Victorian Railways S class (diesel)

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.

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 Wales. 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.^[1]

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.^[2] 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.^[1] 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.^[2]

S314 and S316 were destroyed in the Violet Town railway disaster of 1969, and were deemed uneconomical to repair and were scrapped.^[3] 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.^[1] 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.^[2]

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.^[3] 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.^[4]

Liveries

Until 1983 all locomotives wore the Victorian Railways 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.^[2] S302 was painted into the orange and grey El Zorro corporate livery in August 2009.^[5]

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.^[1] S301 received an all over yellow roof for a short period, and the bogies used were interchangeable with the X class diesels, occasionally resulting in non-matching sets under a single locomotive.^[1] By the 1980s modifications included additional marker lights, the welding shut of nose doors, and the addition of a five chime horn.^[2]

Locomotives

References

Further reading

• Peter Bermingham (1995). The A7 era : the technical, pictorial and evolutionary history of the Victorian Railway's S Class diesel-electric locomotive. Horsepower Histories. ISBN 0646256149.