V/Line G class

The V/Line G class are a mainline diesel electric locomotives built by Clyde Engineering from 1984, the last of 33 locomotives entering service in December 1989.^[1] They were the last locomotives order by a government rail operator in Victoria, Australia and were the newest and most powerful locomotives in the Victorian broad gauge freight fleet until the XR class entered service, and can be considered a more technically advanced version of the C class.^[1] The class can be grouped into 4 subgroups, locos in the initial subgroup derived from the BL class locomotives, with later subgroups having minor detail changes.

History

Introduction

By the early 1980s the first generation diesels purchased by the Victorian Railways were approaching 30 years old, with an average fleet age of 20 years.^[2] In addition 70% of the fleet was of 1000 horsepower or less, a consequence of the historically large number of branch lines in the state.^[2]

Rationalisation of the rail freight task had also been carried out, with small freight consignments being consolidated to 'freight centres' from 1976. Moves had also been made towards the operation of block trains carrying a single commodity, rather than trains carrying a wider variety of freight.^[3] Grain became the major commodity carried by rail in Victoria, with the consulting arm of Canadian National commissioned by VicRail in 1983 to deliver report into increasing efficiency. Recommendations carried out included increasing train sizes to 50 bogie wagons and closing a number of light lines.^[2]

At the same time the Australian National Railways Commission was receiving their new BL class diesels, but were prevented from taking the last of the order. The head of VicRail, Alan Reiher, stepped in and ensured that the five locomotives were completed for the newly formed V/Line, where they were named the G class.^[4] The new diesels had a much higher axle load than the smaller T and Y class diesels used on branch lines, with these lines either being upgraded to carry bigger trains or closed.^[4]

Later deliveries had slight detail differences specified by V/Line, with the second order for ten locomotives delivered in late 1985 - mid 1986.^[5] In 1987 the third order for 11 units was costed at $26 million,^[6] and delivered from early 1988 - early 1989, and a final order for 7 additional locomotives delivered through 1989.^[5] Although primarily intended for use on freight services, they have also used on intercity passenger trains such as the Sydney/Melbourne Express.^[7]

A number of the class were hired to the National Rail Corporation when it commenced operation in the mid 1990s, being retained until the deliver of their NR class locomotives.^[8] The class were also used on the first privately operated train on government tracks in Australia, operated by Specialised Container Transport with V/Line locomotives and crews on 13 July 1995.^[9]

In preparation for privatisation a division was made between V/Line Freight and V/Line Passenger operations in 1995 and was formalised by July 1997,^[10][11] with the G class fleet allocated to the freight operator. The sale of the company to Freight Victoria in March 1999 included the entire freight fleet,^[12] which also saw a new green and yellow livery. The company was later renamed Freight Australia, who commenced a program of engine upgrades, with the recycled engines being passed down to X class locomotives, later recoded the XR class.^[13]

On 26 November 1999 G classes G517 and G518 were accident damaged in a head-on collision at Ararat, Victoria between an eastbound grain train and a stationary ballast train.^[14] Both locomotives were written off and replaced with a single locomotive, V class V544.

Recent years

Freight Australia was sold to Pacific National in 2004,^[13] which resulted in another new livery, and a breakup of the fleet. The first split was two G class locomotives given to Freight Australia customer CRT Group, who had signed a contract in 2000 that contained a condition that if FA was acquired by a competitor of CRT Group, 10,000 hp (7,500 kW) of locomotive power (calculated by the business CRT Group was offering FA) was to be transferred to the company.^[15] In 2005 CRT Group was purchased by QRNational, along with the G classes and two X class locomotives also transferred in 2004.^[15]

The second split was nine locomotives to Specialised Container Transport (SCT), required by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) as part of the Pacific National takeover of Freight Australia to ensure competition in the rail freight industry.^[16] The locomotives were refurbished for use on SCT trains until their own 11 ordered locomotives are operational and available for service.^[17] By mid 2008 Specialised Container Transport had received their new locomotives, and commenced leasing their G classes to various private operators, including QRNational, Australian Railroad Group, El Zorro and FreightLink.^[18]

The majority of the Pacific National owned fleet is on standard gauge, with only three retained on broad gauge for Victorian intrastate freight. A large number of the class have been transferred by Pacific National to New South Wales, where they are used on 'Southern Coal' division trains working to and from Inner Harbour at Port Kembla.^[19] By late 2008 up to ten locomotives were assigned to these duties, with a number of others working Hunter Valley coal trains around Newcastle.^[20]

Liveries

The G class were originally delivered in the V/Line orange and grey livery, with the split between passenger and freight operations new 'V/Line Freight' decals were applied. Locomotives used in Specialised Container Transport service in the mid 1990s had company decals applied over the V/Line ones.

With privatisation Freight Victoria introduced a new green and yellow livery, with modified logos added when they changed name to Freight Australia. The locomotives transferred to the CRT Group initially received QRNational decals over the Freight Australia branding, but were later painted into the new yellow and black QRNational livery. The Specialised Container Transport owned locomotives were painted into their white, red and black livery during refurbishment. With the takeover of Freight Australia by Pacific National a small number of locomotives were painted into their blue and yellow livery, but without the large white side numbers as seen on other similar classes. The green locomotives began to receive corporate logo decals over the cabside Freight Australia some years after the takeover.

When first introduced the G class were the first diesel locomotives not to wear the Victorian Railways livery used since 1954, with a number of railfans joking about a blue and gold liveried version of the locomotive, and model railway enthusiasts actually carrying out a repaint in model form.^[21]

Features

The G class featured imported General Motors-EMD technology (prime mover, alternator and traction motors) on a locally designed frame and body. Major advances introduced with the class included cab air conditioning, onboard toilet, Trimount type high adhesion bogies, and Super Series wheel creep control to enable heavier loads to be hauled.^[1] The locomotives were designed to be of minimum mass, allowing a higher fuel load. The body consists of two side trusses with load bearing supports, roofbows and integral cabs. The side panels are made of fibreglass for the minimum weight, with various accessories mounted in removable roof hatches.^[6]

The first five units were fitted with carbody pressurisation, as fitted to many other Australian National locomotives for operation in the dusty outback areas they operated in. Differences in the subsequent units included the fitting of double blade windscreen wipers, lowering of the multiple-unit jumper receptacle, and the changing of the marker light orientation from vertical to horizontal.^[6] Recent years have seen many of the class fitted with on line refuelling, and working from Melbourne to Perth on the Specialised Container Transport (SCT) service.

Locomotives

References

• Locopage: G class information

External links

• Australian Road & Track Magazine, June 1992 Going Loco: Track Test of V/Line loco G517