SCT class
Encyclopedia
The GT46C ACe are a model of Australia
n diesel electric locomotives
built by Downer Rail using EMD components. The first units were built as the SCT class for freight operator SCT Logistics from 2007, with delivery and entry to service through 2008. Additional units have since been built as the LDP class for Locomotive Demand Power (a 'Power-By-The-Hour' strategy by Downer Rail to provide a fleet of lease-available locomotives to the Australian rail industry) and the TT class for Pacific National
. The class designation is said to stand for 'Tonnage Transferrable'; the term apparently deriving from the fact that the locomotives have removable mass installed behind the headstocks at either end. The class was originally built as LDP 011 - 018 for lease to Pacific National but PN subsequently requested purchase of the locomotives and the slight modification to their design. With the extra weight added they are 139 tonnes but with the weight removed they are 132 tonnes; this allowing them to run on mainline territory available to the LDP class.
. The QR 4000 class used a 12 cylinder EMD 710 engine, based on the USA built SD70MAC
with scaled down traction motors, while the GT46C used a 16 cylinder EMD 710 engine with DC traction systems. The American SD70ACe was EMD's 2nd generation AC loco with IGBT inverters, but was too large and heavy for the Australian interstate standard gauge network, weighting in at 188 tonnes when the limit was 134 tonnes. In addition, the GT46C design was already at the 134 tonne limit, even before adding inverters, heavier traction motors and more cooling capacity for higher power engine, and there was a requirement that fuel capacity could not be sacrificed.
The locomotive has AC traction equipment, with a Mitsubishi electric package also used on the SD70ACe, including a TA17 traction alternator, CA9E companion alternator and six ITB 2630 traction motors, along with solid state IGBT inverters. The prime mover is a turbocharged
16 cylinder EMD 710
. New technology used included passive steer bogie
s, to reduce flange wear on corners. The class were built at Cardiff, New South Wales
, with the locomotive frame
s constructed at Port Augusta, South Australia
, and the bogie
frames at Kelso, New South Wales
. It is currently the only locomotive on the Australian standard gauge interstate network to meet Tier 2 emissions standards. They also outperformed the comparable UGL Rail produced 92 class
locomotive in back-to-back trials performed by RailCorp
on the steeply graded Cowan Bank
.
The LDP class were built by Downer EDI to be leased out to rail operators through their fully owned subsidiary 'Locomotive Demand Power'. In December 2008 it was announced that QRNational has signed a $45 million, five-year deal for the nine locomotives, covering the construction and delivery of the locomotives, maintenance, the provision of spare parts, and options to extend the lease for an additional five years. They are used on standard gauge intermodal freight services, LDP001-003 were painted in a blue and white EDI livery, while the remainder are in the QRN yellow livery.
to haul their Hunter Valley coal trains
. To be delivered in two batches of 6 locomotives, they will be fitted with ECP
braking and are used with similarly fitted NHDH, NHEH & NHYH hopper wagons built by Bradken Rail. The 1st 6 TT class (TT01-TT06) differ in some respects to the SCT/LDP class units, as they can be operated at two different weights: when weighing between 139 and 132 tonnes they are restricted in speed, fuel load, and range of operation in the same way as the heavyweight 90 class
; but below 132 tonnes they are cleared for normal operations like the SCT/LDP class. The 2nd 6 TT class (TT101-TT106) are designated as 'Light' units signified by the addition of the '1' in the number these can operate mainly on Gunnedah basin trains.
A further order was made by Pacific Nation in 2011 for an additional 13 units of the 'Light' version, with the 1st being delivered in July 2011.
The first locomotives were originally intended to be built as LDP010 - LDP018 and leased to other rail operators, until Downer EDI reached an agreement with Pacific National for their outright sale. The delivery of the first unit is expected in December 2009, in November 2009 the first freshly painted unit emerged from the factory. On November 16 the class were cleared for light engine trials across the RailCorp network.
TT01 worked its first Light Engine Trial from Cardiff to Wyong and return on November 26, 2009.
Three members of the class were involved in a mishap at the Drayton Coal mine near Muswellbrook with the locomotive's getting minor damage in 2010. These three locos have since been repaired and returned to service.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n diesel electric locomotives
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...
built by Downer Rail using EMD components. The first units were built as the SCT class for freight operator SCT Logistics from 2007, with delivery and entry to service through 2008. Additional units have since been built as the LDP class for Locomotive Demand Power (a 'Power-By-The-Hour' strategy by Downer Rail to provide a fleet of lease-available locomotives to the Australian rail industry) and the TT class for 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....
. The class designation is said to stand for 'Tonnage Transferrable'; the term apparently deriving from the fact that the locomotives have removable mass installed behind the headstocks at either end. The class was originally built as LDP 011 - 018 for lease to Pacific National but PN subsequently requested purchase of the locomotives and the slight modification to their design. With the extra weight added they are 139 tonnes but with the weight removed they are 132 tonnes; this allowing them to run on mainline territory available to the LDP class.
Design
The class was a new and innovative design for Australian conditions based on other locomotives produced by Downer EDI, such as the Queensland Rail 4000 class (GT42CU AC) and the Westrail / FreightLink / Freight Australia GT46CDowner EDI Rail GT46C
The GT46C is a model of high-horsepower mainline diesel electric locomotive designed and built by Clyde Engineering / EDI Rail using Electro-Motive Diesel components...
. The QR 4000 class used a 12 cylinder EMD 710 engine, based on the USA built SD70MAC
EMD SD70 series
The EMD SD70 is a series of diesel-electric locomotives produced by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors beginning in 1992. Over 4000 locomotives in this series have been produced, mostly of the SD70M and SD70MAC models. All locomotives of this series are hood units with C-C trucks...
with scaled down traction motors, while the GT46C used a 16 cylinder EMD 710 engine with DC traction systems. The American SD70ACe was EMD's 2nd generation AC loco with IGBT inverters, but was too large and heavy for the Australian interstate standard gauge network, weighting in at 188 tonnes when the limit was 134 tonnes. In addition, the GT46C design was already at the 134 tonne limit, even before adding inverters, heavier traction motors and more cooling capacity for higher power engine, and there was a requirement that fuel capacity could not be sacrificed.
The locomotive has AC traction equipment, with a Mitsubishi electric package also used on the SD70ACe, including a TA17 traction alternator, CA9E companion alternator and six ITB 2630 traction motors, along with solid state IGBT inverters. The prime mover is a turbocharged
Turbocharger
A turbocharger, or turbo , from the Greek "τύρβη" is a centrifugal compressor powered by a turbine that is driven by an engine's exhaust gases. Its benefit lies with the compressor increasing the mass of air entering the engine , thereby resulting in greater performance...
16 cylinder EMD 710
EMD 710
The EMD 710 is a line of diesel engines built by Electro-Motive Diesel . The 710 series largely replaced the earlier EMD 645 series. The EMD 710 is a large two-stroke diesel engine that has a displacement per cylinder. Since its introduction, EMD has continually upgraded the 710G diesel engine...
. New technology used included passive steer bogie
Bogie
A bogie is a wheeled wagon or trolley. In mechanics terms, a bogie is a chassis or framework carrying wheels, attached to a vehicle. It can be fixed in place, as on a cargo truck, mounted on a swivel, as on a railway carriage/car or locomotive, or sprung as in the suspension of a caterpillar...
s, to reduce flange wear on corners. The class were built at Cardiff, New South Wales
Cardiff, New South Wales
Cardiff is a suburb of Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia, located west-southwest of Newcastle's central business district. It is part of the City of Lake Macquarie local government area....
, with the locomotive frame
Locomotive frame
A locomotive frame is the structure that forms the backbone of the railway locomotive, giving it strength and supporting the superstructure elements such as a cab, boiler or bodywork. The vast majority of locomotives have had a frame structure of some kind...
s constructed at Port Augusta, South Australia
Port Augusta, South Australia
-Electricity generation:Electricity is generated at the Playford B and Northern power stations from brown coal mined at Leigh Creek, 250 km to the north...
, and the bogie
Bogie
A bogie is a wheeled wagon or trolley. In mechanics terms, a bogie is a chassis or framework carrying wheels, attached to a vehicle. It can be fixed in place, as on a cargo truck, mounted on a swivel, as on a railway carriage/car or locomotive, or sprung as in the suspension of a caterpillar...
frames at Kelso, New South Wales
Kelso, New South Wales
Kelso is a suburb of Bathurst, New South Wales, Australia, in the Bathurst Regional Council area.-History:Kelso was the original European settlement in the area. In 1816, the initial settlement of Bathurst was established on the eastern banks of the Macquarie River, in current-day Kelso...
. It is currently the only locomotive on the Australian standard gauge interstate network to meet Tier 2 emissions standards. They also outperformed the comparable UGL Rail produced 92 class
New South Wales 92 class locomotive
The C44aci is a model of Australian heavy duty diesel electric locomotive designed and built by UGL Rail and operated by a number of local rail freight operators...
locomotive in back-to-back trials performed by RailCorp
Rail Corporation New South Wales
Rail Corporation New South Wales is a statutory authority of the New South Wales government. RailCorp owns, operates and maintains the Sydney suburban and interurban rail network which is marketed under the CityRail brand; in addition to operating rural passenger services under the CountryLink...
on the steeply graded Cowan Bank
Cowan Bank
-Overview:The Cowan Bank is a 8.6 km double-track section of standard gauge railway line between Cowan railway station 48.8 km north of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia and Hawkesbury River railway station 57.4 km north of Sydney...
.
SCT class
The SCT class are used by SCT Logistics on their freight services from Adelaide to Melbourne, Parkes and Perth. Locomotive SCT007 is named Geoff (James Bond) Smith after the CEO of the company. The benefits of AC traction has enabled a fleet of 15 locomotive to do the work of 20 DC traction equipped locomotives, three AC vs four DC units being needed on the Melbourne to Adelaide journey, and two AC vs three DC units between Adelaide to Perth. An on-train refuelling system carries 60,000 litres of diesel in a tanker behind the locomotives and eliminates the need to refuel en-route.LDP class
TT class
The TT class were built for Pacific NationalPacific 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....
to haul their Hunter Valley coal trains
Hunter Valley Coal Chain
The Hunter Valley Coal Chain is the chain of coal delivery in New South Wales, Australia from coal mines in the Hunter Valley to the Port of Newcastle and to domestic coal-fired power stations in the Hunter Valley...
. To be delivered in two batches of 6 locomotives, they will be fitted with ECP
Electronically controlled pneumatic brakes
Electronically controlled pneumatic brakes are a type of modern railway braking system which offer improved performance compared to traditional pneumatic brakes.- Overview :...
braking and are used with similarly fitted NHDH, NHEH & NHYH hopper wagons built by Bradken Rail. The 1st 6 TT class (TT01-TT06) differ in some respects to the SCT/LDP class units, as they can be operated at two different weights: when weighing between 139 and 132 tonnes they are restricted in speed, fuel load, and range of operation in the same way as the heavyweight 90 class
New South Wales 90 class locomotive
The 90 class are a class of heavy mainline diesel locomotive introduced from 1994 in the state of New South Wales. They are the heaviest locomotives on the network and are only used on Hunter Valley coal workings....
; but below 132 tonnes they are cleared for normal operations like the SCT/LDP class. The 2nd 6 TT class (TT101-TT106) are designated as 'Light' units signified by the addition of the '1' in the number these can operate mainly on Gunnedah basin trains.
A further order was made by Pacific Nation in 2011 for an additional 13 units of the 'Light' version, with the 1st being delivered in July 2011.
The first locomotives were originally intended to be built as LDP010 - LDP018 and leased to other rail operators, until Downer EDI reached an agreement with Pacific National for their outright sale. The delivery of the first unit is expected in December 2009, in November 2009 the first freshly painted unit emerged from the factory. On November 16 the class were cleared for light engine trials across the RailCorp network.
TT01 worked its first Light Engine Trial from Cardiff to Wyong and return on November 26, 2009.
Three members of the class were involved in a mishap at the Drayton Coal mine near Muswellbrook with the locomotive's getting minor damage in 2010. These three locos have since been repaired and returned to service.