Harman Patil (Editor)

New South Wales 45 class locomotive

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Power type
  
Diesel-electric

Serial number
  
Alco 84143–84182

Build date
  
1962-64

Builder
  
AE Goodwin, Auburn

Model
  
RSD-20 or DL-541

Total produced
  
40

New South Wales 45 class locomotive

The 45 class are a class of diesel-electric locomotives built by AE Goodwin, Auburn for the New South Wales Government Railways between 1962 and 1964.

Contents

History

The 45 class were built by Alco's Australian licensee AE Goodwin, and are based on the Alco DL-541 model. They initially entered service on the Main Southern line but later operated on all main lines. One was destroyed in a collision in May 1972.

From June 1984 the Australian Federated Union of Locomotive Enginemen placed a ban on the class as leading locomotives, meaning they could only be used as second locomotives, although they were able to be used on Sydney metropolitan trip and Liverpool Range banking duties.

Six were fitted with upgraded cabs and modified bogies at Cardiff Workshops in 1989 and reclassified as class 451s and later class 35s, allowing them again to be used as lead locomotives, although they spent most of their time being used as Liverpool Range bankers and Yeerongpilly, Brisbane shunters. Following a poor wheat crop, the Class 45s were placed in store at Junee Locomotive Depot in December 1991. A locomotive shortage saw most return to service from March 1993. They remained in service until replaced by FreightCorp by Class 82s in 1994/95.

Thirty-two were auctioned in December 1994 with most being sold for scrap. One was retained by the State Rail Authority as a designated heritage locomotive while four were transferred to Rail Services Australia before being sold to Great Northern Rail Services in 2000. One remains in service with Greentrains.

Survivors

  • 4501 sold to Great Northern Rail Services 2000 (unused), then to Silverton Rail (unused), then to Chicago Freight Car Leasing Australia (unused), then to Goodwin Alco Pty Ltd who restored it to main line condition at Eveleigh Railway Workshops in 2007, leasing it to 3801 Limited.
  • 4502 sold to Great Northern Rail Services 2000 (unused), then to Silverton Rail (unused), then to Chicago Freight Car Leasing Australia (unused), then Lachlan Valley Railway in 2012, stored at Broken Hill
  • 4503 sold to Austrac, then to Patrick Portlink, transferred to Pacific National 2010
  • 3505 sold to Junee Railway Workshop. Was meant to be rebuilt with a Pilbara cab, but the project fell through and it eventually was forgotten about. Its engine cladding has since been removed and it is being used as a mobile loco service stand, while the Pilbara cab was painted blue and yellow and is used as a picnic stand.
  • 4520 is a designated NSW heritage item and has passed into the custody of the New South Wales Rail Transport Museum
  • 4521 is preserved by the Dorrigo Steam Railway & Museum
  • 4528 sold to Great Northern Rail Services 2000 (unused), then to Silverton Rail (unused), then to Chicago Freight Car Leasing Australia (unused), then Lachlan Valley Railway in 2012, stored at Broken Hill, Silverton Rail had started a rebuilt it as 45s2, but the project was not completed
  • 3532 sold to Great Northern Rail Services 2000 (unused), then to Silverton Rail entering service in June 2002 as 45s1, sold to Greentrains, remained in service in December 2013 Sold to Southern Shorthaul Railroad April 2016
  • 4537 sold to Junee Railway Workshops rebuilt with a lowered and shortened No.1 end, leased in June 1995 to BHP for use on their Port Kembla network as 103, later sold to Patrick Portlink

    • Fleet Status

    4501 - Preserved [Operational]

    4502 - Preserved Stored

    4503 - Stored

    4504 - Scrapped

    4505 ▶ 3505 - Stored

    4506 - Scrapped

    4507 ▶ 3507 - Scrapped

    4508 - Scrapped

    4509 - Scrapped

    4510 - Scrapped

    4511 - Scrapped

    4512 - Scrapped

    4513 ▶ 3513 - Scrapped

    4514 - Scrapped

    4515 - Scrapped

    4516 - Scrapped

    4517 - Scrapped

    4518 ▶ 3518 - Scrapped

    4519 - Scrapped

    4520 - Preserved [Operational]

    4521 - Stored

    4522 - Scrapped

    4523 - Scrapped

    4524 - Scrapped

    4525 - Scrapped

    4526 - Scrapped

    4527 ▶ 3527 - Scrapped

    4528 - Preserved Stored ( rebuild was stopped by silverton, was going to be 45s2)

    4529 - Scrapped

    4530 - Scrapped

    4531 - ???

    4532 ▶ 3532 ▶ 45s1 - Operational

    4533 - Scrapped

    4534 - Scrapped

    4535 - Scrapped

    4536 - Scrapped

    4537 ▶ 103 - Operational

    4538 - Scrapped

    4539 - Scrapped

    4540 - Scrapped

    References

    New South Wales 45 class locomotive Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA