WAGR L class (diesel)

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Western Australian Government Railways L Class
In a rural scene, a two-tone blue diesel locomotive with yellow striping and red headstock at the head of the Indian Pacific train comprising stainless steel passenger cars
L270 in a promotional photo for the Indian Pacific, February 1970.
Type and origin
Power typeDiesel-electric
BuilderClyde Engineering, Granville (L251–L273)
Commonwealth Engineering (Subcontract), Rocklea (L274–L275)
Clyde Engineering, Eagle Farm (R.1001–R.1002)
Serial number67-541–68-557, 68-617–69-622, 72-752–72-753, 73-779–73-780
ModelEMD GT26C
Build date1967–1969, 1972–1973
Total produced27
RebuilderNREC, Whyalla, Progress Rail, Port Augusta
Specifications
Configuration:
​
 • AARC-C
 • UICCo′Co′
Gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge
BogiesClyde Hi-Ad
Wheel diameter1,016 mm (40.0 in)
Length20.218 m (66 ft 4.0 in)
Width2.946 m (9 ft 8.0 in)
Height4.228 m (13 ft 10.5 in)
Axle load22.5 t (22.1 long tons; 24.8 short tons)
Loco weight137 t (135 long tons; 151 short tons)
Fuel typeDiesel
Prime moverEMD 16-645E3
RPM range315–900
Engine typeV16
AspirationTurbocharged
AlternatorEMD AR10A4
Traction motorsEMD D77
Cylinders16
TransmissionDiesel-electric
Performance figures
Maximum speed137 km/h (85 mph)
Power outputGross: 2,460 kW (3,300 hp)
Traction: 2,240 kW (3,000 hp)
Tractive effort337.2 kN (75,800 lbf)
Career
OperatorsWestern Australian Government Railways
Number in class27
Delivered27 October 1967
First run30 October 1967
Current ownerAurizon
Southern Shorthaul Railroad
Disposition6 in service, 13 stored, 8 scrapped

The L Class are a class of diesel locomotives built by Clyde Engineering, Granville and Eagle Farm, and Commonwealth Engineering (subcontracted by Clyde), Rocklea for the Western Australian Government Railways between 1967 and 1973.

History[edit]

With the 657-kilometre (408 mi) Eastern Goldfields Railway between Perth and Kalgoorlie being converted to standard gauge, the Western Australian Government Railways started to take delivery of 23 Electro Motive Diesel GT26C locomotives from Clyde Engineering in October 1967.[1] The design was based on the EMD SD40 reduced in height to fit within the Australian loading gauge. They were the first Australian locomotives to use a turbocharged EMD engine. At the time they were comfortably the largest and heaviest diesel locomotive operated by a government operator.[2]

All were delivered from Sydney via Melbourne and Adelaide, necessitating them being placed on broad gauge bogies for the journey between Dynon and Port Pirie.[2]

They entered service hauling iron ore trains from Koolyanobbing to Kwinana and the Indian Pacific. However they were quickly removed from passenger trains after it was realised the damage they could cause to the track at higher speeds.[2]

In January 1972, Comalco purchased two locomotives of the same design for use on its 19.5-kilometre (12.1 mi) line at its bauxite mine in Weipa. These were built without dynamic brakes but had an extra 11 tonnes (11 long tons; 12 short tons) of ballast for increased adhesion. In 1973, the Western Australian Government Railways took delivery of a further two units, funded by Western Mining Corporation as part of the building of a nickel mine at Mount Windarra. The Comalco locomotives were built by Clyde Engineering's Eagle Farm factory, and the WMC funded locomotives were built under subcontract by Commonwealth Engineering at their Rocklea plant.[2][3]

L268, in a one-off blue Westrail livery, at Leighton yard.

In 1983, three were leased to V/Line to haul services on the standard gauge Melbourne to Albury line.[4] One even operated through to Sydney in May 1984.[5]

In 1994, following the purchase of GML10, Comalco's R1.001 was sent to Clyde Engineering, Kelso for overhaul.[6] Upon its return in August 1994, R1.002 was sold to Westrail and placed in service as Lw276.[2]

Following the delivery of the Q Class locomotives in 1997, many were withdrawn with those remaining in service relegated to trailing unit status.[7]

In July 1998, seven were sold to Australian Transport Network. After being overhauled by National Railway Equipment Company, Whyalla, four were placed in service by ATN Access hauling grain trains in southern New South Wales and Victoria. Three were included in the sale of Australian Transport Network to Pacific National in February 2004 while the fourth along with the three unused examples along with one of the operational units were sold to Rail Technical Services, Dynon who resold them to QR National subsidiaries Interail and Australian Railroad Group for use in New South Wales.[2]

L266 at Kalgoorlie in January 2005

The remainder were included in the sale of Westrail to Australian Railroad Group in December 2000. All were included in the sale of Australian Railroad Group's Western Australian operations to QR National in June 2006. After being stored for some years, the Pacific National units were scrapped in 2015.

All of the locomotives under the control of the Australian Railroad Group have been renumbered as the 3100 class.[8][9][10][11] Those fitted with Q-Tron traction control have had the "LQ" prefix applied, those with ZTR traction control were called "LZ". Some were transferred to New South Wales to haul trains from the Manildra Group's flour mills at Gunnedah, Manildra and Narrandera to Bomaderry from 2003 until 2008.[2]

In 2011, Comalco sold R1.001 to Australian Locolease who placed it in service as L277 and leased it to El Zorro to operate grain trains in Victoria. After several years of storage and irregular use, L277 was sold to Southern Shorthaul Railroad in 2020 and was transferred to Cootamundra for reactivation work, which was completed in September 2020.

In 2018, all Aurizon owned units were placed into long term storage, facing an uncertain future. LZ3111 hauled three sister units as well as flatbed and well wagons to Avon Yard on 12 January that year before returning light engine back to Forrestfield.

In July 2021, Aurizon reactivated LZ3119 and LZ3120 for use on grain trains in New South Wales. After spending a year and a half there, LZ3120 was transferred back to Western Australia in December 2022. Nearly a month prior to this, LZ3109 and LZ3114 were shipped by road to Progress Rail's workshops in Port Augusta for rebuilding and return to service.

On 19 July 2023, LZ3111 was reactivated and ran light engine to Avon Yard to take up shunting duties there. It was relocated to Aurizon's new Forrestfield intermodal terminal on 28 December the same year, also for shunting duties.

Status Table[edit]

Key: In Service Stored Preserved Unknown Scrapped
Serial number Entered Service Original Road Number Renumbered As Name Current/Last Owner Livery Status
67-541 Monday, 30 October 1967 L251 - Thunderbird 1 Pacific National PN Blue & Yellow Scrapped, 5 May 2015 (Werris Creek)
67-542 Monday, 20 November 1967 L252 LZ3101 Kurra Kurraka Aurizon QR National Pineapple Scrapped by accident in June 2016 (Casino)
67-543 Thursday, 14 December 1967 L253 LZ3119 - Aurizon ARG Orange w/ Aurizon Logo Patches Reactivated for NSW grain traffic, July 2021
67-544 Friday, 5 January 1968 L254 - Enterprise NCC 1701 Pacific National ATN Access Burgundy & Yellow Scrapped after an engine fire, 4 November 2016 (Cardiff Locomotive Workshops)
67-545 Thursday, 8 February 1968 L255 LZ3105 - Aurizon G&W Orange & Black w/ ARG Logos Stored, October 2014 (Avon Yard)
67-546 Friday, 8 March 1968 L256 LZ3106 - Aurizon QR National Pineapple Stored, 12 January 2018 (Avon Yard)
68-547 Thursday, 14 March 1968 L257 3102 Wagiman J&P Metals G&W Orange & Black w/ ARG Logos Scrapped, 30 October 2021[12]
68-548 Thursday, 28 March 1968 L258 LZ3107 - Aurizon G&W Orange & Black w/ ARG Logos Stored, January 2018 (Forrestfield)
68-549 Friday, 19 April 1968 L259 LZ3103 Aboriginal Stockman Aurizon Aurizon Pineapple Stored (Avon Yard)
68-550 Friday, 24 May 1968 L260 L3108 - Aurizon Westrail Yellow w/ Patches Stored, October 2014 (Avon Yard)
68-551 Wednesday, 14 August 1968 L261 LZ3109 - Aurizon Aurizon Bulk Yellow Rebuilt by Progress Rail, Port Augusta
68-552 Friday, 23 August 1968 L262 L3110 - Aurizon G&W Orange & Black w/ ARG Logos Stored (Forrestfield)
68-553 Friday, 11 October 1968 L263 LZ3111 - Aurizon G&W Orange & Black w/ ARG Logos Reactivated in 2023 for shunting duties
68-554 Wednesday, 16 October 1968 L264 LZ3112 - Aurizon ARG Mustard & Burgundy Stored, 12 January 2018 (Avon Yard)
68-555 Friday, 18 October 1968 L265 LQ3121 Shoalhaven Aurizon ARG Mustard & Burgundy Stored (Avon Yard)
68-556 Friday, 25 October 1968 L266 L3113 - Aurizon Westrail Orange & Blue Phase 2 Stored (Avon Yard)
68-557 Thursday, 28 November 1968 L267 LZ3114 - Aurizon Aurizon Bulk Yellow Rebuilt by Progress Rail, Port Augusta
68-617 Wednesday, 18 December 1968 L268 L3115 - Aurizon Westrail Yellow w/ ARG logos Stored (Avon Yard)
68-618 Friday, 17 January 1969 L269 - - Westrail Westrail Orange & Blue Phase 1 Involved in a crossing accident in Esperance on 30 May 1995. Scrapped, February 1996
68-619 Friday, 7 March 1969 L270 - Red Dwarf Pacific National PN Blue & Yellow Scrapped, 5 May 2015 (Werris Creek)
69-620 Saturday, 12 April 1969 L271 LQ3122 John Douglas Kerr Aurizon Interail Rainbow w/ Aurizon Logo Patches Scrapped by accident in June 2016 (Casino)
69-621 Tuesday, 20 May 1969 L272 L3116 - Aurizon Westrail Orange & Blue Phase 2 w/ Patches Stored (Avon Yard)
69-622 Friday, 13 June 1969 L273 LZ3104 Purnu Aurizon G&W Orange & Black w/ ARG Logos Scrapped by accident in June 2016 (Casino)
72-752 March 1972 R1.001 L277 Phoenix/Hustle Muscle Southern Shorthaul Railroad Comalco Yellow & Orange w/ SSR Logos Reactivated, September 2020
72-753 June 1972 R1.002 Lw276, LZ3120 - Aurizon ARG Orange w/ Aurizon Logo Patches Reactivated for NSW grain traffic in July 2021 then returned to WA in December 2022
73-779 Wednesday, 26 September 1973 L274 LZ3117 - Aurizon G&W Orange & Black w/ ARG Logos Stored, 12 January 2018 (Avon Yard)
73-780 Monday, 15 October 1973 L275 L3118 - Aurizon Westrail Orange & Blue Phase 2 w/ ARG Logos Stored, October 2014 (Avon Yard)

References[edit]

  1. ^ "20 Years Ago" Railway Digest October 1987 page 332
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Oberg, Leon (2010). Locomotives of Australia 1850s-2010s. Kenthurst: Rosenberg Publishing. pp. 346–348. ISBN 9781921719011.
  3. ^ Dunn, John (2013). A History of Commonwealth Engineering Volume 3: 1966-1977. Kenthurst: Rosenberg Publishing. p. 313. ISBN 9781877058905.
  4. ^ "Locomotives and Traffic" Railway Digest January 1985 page 12
  5. ^ Railway Digest July 1984 page 247
  6. ^ Railway Digest September 1994 page 8
  7. ^ "The L Class Locomotives of WA" Railway Digest August 2000 page 18
  8. ^ L Class (WAGR) Archived 8 February 2015 at the Wayback Machine Railpage
  9. ^ LQ Class Archived 8 February 2015 at the Wayback Machine Railpage
  10. ^ LZ Class Archived 8 February 2015 at the Wayback Machine Railpage
  11. ^ L Class Archived 29 August 2016 at the Wayback Machine Vicsig
  12. ^ "LZ3102 J&P scrapyard Picton East". 30 October 2021. Archived from the original on 26 November 2021. Retrieved 26 November 2021.
  • Gunzburg, Adrian (1968). WAGR Locomotives 1940–1968. Perth: Australian Railway Historical Society (Western Australian Division). pp. 45–46, 50. OCLC 219836193.
  • Australia Wide Fleet List Motive Power issue 96 November 2014 pages 65, 69

External links[edit]

Media related to WAGR L class (diesel) at Wikimedia Commons

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