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Victorian Railways S class (diesel)
Encyclopedia
The Victorian Railways
S class mainline diesel electric locomotive
were built from 1957 by Clyde Engineering
for the Victorian Railways
of Australia
. With a bulldog nose
, they were based on the earlier GM class locomotive, and were externally similar to the overseas EMD F
and E-units
, as well as their contemporaries, the double ended B class.
. The first four of the class took the names and numbers of the recently scrapped S class steam locomotives
that came before them, with all being named after prominent Victorians. An additional eight locomotives were order for use on the new North East standard gauge line.
The class were initially used on express passenger trains such as the Spirit of Progress
and The Overland, but were also used on fast freights. On the broad gauge their usefulness was limited by the single cab, and so often ran back to back, while on the standard gauge they usually ran solo. By the late 1970s they could be commonly seen in multiple unit
with X class
classes, along with the B and T classes
, or solo on morning and evening Geelong commuter trains. A second 'hostlers' cab was provided at the number two end, but was only used for moving the loco around depots, or to haul empty carriages short distances.
S314 and S316 were destroyed in the Violet Town railway disaster
of 1969, and were deemed uneconomical to repair and were scrapped. S317 was badly damaged in a head on collision with X33
south of Broadford Loop
in 1967 and was returned to Clyde for rebuilding and then re-entry to service. S317 was again involved in a fatal accident in 1982 when it ran up the rear of the Spirit of Progress
at Barnawartha
, killing the crew.
The remainder stayed in service with the Victorian Railways and V/Line
until higher powered locomotives were introduced, and were used a second units of freight trains. Four were bought by West Coast Railway
for use on passenger services to Warrnambool
, another by Great Northern Rail Services
for freight use, while the remainder were scrapped or spent large periods idle.
After the demise of West Coast Railway in 2004, S302 was bought by V/Line Passenger
, who then onsold it to freight operator El Zorro
in 2006. Operators Chicago Freight Car Leasing Australia and Pacific National
have also refurbished members of the class for use on freight trains. S303 has been restored by the Seymour Railway Heritage Centre
, and S313 is in the custody of Steamrail Victoria
. In August 2009 S310 was transferred from Pacific National to SRHC.
blue and gold, and were then progressively repainted into V/Line
orange and grey. A succession of private operator liveries then followed from the 1990s until today. Interestingly, until S303 was painted in Victorian Railways blue and gold, in November 2007, no S Class diesel locomotive was preserved in that livery. S302 was painted into the orange and grey El Zorro corporate livery in August 2009.
s used were interchangeable with the X class
diesels, occasionally resulting in non-matching sets under a single locomotive. By the 1980s modifications included additional marker lights, the welding shut of nose doors, and the addition of a five chime horn.
Victorian Railways
The Victorian Railways operated railways in the Australian state of Victoria from 1859 to 1983. The first railways in Victoria were private companies, but when these companies failed or defaulted, the Victorian Railways was established to take over their operations...
S class mainline diesel electric locomotive
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...
were built from 1957 by Clyde Engineering
Clyde Engineering
Clyde Engineering was the name of part of the business now known as Downer EDI Rail. Clyde Engineering were involved in the construction of railway locomotives and rolling stock, as well as larger scale engineering projects on behalf of the governments of Australia...
for the Victorian Railways
Victorian Railways
The Victorian Railways operated railways in the Australian state of Victoria from 1859 to 1983. The first railways in Victoria were private companies, but when these companies failed or defaulted, the Victorian Railways was established to take over their operations...
of Australia
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...
. With a bulldog nose
Bulldog nose
"Bulldog nose" is the nickname given, due to their appearance, to several diesel locomotives manufactured by GM-EMD and its licencees from 1939 to 1970...
, they were based on the earlier GM class locomotive, and were externally similar to the overseas EMD F
EMD F-unit
EMD F-units were a line of Diesel-electric locomotives produced between November 1939 and November 1960 by General Motors Electro-Motive Division and General Motors-Diesel Division. Final assembly for all F-units was at the GM-EMD plant at La Grange, Illinois and the GMDD plant in London, Ontario...
and E-units
EMD E-unit
EMD E-units were a line of passenger train diesel locomotives built by the General Motors Electro-Motive Division and its predecessor the Electro-Motive Corporation . Final assembly for all E-units was in La Grange, Illinois. Production ran from May, 1937, to December, 1963. The name E-units...
, as well as their contemporaries, the double ended B class.
History
The first order was for 10 locomotives, and they were progressively delivered between 1957 and 1958 from the Clyde Engineering works in Granville, New South WalesGranville, New South Wales
Granville, is a suburb in western Sydney, Australia. Granville is located west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the City of Parramatta. A small part in the north-west is located in the Local Government Area of the City of Holroyd.South Granville is a...
. The first four of the class took the names and numbers of the recently scrapped S class steam locomotives
Victorian Railways S class
The S class was an express passenger steam locomotive that ran on Victorian Railways from 1928 to 1954. Built when the VR was at its zenith and assigned to haul premier interstate express passenger services, the S class remained the VR's most prestigious locomotive class until the advent of diesel...
that came before them, with all being named after prominent Victorians. An additional eight locomotives were order for use on the new North East standard gauge line.
The class were initially used on express passenger trains such as the Spirit of Progress
Spirit of Progress
The Spirit of Progress was the premier express train passenger service on the Victorian Railways in Australia, running from Melbourne to the Victorian border, and later through to Sydney.-Route:...
and The Overland, but were also used on fast freights. On the broad gauge their usefulness was limited by the single cab, and so often ran back to back, while on the standard gauge they usually ran solo. By the late 1970s they could be commonly seen in multiple unit
Multiple-unit train control
Multiple-unit train control, sometimes abbreviated to multiple-unit or MU, is a method of simultaneously controlling all the traction equipment in a train from a single location, whether it is a Multiple unit comprising a number of self-powered passenger cars or a set of locomotives.A set of...
with X class
Victorian Railways X class (diesel)
The Victorian Railways X class mainline diesel electric locomotives were built by Clyde Engineering from 1966, with a further two orders being placed in 1970 and 1975...
classes, along with the B and T classes
Victorian Railways T class (diesel)
The Victorian Railways T class diesel electric locomotive are a small branch line and shunting unit built by Clyde Engineering . They were the most numerous class of diesel locomotives in the state....
, or solo on morning and evening Geelong commuter trains. A second 'hostlers' cab was provided at the number two end, but was only used for moving the loco around depots, or to haul empty carriages short distances.
S314 and S316 were destroyed in the Violet Town railway disaster
Violet Town railway disaster
The Violet Town rail accident, also known as the Southern Aurora disaster, was a railway accident that occurred on 7 February 1969 near the McDiarmids Road crossing, approximately 1 km south of Violet Town, Victoria, Australia.-Overview:...
of 1969, and were deemed uneconomical to repair and were scrapped. S317 was badly damaged in a head on collision with X33
Victorian Railways X class (diesel)
The Victorian Railways X class mainline diesel electric locomotives were built by Clyde Engineering from 1966, with a further two orders being placed in 1970 and 1975...
south of Broadford Loop
Broadford railway station, Victoria
Broadford is a railway station on the North East railway in the town of Broadford, Victoria, Australia. The station has two side platforms, with the main station building and signal box on the down platform...
in 1967 and was returned to Clyde for rebuilding and then re-entry to service. S317 was again involved in a fatal accident in 1982 when it ran up the rear of the Spirit of Progress
Spirit of Progress
The Spirit of Progress was the premier express train passenger service on the Victorian Railways in Australia, running from Melbourne to the Victorian border, and later through to Sydney.-Route:...
at Barnawartha
Barnawartha, Victoria
Barnawartha is a small town located on the Hume Highway in regional north-east Victoria, Australia, approximately from Melbourne on the banks of Indigo Creek which runs into the Murray River to the north....
, killing the crew.
The remainder stayed in service with the Victorian Railways and V/Line
Public Transport Corporation
The Public Transport Corporation was a State Government of Victoria owned corporate body formed under the Transport Act 1983 which operated passenger and freight trains, trams and bus services in Victoria, Australia....
until higher powered locomotives were introduced, and were used a second units of freight trains. Four were bought by West Coast Railway
West Coast Railway (Victoria)
West Coast Railway was the trading name of The Victorian Railway Company Pty Ltd, a railway company operating in Victoria, Australia. The company operated passenger services between Melbourne and Warrnambool from 1993 to 2004.-History:...
for use on passenger services to Warrnambool
Warrnambool, Victoria
-Cityscape:The original City of Warrnambool was a 4x8 grid, with boundaries of Lava Street , Japan Street , Merri Street and Henna Street . In the nineteenth century, it was intended that Fairy Street – with its proximity to the Warrnambool Railway Station – would be the main street of...
, another by Great Northern Rail Services
Great Northern Rail Services
Great Northern Rail Services is a former railway operator in Victoria, Australia. Great Northern Rail Services was incorporated in July 1993 and provided locomotives and train crews to other rail operators, ran general train operations and operated rail vehicle maintenance services in Victoria...
for freight use, while the remainder were scrapped or spent large periods idle.
After the demise of West Coast Railway in 2004, S302 was bought by V/Line Passenger
V/Line
V/Line is a not for profit regional passenger train and coach service in Victoria, Australia. It was created after the split-up of VicRail in 1983. V/Line is owned by the V/Line Corporation which is a Victorian State Government statutory authority...
, who then onsold it to freight operator El Zorro
El Zorro (railway)
El Zorro is a railway operator based in Victoria, Australia. It is a private company that was founded in 1999, based in Spotswood, and named by director Ray Evans who has a taste for things Spanish. . The company has three shareholders: director Ray Evans, business manager Geoff Tighe, and Lisa...
in 2006. Operators Chicago Freight Car Leasing Australia and 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....
have also refurbished members of the class for use on freight trains. S303 has been restored by the Seymour Railway Heritage Centre
Seymour Railway Heritage Centre
The Seymour Railway Heritage Centre is a railway preservation group based in Seymour, Victoria, Australia. The volunteer non-profit incorporated association was established in 1983 to restore and preserve locomotives and rolling stock as used on the railways of Victoria.The group is an accredited...
, and S313 is in the custody of Steamrail Victoria
Steamrail Victoria
Steamrail Victoria is a not-for-profit volunteer group established in 1965 to the restore and operate historic locomotives and rolling stock used on the railways in Victoria, Australia. The main depot of the group is at the Newport Railway Workshops in suburban Melbourne...
. In August 2009 S310 was transferred from Pacific National to SRHC.
Liveries
Until 1983 all locomotives wore the Victorian RailwaysVictorian Railways
The Victorian Railways operated railways in the Australian state of Victoria from 1859 to 1983. The first railways in Victoria were private companies, but when these companies failed or defaulted, the Victorian Railways was established to take over their operations...
blue and gold, and were then progressively repainted into V/Line
V/Line
V/Line is a not for profit regional passenger train and coach service in Victoria, Australia. It was created after the split-up of VicRail in 1983. V/Line is owned by the V/Line Corporation which is a Victorian State Government statutory authority...
orange and grey. A succession of private operator liveries then followed from the 1990s until today. Interestingly, until S303 was painted in Victorian Railways blue and gold, in November 2007, no S Class diesel locomotive was preserved in that livery. S302 was painted into the orange and grey El Zorro corporate livery in August 2009.
Technical details
Few variations were made to the S class to during their early lives, with early deliveries lacking a side window at the hostlers end, this being added to later delivered and cut in to the early locomotives. The valances over the fuel tanks were also removed once in service. S301 received an all over yellow roof for a short period, and the bogieBogie
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 used were interchangeable with the X class
Victorian Railways X class (diesel)
The Victorian Railways X class mainline diesel electric locomotives were built by Clyde Engineering from 1966, with a further two orders being placed in 1970 and 1975...
diesels, occasionally resulting in non-matching sets under a single locomotive. By the 1980s modifications included additional marker lights, the welding shut of nose doors, and the addition of a five chime horn.
Locomotives
| Locomotive | Name | Entered service | Withdrawn | Scrapped | Current Status | Current owner |
| First Order | ||||||
| S300 | Matthew Flinders | 21 August 1957 | N/A | N/A | In Service | Chicago Freight Car Leasing Australia |
| S301 | Sir Thomas Mitchell | 4 September 1957 | N/A | N/A | Stored | Pacific National |
| S302 | Edward Henty Edward Henty See also Western District Edward Henty ,was a pioneer and first permanent settler in the Port Phillip district , Australia.... |
18 September 1957 | N/A | N/A | In Service | El Zorro |
| S303 | C. J. La Trobe | 30 September 1957 | July 1988 | N/A | Preserved - Operational | Seymour Railway Heritage Centre |
| S304 | George Bass George Bass George Bass was a British naval surgeon and explorer of Australia.-Early years:He was born on 30 January 1771 at Aswarby, a hamlet near Sleaford, Lincolnshire, the son of a tenant farmer, George Bass, and a local beauty named Sarah Nee Newman. His father died in 1777 when Bass was 6... |
15 October 1957 | 16 February 1988 | March 1992 | Scrapped | N/A |
| S305 | Hamilton Hume Hamilton Hume Hamilton Hume was the first Australian born explorer. Along with Hovell in 1824, Hume was part of an expedition that first took an overland route from Sydney to Port Phillip near the site of present day Melbourne... |
4 November 1957 | 2 December 1985 | February 1991 | Scrapped | N/A |
| S306 | John Batman John Batman John Batman was an Australian grazier, businessman and explorer who is best known for his role in the founding of a settlement which became Melbourne and the colony of Victoria.-Life:... |
25 November 1957 | N/A | N/A | Stored | Pacific National |
| S307 | John Pascoe Fawkner John Pascoe Fawkner John Pascoe Fawkner was an early pioneer, businessman and politician of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. In 1835 he financed a party of free settlers from Van Diemen's Land , to sail to the mainland in his ship, Enterprize... |
10 December 1957 | N/A | N/A | In Service | Pacific National |
| S308 | Sir Redmond Barry | 20 January 1958 | 25 July 1988 | N/A | Preserved - Static | ARHS |
| S309 | William Lonsdale William Lonsdale William Lonsdale , English geologist and palaeontologist, won the Wollaston medal in 1846 for his research on the various kinds of fossil corals.-Biography:... |
24 February 1958 | 19 July 1988 | 1996 | Scrapped | N/A |
| Second Order | ||||||
| S310 | George Higinbotham George Higinbotham George Higinbotham was a politician and was a Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Victoria, which is the highest ranking court in the Australian State of Victoria.-Early life:... |
25 November 1960 | N/A | N/A | Under Overhaul | Seymour Railway Heritage Centre |
| S311 | Sir Ferdinand Von Mueller | 16 November 1960 | N/A | N/A | In service | Chicago Freight Car Leasing Australia |
| S312 | Peter Lalor | 27 January 1961 | N/A | N/A | In Service | Railpower |
| S313 | Alfred Deakin | 24 February 1961 | 14 December 1994 | N/A | Preserved - Operational | Steamrail Victoria |
| S314 | Sir John O'Shannassy | 20 April 1961 | 7 February 1969 | 7 February 1969 | Scrapped | N/A |
| S315 | Sir Charles Gavan Duffy | 16 October 1961 | 23 August 1988 | April 1992 | Scrapped | N/A |
| S316 | Sir Andrew Clarke | 10 November 1961 | 7 February 1969 | 7 February 1969 | Scrapped | N/A |
| S317 | Sir John Monash | 7 December 1961 | N/A | N/A | In Service | Southern Shorthaul Railroad |