New South Wales 49 class locomotive
4908 when owned by 3801 Limited at Wagga Wagga in June 2006 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The 49 class are a class of diesel locomotives built by Clyde Engineering, Granville for the New South Wales Government Railways between 1960 and 1964.
History
The 49 class was ordered in three batches each of six locomotives. They entered service in the Western Region of New South Wales and hauled trains on all branchlines as well as mainlines west of Lithgow. They periodically travelled as far a field as Moree in the north-west and Cootamundra in the south-west.[1]
Between July and November 1989 the whole class was transferred to Delec Locomotive Depot in Sydney.[2][3] As well as metropolitan trip workings they were used on coal trains to Tahmoor on the Main South line.[4] In January 1994 they began to operate on the Illawarra line to Bombo on ballast trains.[5]
In June 1994, the Manildra Group leased 4907 from FreightCorp for use at its Gunnedah mill.[6] Later in 1994, Manildra purchased 4907 along with 4913 and had them rebuilt by Clyde Engineering, Kelso with lower No.1 ends, the second being for use at their Manildra mill.[7][8] To haul infrastructure trains in Victoria during the Melbourne-Adelaide railway standard gauge conversion project, 4903, 4912 and 4916 were leased to National Rail in late 1994.[9]
In February 1995, the remaining examples still in service with FreightCorp were withdrawn.[10] Most were returned to traffic later in 1995[11] before again being withdrawn in July 1997.[12] In April 1998, 4910 was leased for seven months to Northern Rivers Railroad hauling services between Grafton and Murwillumbah.[13]
By 1999 the 49s had begun to be sold with 3801 Limited, Chicago Freight Car Leasing Australia, Consolidated Rail Leasing, Patrick Portlink and Southern Shorthaul Railroad among those to have operated them, with many having had more than one owner post FreightCorp.[1][14] Northern Rivers Railroad purchased a number, although none entered service. They were either resold or stripped for spares with the bogies off some used to regauge Queensland Railways 1502 class locomotives when converted to the 423 class.[15][16] Today a number remain in use with Consolidated Rail Leasing, Manildra Group and Southern Shorthaul Railroad.[17] Preserved examples are operated by the Lachlan Valley Railway, New South Wales Rail Transport Museum and 3801 Limited.
Status Table
NSW No | Serial No | Entered Service | Current/Last Owner | Livery | Status | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
4901 | 60-221 | Sep 1960 | Interail | FreightCorp green & yellow | Scrapped | |
4902 | 60-222 | Oct 1960 | Private owner | FreightCorp green & yellow | Stored, Seymour | |
4903 | 60-223 | Nov 1960 | Lachlan Valley Railway | Patrick Portlink red, yellow & black | Preserved, operational | ex Patrick Portlink ex Interail |
4904 | 60-224 | Dec 1960 | Southern Shorthaul Railroad | SSR yellow & black | Operational | ex Chicago Freight Car Leasing Australia KL80 |
4905 | 60-225 | Feb 1961 | Traction Engineering | Traction Engineering orange | Static, Seymour | |
4906 | 60-226 | Mar 1961 | Lachlan Valley Railway | Patrick Portlink red, yellow & black | Preserved, operational | ex Patrick Portlink ex Interail |
4907 | 62-257 | Jun 1962 | Manildra Group | Manildra blue & yellow | Operational | renumbered MM01 |
4908 | 62-258 | Jul 1962 | Southern Shorthaul Railroad | Greentrains green & yellow | Operational | ex Greentrains ex 3801 Limited |
4909 | 62-259 | Jul 1962 | Interail | SRA candy | Scrapped | |
4910 | 62-260 | Aug 1962 | Southern Shorthaul Railroad | SSR yellow & black | Operational | ex Chicago Freight Car Leasing Australia KL81 |
4911 | 62-261 | Oct 1962 | Consolidated Rail Leasing | CRL yellow, red & black | Operational | ex Manildra Group |
4912 | 62-262 | Nov 1962 | Interail | SRA candy | Scrapped | |
4913 | 64-342 | Jun 1964 | Manildra Group | Manildra blue & yellow | Operational | renumbered MM02 |
4914 | 64-343 | Jun 1964 | Interail | SRA candy | Scrapped | |
4915 | 64-344 | Jul 1964 | State Rail Authority | Tuscan | Scrapped | |
4916 | 64-345 | Aug 1964 | New South Wales Rail Transport Museum | SRA candy | Preserved, operational | |
4917 | 64-346 | Aug 1964 | Southern Shorthaul Railroad | SSR yellow & black | Operational | ex Chicago Freight Car Leasing Australia KL82 |
4918 | 64-347 | Sep 1964 | 3801 Limited | Tuscan | Preserved, operational |
References
- 1 2 49 Class - 1960 Trackside 2012
- ↑ "Motive Power Policies" Railway Digest September 1989 page 303
- ↑ "49 Class" Railway Digest January 1990 page 17
- ↑ "Tahmoor Coal" Railway Digest January 1990 page 15
- ↑ "49 Class" Railway Digest March 1994 page 28
- ↑ "49 Class" Railway Digest September 1994 page 45
- ↑ "Manildra Group News: Locos and New Wagons" Railway Digest December 1994 page 7
- ↑ Railway Digest May 1995 page 7
- ↑ "The Melbourne - Adelaide Standard Gauge Project - An Update" Railway Digest February 1995 page 16
- ↑ "49 Class Withdrawn" Railway Digest March 1995 page 12
- ↑ "Rail Authorities Face Loco Shortage" Railway Digest December 1995 page 16
- ↑ Railway Digest September 1997 page 33
- ↑ Railway Digest August 1998 page 32
- ↑ 49 Class Vicsig
- ↑ 423 Class Railpage
- ↑ 423 Class Vicsig
- ↑ 49 Class Railpage
Further reading
- New South Wales Rail System Locomotives. Sydney: Archives Section, State Rail Authority of New South Wales. 1984.