WAGR L class (diesel)

Western Australian Government Railways L Class
L270 in a promotional photo for the Indian Pacific, 1970.
Type and origin Power type Diesel-electric Builder Clyde Engineering, Granville (L251–L273) Commonwealth Engineering (Subcontract), Rocklea (L274 & L275) Clyde Engineering, Eagle Farm (R.1001 & R.1002) Model EMD GT26C Build date 1967–1969, 1972–1973 Total produced 27
Specifications Configuration: ​  • AAR C-C  • UIC Co′Co′ Gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge Length 20.218 m (66 ft 4.0 in) Width 2.946 m (9 ft 8.0 in) Height 4.228 m (13 ft 10.5 in) Axle load 22.5 t (22.1 long tons; 24.8 short tons) Loco weight 137 t (135 long tons; 151 short tons) Fuel type Diesel Prime mover EMD 16-645E3 RPM range 315–900 Aspiration Turbocharged Generator EMD AR10A4 Traction motors EMD D77 Gear ratio 60:17
Performance figures Maximum speed 137 km/h (85 mph) Power output 2,460 kW (3,300 hp) Tractive effort 337.2 kN (75,800 lbf)
Career Operators Western Australian Government Railways Number in class 27 First run 30 October 1967 Current owner Aurizon Southern Shorthaul Railroad Disposition 3 in service, 3 undergoing overhaul, 15 stored, 9 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

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. The design was based on the EMD SD40 reduced in height to fit within the Australian loading gauge. At the time they were comfortably the largest and heaviest diesel locomotive operated by a government operator.

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.

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.

In 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 with 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, 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.

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. One even operated through to Sydney in May 1984.

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

Following the delivery of the Q class locomotives in 1997, many were withdrawn with those remaining in service relegated to trailing locomotive status.

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.

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-owned L's were scrapped in 2015.

All of the locomotives now under the control of Aurizon have been renumbered as the 3100 class. Those fitted with Q-Tron traction control have had the "LQ" prefix applied, those with ZTR traction control "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.

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 on to Southern Shorthaul Railroad in 2020 with the loco being transferred to Cootamundra for reactivation work. It was reactivated in September 2020.

In 2018, all Aurizon owned units were placed into long-term storage, future uncertain. LZ3111 hauled three sister units to Avon Yard on train 6111 on the 12th January that year before returning light engine as train 6112 back to Forrestfield.

In 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.

Models of the L Class have been produced in HO scale by two companies: Haskell Co Taiwan and Southern Rail Models.

Disposition

Key:	In Service	Withdrawn	Preserved	Converted	Unknown	Scrapped

Serial number	Entered Service	Original Road Number	Renumbered As	Name	Current/Last Owner	Livery	Status
67-541	30 October 1967	L251	-	Thunderbird 1	Pacific National	PN Blue & Yellow	Scrapped, 5 May 2015 (Werris Creek)
67-542	November 1967	L252	LZ3101	Kurra Kurraka	Aurizon	Aurizon Pineapple with QR logos	Scrapped, June 2016 (Casino)
67-543	December 1967	L253	LZ3119	-	Aurizon	ARG Orange With Aurizon Logos	Reactivated for NSW grain traffic, July 2021
67-544	January 1968	L254	-	Enterprise NCC 1701	Pacific National	ATN Yellow & Burgundy	Scrapped after an engine fire, 4 November 2016 (Cardiff Locomotive Workshops)
67-545	February 1968	L255	LZ3105	-	Aurizon	ASR Orange & Black with ARG logos	Stored, October 2014 (Avon Yard)
67-546	March 1968	L256	LZ3106	-	Aurizon	Aurizon Pineapple with QR logos	Stored, 12 January 2018 (Avon Yard)
68-547	March 1968	L257	3102	Wagiman	J&P Metals	ASR Orange & Black with ARG logos	Scrapped, 30 October 2021
68-548	March 1968	L258	LZ3107	-	Aurizon	ASR Orange & Black with ARG logos	Stored, January 2018 (Forrestfield)
68-549	April 1968	L259	LZ3103	Aboriginal Stockman	Aurizon	Aurizon Pineapple	Stored (Avon Yard)
68-550	May 1968	L260	L3108	-	Aurizon	Westrail Yellow & Blue	Stored, October 2014 (Avon Yard)
68-551	August 1968	L261	LZ3109	-	Aurizon	ARG Orange	Undergoing overhaul at Progress Rail, Port Augusta, December 2022
68-552	August 1968	L262	L3110	-	Aurizon	ASR Orange & Black with ARG logos	Stored (Forrestfield)
68-553	October 1968	L263	LZ3111	-	Aurizon	ASR Orange & Black with ARG logos	Reactivated July 2023
68-554	October 1968	L264	LZ3112	-	Aurizon	ARG Mustard & Burgundy	Stored, 12 January 2018 (Avon Yard)
68-555	October 1968	L265	LQ3121	Shoalhaven	Aurizon	ARG Mustard & Burgundy	Stored (Avon Yard)
68-556	October 1968	L266	L3113	-	Aurizon	Westrail Orange & Blue	Stored (Avon Yard)
68-557	November 1968	L267	LZ3114	-	Aurizon	ARG Orange	Undergoing overhaul at Progress Rail, Port Augusta, December 2022
68-617	December 1968	L268	L3115	-	Aurizon	Westrail Yellow & Blue with ARG logos	Stored (Avon Yard)
68-618	January 1969	L269	-	-	Westrail	Westrail Orange & Blue	Involved in a crossing accident on 30 May 1995. Scrapped, February 1996
68-619	March 1969	L270	-	Red Dwarf	Pacific National	Pacific National Blue & Yellow	Scrapped, 5 May 2015 (Werris Creek)
69-620	April 1969	L271	LQ3122	John Douglas Kerr	Aurizon	QR Interail	Scrapped, June 2016 (Casino)
69-621	May 1969	L272	L3116	-	Aurizon	Westrail Orange & Blue	Stored (Avon Yard)
69-622	June 1969	L273	LZ3104	Purnu	Aurizon	ASR Orange & Black with ARG logos	Scrapped, June 2016 (Casino)
72-752	January 1972	R1.001	L277	Phoenix	Southern Shorthaul Railroad	Comalco Two-Tone Orange with SSR Logos	Reactivated, September 2020.
72-753	January 1972	R1.002	Lw276, LZ3120	-	Aurizon	ARG Orange With Aurizon Logos	Reactivated for NSW grain traffic in July 2021 then returned to WA in December 2022
73-779	September 1973	L274	LZ3117	-	Aurizon	ASR Orange & Black with ARG logos	Stored, 12 January 2018 (Avon Yard)
73-780	October 1973	L275	L3118	-	Aurizon	Westrail Orange & Blue with ARG logos	Stored, October 2014 (Avon Yard)

AReferences

• 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

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