New South Wales 48 class locomotive
Encyclopedia
The 48 Class are a diesel electric locomotive
ordered by the New South Wales Government Railways
from 1959. Once the most ubiquitous locomotive in New South Wales
(and Australia), the locomotives were built by A. E. Goodwin
, based on Alco
frames and prime movers, using General Electric
(later AEI
) electrical equipment. With 165 examples of the type built over 11 years, the 48 Class was a common sight on lines all over New South Wales. The South Australian Railways
830
class were of a very similar design.
prime mover delivering 1,060 horsepower, and have a maximum speed of 120 km/h. They ride on standard gauge Co-Co bogies, are 14.76 metres long, and weigh 75 t. Delivered in four batches (broken down as follows), there are still 69 48 Class locomotives in operation, primarily with Pacific National
. Silverton Tramway and Railcorp also operate a few such locomotives. Junee Railway Workshop (formerly Austrac) own 4814, 4816, 4820 and 4836. JRW are rebuilding 4820 with a new powerplant, dynamic brakes and full-width cab. GrainCorp have twenty-four locomotives which are gradually being refurbished for grain operation. Most others have been scrapped, stored, or purchased by heritage groups.
The four batches are as follows:
Currently there are seven preserved locomotives, five of them in operational status:
Various members of the 48 Class have had a total of Seven liveries over their more than 40 years of service. On delivery they wore the standard NSWGR Tuscan livery (to which some preserved locomotives have been restored), but since then have worn the State Rail Authority’s 'Candy' scheme, along with FreightCorp's plain blue, in which most locomotives remain. Some have gained Pacific National markings.
In July 2010 locomotive units 4818, 4855, 4860, 4861, 4865, 4866, 4869, 4873, 4874, 4876, 4879, 4880, 4882, 4883, 4885
were lifted off their bogies and were scrapped at Werris Creek. for the full list of the 48 class please click here
PL1 and PL2 were transferred to South Australia after the forming of Pacific National for use at Keswick Terminal shunting for Great Southern Rail which was prior a National Rail contract. PL2 was transferred back to NSW with PL1 remaining in South Australia with its place taken by a 81 class loco when work is needed on the loco. In NSW the class see use on the former South Maitland Railway hauling coal along with 48 class locos. Their future is uncertain as the S.M.R will be brought up to mainline standard.
Indian Red
165 units
Reverse
Candy
(All units painted into candy with their paint dates)
4808 7.2.83*
4811 6.9.84*
4827 15.8.84*
4833 18.11.82*
4834 8.11.83*
4838 2.7.84*
4839 16.12.83*
4841 4.9.84*
4842 6.6.85*
4844 3.8.83*
4845 14.9.82*
4874 9.5.83*
4875 18.3.83*
48100 22.2.85*
48103 2.9.82*
48106 6.6.83*
48107 24.9.82*
48108 24.5.83*
48110 8.2.83*
48112 2.4.83*
48115 18.8.83*
48117 13.12.82*
48119 3.3.83*
48120 7.3.85*
48121 27.10.82*
48124 20.7.83*
48125 24.9.82*
48126 12.1.83*
48127 9.8.83*
48128 30.8.83*
48129 24.11.83*
48130 10.2.84*
48132 13.7.84*
48133 11.10.83*
48134 8.8.84*
48135 8.11.83*
48136 22.12.83*
48137 21.1.84*
48138 16.5.84*
48139 8.11.84*
48140 18.4.84*
48141 8.3.84*
48142 11.10.84*
48143 27.3.84*
48145 7.5.84*
48147 21.1.85*
48148 14.12.84*
48149 20.11.84*
48151 1.6.84*
48156 17.12.84*
48157 17.4.85*
Bicentennial
48165 only for Australia's Bicentenary
125 years of service
4836 only
Red terror
Freight Corp Blue
All units in FreightRail service received this.
Pacific National Blue/Black/Yellow
Austrac
4836,4814,4816,48XX
RIC orange
4819 and 4827
Note; these 2 48 class also wore the 2 Rail Infrastructure Teal Green schemes which included the Rail Services Australia (RSA) & Diesel Electric Maintenance Centre (DEMC) (Chullora) schemes
Silverton Yellow
Coote industrial green/yellow
Grain Corp sky blue
48203
48213
48216
48217
Diesel locomotive
A diesel locomotive is a type of railroad locomotive in which the prime mover is a diesel engine, a reciprocating engine operating on the Diesel cycle as invented by Dr. Rudolf Diesel...
ordered by the New South Wales Government Railways
New South Wales Government Railways
The New South Wales Government Railways was the government department that operated the New South Wales Government's railways until the establishment of the Public Transport Commission in 1972. Although later known officially as the Department of Railways, New South Wales, it was still generally...
from 1959. Once the most ubiquitous locomotive in New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
(and Australia), the locomotives were built by A. E. Goodwin
A. E. Goodwin
A. E. Goodwin was an Australian heavy engineering firm, which produced railway locomotives and rolling stock, as well as roadmaking machinery....
, based on Alco
American Locomotive Company
The American Locomotive Company, often shortened to ALCO or Alco , was a builder of railroad locomotives in the United States.-Early history:...
frames and prime movers, using General Electric
General Electric
General Electric Company , or GE, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation incorporated in Schenectady, New York and headquartered in Fairfield, Connecticut, United States...
(later AEI
Associated Electrical Industries
Associated Electrical Industries was a British holding company formed in 1928 through the merger of the British Thomson-Houston Company and Metropolitan-Vickers electrical engineering companies...
) electrical equipment. With 165 examples of the type built over 11 years, the 48 Class was a common sight on lines all over New South Wales. The South Australian Railways
South Australian Railways
South Australian Railways built and operated railways in South Australia from 1854 to the incorporation of its non-urban railways into the Australian National Railways Commission in 1975, together with the former Commonwealth Railways and the former Tasmanian Government Railways...
830
South Australian Railways 830 class
The 830 class of diesel locomotives were a class of branchline locomotive built by A. E. Goodwin. They had a Co-Co wheelbase and were operated by the South Australian Railways. Most were passed onto Australian National but two were retained by South Australia for the STA but were later sold to...
class were of a very similar design.
Buffing Plate
To suit coupling to passenger cars fitted with concertina gangways, the 48 class were fitted with buffing plates, which were rather like buffers linked together. Eventually when locomotive hauled passenger cars disappeared, the buffing plates were removed.History
The 48 Class have an Alco 6-251BALCO 251
The Alco 251 diesel engine was developed by the American Locomotive Company to replace the 244 and 539. The 251 was developed to be used in diesel locomotives, as a marine power plant in ships and as a stationary power generator.-Development:...
prime mover delivering 1,060 horsepower, and have a maximum speed of 120 km/h. They ride on standard gauge Co-Co bogies, are 14.76 metres long, and weigh 75 t. Delivered in four batches (broken down as follows), there are still 69 48 Class locomotives in operation, primarily with Pacific National
Pacific National
Pacific National is one of Australia's largest private rail freight businesses. Originally a joint venture between Patrick Corporation and Toll Holdings; it is now a wholly owned subsidiary of Asciano Limited following the restructure of Toll Holdings....
. Silverton Tramway and Railcorp also operate a few such locomotives. Junee Railway Workshop (formerly Austrac) own 4814, 4816, 4820 and 4836. JRW are rebuilding 4820 with a new powerplant, dynamic brakes and full-width cab. GrainCorp have twenty-four locomotives which are gradually being refurbished for grain operation. Most others have been scrapped, stored, or purchased by heritage groups.
The four batches are as follows:
- Mark I: 4801 – 4845
- Mark II: 4846 – 4885
- Mark III: 4886 – 4899, 48100 – 48125
- Mark IV: 48126 – 48165.
Currently there are seven preserved locomotives, five of them in operational status:
- 4801: State Rail Authority Heritage Unit, Eveleigh - since moved
- 4803: New South Wales Rail Transport MuseumNew South Wales Rail Transport MuseumThe New South Wales Rail Transport Museum located in Thirlmere, New South Wales south-west of Sydney, is a museum dedicated to displaying former locomotives, carriages and goods wagons from the New South Wales Government Railways as well as private operations in NSW. The collection features steam,...
, Thirlmere, NSW. Operational. - 4805: State Rail Authority Heritage Unit, Eveleigh. Inoperable. - Visible between Newtown and Redfern in the sidings - since moved.
- 4807: Australian Railway Historical Society - Canberra Railway Museum. Operational.
- 4821: Goulburn Rail Heritage Centre Operational.
- 4822: Dorrigo Steam Railway and MuseumDorrigo Steam Railway and MuseumThe Dorrigo Steam Railway and Museum in Dorrigo, New South Wales, Australia is a large, privately owned collection of preserved railway vehicles and equipment from the railways of New South Wales, covering both Government and private railways...
. - 4833: Privately owned by Goodwin ALCo Ltd. Operational.
Various members of the 48 Class have had a total of Seven liveries over their more than 40 years of service. On delivery they wore the standard NSWGR Tuscan livery (to which some preserved locomotives have been restored), but since then have worn the State Rail Authority’s 'Candy' scheme, along with FreightCorp's plain blue, in which most locomotives remain. Some have gained Pacific National markings.
In July 2010 locomotive units 4818, 4855, 4860, 4861, 4865, 4866, 4869, 4873, 4874, 4876, 4879, 4880, 4882, 4883, 4885
were lifted off their bogies and were scrapped at Werris Creek. for the full list of the 48 class please click here
PL class
Seven Mark II locomotives were rebuilt between 1999 and 2001 as the PL class. These locomotives were 4848 (became PL1), 4856 (PL7), 4867 (PL6), 4868 (PL4), 4870 (PL3), and 4871 which became PL2. Changes included the short end cab nose being lowered, the cab altered, and the installation of air-conditioning.PL1 and PL2 were transferred to South Australia after the forming of Pacific National for use at Keswick Terminal shunting for Great Southern Rail which was prior a National Rail contract. PL2 was transferred back to NSW with PL1 remaining in South Australia with its place taken by a 81 class loco when work is needed on the loco. In NSW the class see use on the former South Maitland Railway hauling coal along with 48 class locos. Their future is uncertain as the S.M.R will be brought up to mainline standard.
DA7
4813 and 4826 were sold to Australian National with 4813 rebuilt as DA7 for the Port Lincoln Division with 4826 scrapped some years latter at Pt Augusta. DA7 was the first narrow gauge loco in the GW orange due to being rebuilt at the time of the AN sale. With the new number system that was introduced it latter became 905 and to this day is still based at Port Lincoln.CAR1
4812 was rebuilt and repainted by Cargills for Shunter at their Kooragang Island plant as CAR1. CAR1 was sold to J.R.W some time latter it believed it will be rebuilt at some point.Models
The 48 class and its sisters the ST and 830 class have been produced in HO scale (1:87) by Trax/Powerline. Currently Powerline are working on a retooled 48 class, while Trainorama are concurrently in the process of producing a 48 and 830 class. In the early 1970s, Berg's hobbies produced a number of brass locos which featured a 48 class model. Gopher Models have produced an N scale (1:160) model of the 48 class and the SAR-AN 830 class.Colour Schemes
All 48 class were delivered in the Indian Red Scheme and have gone to be one of the most repainted class of locomotive in Australia.Indian Red
165 units
Reverse
Candy
(All units painted into candy with their paint dates)
4808 7.2.83*
4811 6.9.84*
4827 15.8.84*
4833 18.11.82*
4834 8.11.83*
4838 2.7.84*
4839 16.12.83*
4841 4.9.84*
4842 6.6.85*
4844 3.8.83*
4845 14.9.82*
4874 9.5.83*
4875 18.3.83*
48100 22.2.85*
48103 2.9.82*
48106 6.6.83*
48107 24.9.82*
48108 24.5.83*
48110 8.2.83*
48112 2.4.83*
48115 18.8.83*
48117 13.12.82*
48119 3.3.83*
48120 7.3.85*
48121 27.10.82*
48124 20.7.83*
48125 24.9.82*
48126 12.1.83*
48127 9.8.83*
48128 30.8.83*
48129 24.11.83*
48130 10.2.84*
48132 13.7.84*
48133 11.10.83*
48134 8.8.84*
48135 8.11.83*
48136 22.12.83*
48137 21.1.84*
48138 16.5.84*
48139 8.11.84*
48140 18.4.84*
48141 8.3.84*
48142 11.10.84*
48143 27.3.84*
48145 7.5.84*
48147 21.1.85*
48148 14.12.84*
48149 20.11.84*
48151 1.6.84*
48156 17.12.84*
48157 17.4.85*
Bicentennial
48165 only for Australia's Bicentenary
125 years of service
4836 only
Red terror
Freight Corp Blue
All units in FreightRail service received this.
Pacific National Blue/Black/Yellow
Austrac
4836,4814,4816,48XX
RIC orange
4819 and 4827
Note; these 2 48 class also wore the 2 Rail Infrastructure Teal Green schemes which included the Rail Services Australia (RSA) & Diesel Electric Maintenance Centre (DEMC) (Chullora) schemes
Silverton Yellow
Coote industrial green/yellow
Grain Corp sky blue
48203
48213
48216
48217