User:Zzrbiker/EMD AAT22C-2R

EMD AAT22C-2R
A 70, in original V/Line tangerine/grey livery, at Spencer Street Station
Type and origin Power type Diesel-electric Builder Clyde Engineering, Rosewater, South Australia Build date 1984 Total produced 11
Specifications Configuration: ​  • UIC Co-Co Gauge 5 ft 3 in (1,600 mm) Prime mover EMD 645 Cylinders 12
Career Operators V/line (Public Transport Corporation) Pacific National Disposition in service with Pacific National

The EMD AAT22C-2R, better known as the V/Line A class, was a 1980s rebuild of the 1952-era Clyde ML2/EMD AA16C Victorian Railways B class diesel-electric locomotives. Although the original plan was to rebuild the entire class of 26 locomotives, the project was stopped after just 11 locomotives had been built when it became apparent that cost effectiveness of rebuilding old locomotives was not as great as initially expected. Despite this, the A class locomotives have continued to provide service for V/Line and following its privatisation, V/Line Passenger and Freight Australia.

History

By the early 1980s, the highly successful Victorian Railways B class locomotives were nearing the end of their lives with mileages of some class members exceeding 3,000,000 miles.

The original 1,500 horsepower 16 cylinder EMD 567BC prime movers were removed and replaced with 2,460 hp 12 cylinder EMD 645E3B. Significant changes were made to the carbody to accommodate the larger prime mover and associated equipment, although the class retained their well-known "bulldog" nose at each end. They were painted in V/Line's trademark "tangerine" livery.

The Public Transport Corporation (established under the Transport Act of 1983 as a successor to the former Victorian Railways) had already ordered all parts necessary for the conversion of all 26 B class locomotives. It had also ordered ten all-new locomotives with similar prime mover and generator equipment, the EMD JT22HC-2 (which were introduced as the N class). The N class locomotives had the same hauling power as the A class, but had the advantage of built-in Head End Power for running lighting and air conditioning systems in V/Line's new train sets, and did not require trains to include a power car.

Based on the success of the N class, the PTC opted to discontinue the A class program. It placed an order with Clyde Engineering for an additional 15 N class locomotives, which were built with the equipment originally intended for the A class. The remaining B class locomotives were gradually withdrawn from service, with some sold to private rail operators and some scrapped.

Regular Service

Despite the relative merits of the N class, the A class locomotives have all remained in service since their introduction. They were initially used on long distance InterCity services operated by V/Line and operated at speeds of up to 125 km/h, but have more recently been replaced in this role by N class locomotives. The A class, with their lack of Head End Power, were also utilised for freight service where this feature was not required.

With the split of V/Line into separate passenger and freight businesses ahead of eventual privatisation in the 1990s, the A class fleet was split into two groups. Four units were retained by V/Line Passenger which also took the entire 25-strong N class fleet, while seven were transferred to Freight Victoria, which became Freight Australia, along with the entire V/Line X class locomotive fleet.