New South Wales 46 class locomotive

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New South Wales 46 class
Power type Electric
Builder Metropolitan-Vickers/Beyer Peacock, Bowesfield Works, Stockton-on-Tees, England
Serial number 786–825
Build date 1956
Total production 40
UIC classification Co+Co
Gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8½ in)
Length 16.64 m (54 ft 7 in)
Axle load 18.5 t (41,000 lb)
Locomotive weight 111 t (240,000 lb)
Electric system(s) 1,500 V DC
Traction motors MV 272 (6 off)
Top speed 115 km/h (71 mph)
Power output 2,535 kW (3,399 hp) continuous
Disposition 5 preserved, 35 scrapped

The New South Wales 46 class are a class of mainline electric locomotive introduced onto the NSW rail system from 1956 under New South Wales Government Railways. Metropolitan-Vickers and its partner Beyer, Peacock and Company obtained the contract to build 40 of these locomotives.

The locomotives were built at Bowesfield Works, Stockton-on-Tees, England, with electrical equipment supplied by Metropolitan-Vickers from its Trafford Park and Sheffield plants.

These electric locomotives were originally purchased as part of the Blue Mountains electrification works, and spent their life hauling coal, freight and passenger carriages under the wires. Although the electrified network was small, they had their uses, especially for hauling the Indian Pacific from Sydney, NSW to Lithgow, NSW. The 46 class locomotives were often seen double or triple heading coal and freight services.

Locomotive 4620 was scrapped following the tragic Granville railway disaster, which claimed 83 lives.

[edit] Preservation

The locomotives were withdrawn in favour of using more modern locomotives such as the 85 class and 86 class. The whole class was scrapped except for the five locomotives (and one cab) saved for preservation:

[edit] External links

[edit] References


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