | Pacific National | Pacific National | Pacific National blue & yellow | Standard | Operational | ||
G528 | 88-1258 | May 1988 | Pacific National | Pacific National | Freight Australia Green & yellow | Broad | Operational | ||
G529 | Sam Azzopardi | 88-1259 | June 1988 | Pacific National | Pacific National | Pacific National blue & yellow | Broad | Operational | |
G530 | 88-1260 | July 1988 | Pacific National | Pacific National | Pacific National blue & yellow | Standard | Operational | ||
G531 | 88-1261 | August 1988 | Pacific National | Pacific National | Pacific National blue & yellow | Broad | Operational | ||
G532 | 88-1262 | September 1988 | Qube | Qube | Qube Yellow and Grey | Broad | Operational | ||
G533 | 88-1263 | November 1988 | Aurizon | Aurizon | Aurizon yellow & logos with green Freightliner trim. | Standard | Operational | ||
G534 | 88-1264 | November 1988 | Linx Cargo Care Group | Linx Cargo Care Group | Linx cargo Care Blue With Swift logos | Standard | Operational | ||
G535 | 88-1265 | December 1988 | Aurizon | Aurizon | Aurizon yellow & logos with green Freightliner trim. | Standard | Operational | ||
G536 | 89-1266 | February 1989 | Pacific National | Pacific National | Pacific National blue & yellow | Broad | Operational | ||
G537 | 89-1270 | May 1989 | Pacific National | Pacific National | Undercoat | Standard | Overhaul Repair | ||
G538 | 89-1271 | May 1989 | Pacific National | Pacific National | Freight Australia green & yellow | Standard | Operational | ||
G539 | 89-1272 | June 1989 | Pacific National | Pacific National | Freight Australia green & yellow | Standard | Operational | ||
G540 | Wycheproof
|
89-1273 | August 1989 | Pacific National | Pacific National | Pacific National Blue & yellow | Standard | Operational | |
G541 | Birchip | 89-1274 | September 1989 | Pacific National | Pacific National | Pacific National Blue and Yellow | Broad | Operational | |
G542 | Warracknabeal
|
89-1275 | October 1989 | Pacific National | Pacific National | Freight Australia green & yellow | Standard | Operational | |
G543 | 89-1276 | November 1989 | Pacific National | Pacific National | Freight Australia green & yellow | Broad | Operational |
- G511-515 were originally built as BL36-40.
- G543 was built with (and still has) a desktop cab layout, being a test bed for the DL and AN class locomotives.
References
- ^ a b Peter Foote (October 1987). "V/Line Grain Handling". Newsrail. Australian Railway Historical Society (Victorian Division). pp. 292–297.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-522-85134-2.
- ISBN 978-1-877058-54-7.
- ^ G Class (G511-G525) Archived 31 January 2014 at the Wayback Machine Railpage
- ^ a b c G Class Archived 17 June 2004 at the Wayback Machine Vicsig
- ^ "V/Line Standard Gauge Report" Railway Digest August 1986 page 247
- ^ G Class (G526-G543) Archived 31 January 2014 at the Wayback Machine Railpage
- ^ G class diesel electric locomotives Archived 28 April 2015 at the Wayback Machine Mark Bau's VR Website
- ^ Julian Insall (January 1994). "Exit the Sydney/Melbourne express". Newsrail. Australian Railway Historical Society (Victorian Division). pp. 7–9.
- ^ a b "The G class locomotives of Victoria" Railway Digest April 2000 page 23
- ^ Antony Fitzgerald (April 2000). "The Dash 9 in Australia: National Rail's NR class". Australian Model Railway Magazine. p. 27.
- ^ "NR G Class" Railway Digest April 1996 page 37
- ^ "Freight Australia Takes Over SCT Services to Perth" Railway Digest November 2000 page 11
- ISBN 0-642-27466-5. Archived(PDF) from the original on 16 August 2009. Retrieved 16 November 2008.
- ^ "ARHS Railway Museum: History 1950 – now". railwaymuseum.org.au. Archived from the original on 8 February 2007. Retrieved 16 November 2008.
- ^ Hewison, P, Kimpton, R. (2002) Freight Australia's Rollingstock Initiatives, Conference on Railway Engineering, Wollongong, 10–13 November 2002, pp. 293–294
- ^ Peter Attenborough (February 2006). "Colin Rees Transport (CRT)". Australian Model Railway Magazine. Vol. 22, no. 256. p. 37.
- ^ "SCT Logistics gains part of Toll's rail divestments" Archived 4 January 2014 at the Wayback Machine Rail Express.com.au 16 February 2007
- ^ SCT secure PN starter kit Archived 4 January 2014 at the Wayback Machine Rail Express Issue 77 March 2007
- ^ "SCT launches G class Kevin Sheedy Express" Archived 4 January 2014 at the Wayback Machine Railway Digest September 2007 Page 5
- ^ "Change of ownership of Locomotives G533 and G535" (PDF). Australian Rail Track Corporation. 9 January 2015. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 April 2015.
- ^ G&W concludes Freightliner acquisition Railway Age 27 March 2015
- ISBN 0-949817-76-7.
External links
- Media related to V/Line G class at Wikimedia Commons
- Australian Road & Track Magazine, June 1992 Going Loco: Track Test of V/Line loco G517