Power type Diesel-electric Total produced 10 | Build date 1977/78 UIC class Co-Co | |
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Builder Clyde Engineering, Rosewater Model Electro-Motive Diesel GT26CW | ||
The C Class are a class of diesel locomotive built by Clyde Engineering, Rosewater for the Victorian Railways in 1977/78.
History
The C class were purchased by the Victorian Railways for heavy freight haulage. They are fitted with safety cabs. Initially the first four were placed on the North East line to haul services from Melbourne to Albury while the latter six were put on the broad gauge to haul services on the Serviceton line. Following upgrades to the infrastructure they were also able to operate on the Ballarat to Geelong line and from January 1982 through to Adelaide with the standard gauge units transferred to the broad gauge.
In September 1988, two were transferred back to the standard gauge and began to operate services through to Sydney.
Following the Melbourne-Adelaide railway being closed for gauge conversion, all remaining broad gauge units were converted to standard gauge and operated services from Melbourne to Parkes until the converted line reopened in July 1995. All were transferred by V/Line to National Rail in June 1995.
Following the delivery of National Rail's NR class locomotives, the C class were put into storage at Junee Locomotive Depot in 1997 before being moved to Islington Railway Workshops, Adelaide. Unlike the other locomotives National Rail initially used, ownership of the C class passed to National Rail. In August 1999 two were repainted in National Rail livery and returned to service as Melbourne shunters.
The class was then sold with one going to Seymour Railway Heritage Centre and the other nine to Allco Rail with two leased to Pacific National and seven to Silverton Rail as the Cs class. Following the collapse of Allco Finance three were sold to Chicago Freight Car Leasing Australia and six to Greentrains in January 2008 with all resuming their original identities.
In April 2016, the six Greentrains units were sold to Southern Shorthaul Railroad. Having been in store at South Dynon Locomotive Depot, all were taken to the Lithgow State Mine Heritage Park & Railway with the last returned to service in August 2016.