Victorian Railways S class (diesel)

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Victorian Railways S Class

Stored Pacific National locomotive S307
Power type	General Motors EMD
Builder	Clyde Engineering. Granville, New South Wales.
Configuration	Co-Co
Length	18.72 m (61.4 ft)
Locomotive weight	116.00 t
Engine type	EMD 16-567C
Generator	EMD D12/D22
Traction motors	EMD D27/D37/D47
Top speed	133 km/h (83 mph)
Power output	1350 kW (1840 HP)
Number in class	18
Number	S300–S317

The Victorian Railways S class mainline diesel electric locomotive were built by Clyde Engineering (now EDI Rail) during the 1950s for use in Victoria, Australia. With a bulldog nose, they were based on the GM class locomotive, therefore being externally similar to the overseas EMD F and E-units, as well as their contemporaries the double ended B class and A Class.

The class were initially used on express passenger trains such as the Spirit of Progress and The Overland,^[1] but S314 and S316 were destroyed in the Violet Town railway disaster of 1969.^[1] 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.^[1] 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, which is currently being painted into a special livery for a movie.

Interestingly, until S303 (bottom right corner) was painted in Victorian Railways Blue & Gold, in November 2007, no S Class diesel locomotive was preserved in that livery.

[edit] 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Locomotive	Name	Entered service	Withdrawn	Scrapped	Current Status	Current owner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	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	15 October, 1957	16 February 1988	March, 1992	Scrapped	N/A
S305	Hamilton Hume	4 November, 1957	2 December 1985	February, 1991	Scrapped	N/A
S306	John Batman	25 November, 1957	N/A	N/A	Stored	Pacific National
S307	John Pascoe Fawkner	10 December, 1957	N/A	N/A	Stored	Pacific National
S308	Sir Redmond Barry	20 January 1958	25 July, 1988	N/A	Preserved - Static	ARHS
S309	William Lonsdale	24 February, 1958	19 July, 1988	1996	Scrapped	N/A
Second Order
S310	George Higinbotham	25 November 1960	N/A	N/A	Stored	Pacific National
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	Under Overhaul	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

[edit] References

• S class diesel electric locomotives - http://www.victorianrailways.net/

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