V/Line A class

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V/Line liveried A66 at Southern Cross
in September 2010

Type and origin
Power type	Diesel-electric
Builder	Clyde Engineering, Rosewater
Build date	1984/85
Total produced	11

Specifications
UIC class	Co-Co
Gauge	1,600 mm (5 ft 3 in)
Length	18.54 m (60 ft 10 in)
Fuel type	Diesel
Prime mover	Electro-Motive Diesel 12-645E3B
Generator	Electro-Motive Diesel AR10-A4-D18, Replaced with CA5
Traction motors	Electro-Motive Diesel D57/D78

Performance figures
Maximum speed	133 km/h (83 mph)
Power output	1,846 kW (2,476 hp)

Career
Operators	V/Line
Number in class	11
Numbers	A60-A85
First run	May 1984
Current owner	Pacific National V/Line
Disposition	1 in service, 10 stored

The A class are a class of diesel locomotives rebuilt from B class locomotives by Clyde Engineering, Rosewater for V/Line in 1984/85.

History

Freight Australia liveried A85 with Pacific National decals in Melbourne in February 2007

V/Line liveried A70 at Flinders Street in August 2006

The class were rebuilt from B class locomotives originally constructed in the 1950s, as part of the New Deal reforms of passenger rail operations in Victoria. The rebuild contract was let in January 1983 to Clyde Engineering, Rosewater with the first locomotive entering service in May 1984, but the project was abandoned in mid 1985 after rising costs due to structural fatigue, with the 11th rebuild delivered in August 1985.^[1] It was decided to instead built more of the N class locomotives, mechanically similar to the A class. The major difference was the addition of head end power generators, as it was believed this was a more efficient way of supplying power for air-conditioning and lighting than power vans or individual generator sets under carriages.^[1]

Four locomotives were named after Australian rules football players in September 1984,^[2] while A60 was named after former railway commissioner Harold Clapp. In July 1986, A85 was regeared for 160 km/h (99 mph) operation, and tested between Glenorchy and Lubeck, to test an H type carriage set fitted with high speed bogies,^[3]^[4] but was returned to the standard 133 km/h (83 mph) gearing soon after.^[2] In preparation for the privatisation of V/Line, four were allocated to passenger services and seven to freight services.

V/Line withdrew their fleet with A60 operating the final service, the 16:15 Southern Cross to Bacchus Marsh on 24 April 2013.^[5]^[6] V/Line subsequently returned A66 and A70 to service, with the latter since withdrawn. Pacific National withdrew its last examples in May 2014.^[7]

Livery

The class were delivered in the V/Line orange and tangerine scheme. In February 1988 A66 which was painted in a green and gold livery to celebrate the Australian Bicentenary,^[8] later appearing in a second special livery to advertise the Melbourne bid for the 1996 Olympic Games.^[2] Today the class appears in either the 1995 red and blue or 2008 red and yellow V/Line Passenger liveries, or the green and yellow Freight Australia livery with Pacific National logos.^[9]

Status table

Locomotive	Pre-conversion	Named	Entered service	Owner	Status
A60	B60	Sir Harold Clapp	7 September 1984	V/Line	Stored
A62	B62		17 July 1984	V/Line	Stored
A66	B66		22 March 1985	V/Line	In service
A70	B70		10 May 1985	V/Line	Stored
A71	B71	Dick Reynolds	20 March 1984	Pacific National	Stored
A73	B73	Bob Skilton	20 March 1984	Pacific National	Stored
A77	B77	Ian Stewart	17 May 1984	Pacific National	Stored
A78	B78		21 December 1984	Pacific National	Stored
A79	B79		22 June 1985	Pacific National	Stored
A81	B81		15 August 1985	Pacific National	Stored (Accident Damaged)
A85	B85	Haydn Bunton	5 June 1984	Pacific National	Stored

References

1 2 Scott Martin & Chris Banger (October 2006). "'New Deal' for County Passengers - 25 years on". Newsrail (Australian Railway Historical Society (Victorian Division)): 319.
1 2 3 Railmac Publications (1992). Australian Fleetbooks: V/Line locomotives. Kitchner Press. ISBN 0-949817-76-7.
↑ "News". Newsrail (Australian Railway Heritage Society): 24–27. September 1986.
↑ "General News". Newsrail (Australian Railway Historical Society). September 1986. p. 275.
↑ Railway Digest June 2013
↑ A Class (A60-A85) Railpage
↑ "A Class Swansong" Motive Power issue 94 July 2014 pages 66, 68
↑ "Rollingstock". Newsrail (Australian Railway Historical Society). May 1988. p. 152.
↑ A Class Vicsig

External links

Media related to V/Line A class at Wikimedia Commons

Locomotives and rolling stock of the Victorian Railways, predecessors and successors

Melbourne & Hobson's Bay Railway Company	Pile Driver Engine (1854) First Engine - 2-2-2WT (1854) 2-4-0WT (1854) Pier Donkey No.5 - 0-4-0WT (1857) 2-4-0WT (1858), later N Class

Geelong & Melbourne Railway Company	Ariel - 0-4-0T (1855) Titania, Oberon, Typhoon & Sirocco - 2-2-2WT (1855) Hurricane & Cyclone - 2-4-0WT (1857) Goliath, Hercules, Smason & Tubal-Cain - 0-6-0WT (1855)

Melbourne & Suburban Railway Company	Hawthorn & Richmond - 2-4-0T (1860) Kew & BN#1378 - 2-4-0WT (1861)

Melbourne Railway Company	Windsor & Prahran - 2-4-0WT (1863)

Melbourne & Essendon Railway Company	Essendon (BN#458), BN#459 & BN#488 2-4-0T (1861), later SAR E Class

Melbourne & Hobson's Bay United Railway Company	Toorak, Victoria, No.16 & No.19 - 2-4-0T (1865) 4-4-0WT (1871), later C Class Pier Donkey No.24 - 0-4-0WT (1875)

Victorian Railways steam locomotives, F.C. Christy period (1858-1870)	No.1 (passenger) 2-2-2, later 2-4-0 (1857) 'Old' V class (goods) 0-6-0 (1857) P class 0-6-0 (1859) J class 2-2-2, later 2-4-0 (1859) B class 2-4-0 (1861) L class 2-4-0ST (1861) O class 0-6-0 (1861) G&MRC engines 19, 21, 34-44 evens only (1960's)

Victorian Railways steam locomotives, W. Meikle period (1871-1877)	No.100 2-4-0 (1872) Q class 0-6-0 (1873) No.103, No.105 & U class 0-6-0 (1873) T class 0-6-0 (1874) F class 2-4-0 (1874), later 2-4-2T (1910) K class 2-4-0 (1874) G class 4-4-0 (1877) H class 4-4-0 (1877) No.162 & No.164 4-4-0 (1877)

Victorian Railways steam locomotives, S. Mirls period (1878-1890)	M class 4-4-0T (1879), later ME class 4-4-2T (1901) 'Old' R class 0-6-0 (1879) W & S class 4-6-0 (1880) Pier locomotives 0-4-0WT (1880) 'Belgian' R class 0-6-0 (1883) Locomotives for Motor service - Rowan 0-4-0T (1883) 'Old' A class 4-4-0 (1884) X class 0-6-0 (1886) N class 2-4-0WT (1886) C Class 4-4-0WT (1886) D class 4-4-0 (1887) Y class 0-6-0 (1888) 'New' A class 4-4-0 (1889) 'New' R & R^Y class 0-6-0 (1889) E class 2-4-2T (1889)

Victorian Railways steam locomotives, A.D. Smith period (1877, 1890-1893)	E^E class 0-6-2T (1893) Locomotives for Motor service - Z Class 2-4-0T & 0-6-0T (1893)

Victorian Railways steam locomotives, T.H. Woodroffe period (1893-1912)	V class 2-8-0 (1899) A^A class 4-4-0 (1889) M class 4-4-0T (1879), later M^E class 4-4-2T (1901) D^D class 4-6-0 (1902), D^D_E later D⁴ class 4-6-2T (1908) A² class 4-6-0 (1907) Modified tank locomotives for Motor service - N class 2-4-0WT (1895), C Class 4-4-0WT (1904), F class 2-4-2T (1910) Modified tender locomotives for Motor service - H150 4-4-0 (1908), J4, J6 2-4-0 (1908)

Victorian Railways steam locomotives, W.M. Shannon period (1912-1919)	C class 2-8-0 (1918)

Victorian Railways steam locomotives, A.E. Smith period (1919-1928)	D¹ class 4-6-0 (1922) , D² class 4-6-0 (1922) K class 2-8-0 (1922) N class 2-8-2 (1925) S class 4-6-2 (1928)

Victorian Railways steam locomotives, N.C. Harris period (1928-1933)	D³ class 4-6-0 (1929) X class 2-8-2 (1929)

Victorian Railways steam locomotives, A.C. Ahlston period (1933-1955)	H class 4-8-4 (1941) R class 4-6-4 (1951) J class 2-8-0 (1954)

Diesel-electric	A Class Co-Co (1983) B class Co-Co (1952) C class Co-Co (1977) F class 0-6-0 (1951) G class Co-Co (1984) H class Bo-Bo (1968) N class Co-Co (1985) P class Bo-Bo (1984) S class Co-Co (1957) T class Bo-Bo (1955) V class Co-Co (2002) X class Co-Co (1966) XR class Co-Co (2002) XRB class Co-Co (2005) Y class Bo-Bo (1963)

Diesel-hydraulic	M class 0-6-0 (1959) V class 0-4-0 (1959) W class 0-6-0 (1959) CS class CargoSprinter (2002)

Rail tractor	RT class 0-4-0 (1952) LT4 0-4-0

Electric	E class Bo-Bo (1923) L class Co-Co (1953)

Railmotors	Rowan Steam Car McKeen Kerr Stuart AEC Leyland (Double Ended) Brill DERM (PERM) Walker railmotors DRC railcar Sprinter DMU VLocity DMU Trailer cars

Road transferrable locomotives	RTL class

Suburban electric	Tait Swing Door Parcels Harris Hitachi Comeng Refurbished Harris 4D double deck X'Trapolis 100 Siemens Nexas

Passenger carriages	Fixed wheel types Wooden bogie cars Steel bogie carriages 44ft American Saloon types 45ft type 50ft 2in type ABCL cars E type carriages H type carriages G type carriages K type carriages C & L type carriages N type carriages O type carriages P type carriages PL type carriages R type carriages S type carriages V type carriages W & U type carriages Z type carriages Dining & Buffet cars Parlor, Lounge & Club cars Sleeping cars Joint and shared stock (SAR) Joint and shared stock (NSWGR)

Freight vehicles by type	Box vans Flat Wagons Hopper wagons Iced vans Louvre vans Open wagons Tank wagons

Freight vehicles by traffic	Ballast, Sleepers and Spoil Black Coal, Brown Coal & Briquettes Cement Powder Coiled & Slab Steel Corpses Dolomite Explosives Fertiliser Flour, Grain & Rice Gypsum Refrigerated Goods Lime Livestock Mail vans Bitumen, Oil & Petroleum Quarry products Perishables Sand Soda Ash Timber Vehicles & Vehicle Parts Water

Vans	Fixed-Wheel (D, Z vans) Power vans Bogie guards vans Mail vans

2 ft 6 in (762 mm) Narrow gauge	NA class 2-6-2T (1898) G class 2-6-0+0-6-2 (1925) Passenger carriages Freight vehicles Guards vans Other

Other	Rail tractors Crane locomotives Miscellaneous Special loads Way and Works stock Staff Accommodation

Named or significant trains	Albury Express Ambulance Train Better Farming Train The Boat Train Display (Arts) train Funeral Trains The Fruit Flyer The Geelong Flyer The Gippslander The Great Northern Limited The Intercapital Daylight The Jubilee Train Train of Knowledge The Melbourne Express The Mildura Sunlight The Northerner The Overland R.A.A.F. Recruiting Train Reso Train Rutherglen Red Southern Aurora Spirit of Progress State Cars & Royal Trains The Sunraysia Express The Sydney Express The Veteran Train The Vinelander The Vintage Train The WestCoaster Wirth's Circus Train

Rail transport in Victoria Railways in Melbourne Narrow gauge lines of the Victorian Railways Victorian Railways V/Line Metro Trains Melbourne

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