New South Wales 421 class locomotive

New South Wales 421 class

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42107 in Northern Rivers Railroad livery at Somerton in November 2007
Type and origin
Power type Diesel-electric
Builder Clyde Engineering, Granville
Serial number 65-468, 66-469 to 66-477
Model Electro-Motive Diesel AJ16C
Build date 1965/66
Total produced 10
Specifications
UIC class Co-Co
Gauge 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)
Wheel diameter 40 in (1,016 mm)
Length Over headstocks:
57 ft 10 in (17.63 m),
Over coupler pulling faces:
62 ft 0 3⁄4 in (18.92 m)
Width 9 ft 8 in (2.95 m)
Height 13 ft 10 1⁄2 in (4.23 m)
Axle load 18 long tons 0 cwt (40,300 lb or 18.3 t)
Loco weight 108 long tons 0 cwt (241,900 lb or 109.7 t)
Fuel type Diesel
Fuel capacity 1,200 imp gal (5,500 l; 1,400 US gal)
Lubricant cap 166 imp gal (750 l; 199 US gal)
Coolant cap 175 imp gal (800 l; 210 US gal)
Sandbox cap 12 cu ft (0.34 m3)
Prime mover EMD 16-567C
RPM range 275-835
Engine type Two-stroke V16 diesel
Aspiration Roots blower
Generator EMD D32F
Traction motors 6 x EMD D67
Cylinders 16
Cylinder size 8.5 in × 10 in (216 mm × 254 mm)
Performance figures
Maximum speed 71 mph (114 km/h)
Power output Gross: 1,800 hp (1,340 kW),
For traction: 1,800 hp (1,340 kW)
Tractive effort Continuous: 70,900 lbf (315.38 kN) at 6.9 mph (11.1 km/h)
Career
Operators New South Wales Government Railways
First run December 1965
Preserved 42101, 42102
Current owner Aurizon
Disposition 1 in service, 2 preserved, 4 stored, 3 scrapped

The 421 class are a class of diesel locomotives built by Clyde Engineering, Granville for the New South Wales Government Railways in 1965/66. These mainline locomotives were a follow on from the 42 class. The 421s retained the classic bulldog nose as with the other Clyde built GM and S locomotives at one end, but featured a flat-cab at the other end. In this respect, they are unique amongst bulldog nose locomotives in the world.

History

The 421 class initially entered service on the Main South line before being transferred to Bathurst in 1970 to operate services on the Main Western line between Lithgow and Broken Hill including the new Indian Pacific service. However, due to their poor ride quality, they were returned to the Main South. In 1982, they were briefly used on through services to Melbourne.[1]

All 10 were withdrawn from service in December 1986 and January 1987 and put in store at Junee Locomotive Depot, even though some had only recently been overhauled.[2] In June 1989 two were moved to Cardiff Locomotive Workshops.[3] One was resurrected from July 1989 until January 1990 before most were offered for sale in 1990.[4][5]

Four locomotives were purchased by Northern Rivers Railroad.[6] After undergoing some restoration work at Junee, in October 1996 they worked to their new base at Casino where the work was completed ready for the commencement of operations in October 1997.[7] Northern Rivers Railroad used them to haul the Ritz Rail tourist rail service from Casino to Murwillumbah on the Murwillumbah line and various freight and infrastructure trains on the North Coast line as a sub-contractor to FreightCorp. Northern Rivers Railroad purchased 42106 from a private owner, and moved it from storage at the New South Wales Rail Transport Museum, Thirlmere to Casino in September 1998.[8]

All were included in the sale to Interail to QR National in March 2002,[9][10] who regularly operated them as far south as Melbourne. Three were withdrawn and placed in store in January 2013 with one remaining in service.

Two have been preserved. In December 2009 42101 was transferred from the Goulburn Rail Heritage Centre to Eveleigh Railway Workshops for restoration by 3801 Limited.[11] After being fitted with refurbished traction motors at Chullora Railway Workshops in October 2011, it returned to Eveleigh to be restored back to operational condition in March 2012.[12] It undertook its first trials on Cowan Bank on the evening of 25 October 2014 and was repainted in its original Indian red livery by UGL Rail, Auburn in January 2015.[13]

In January 2011, 42102 moved from storage on Kooragang Island to the Dorrigo Steam Railway & Museum.[14][15]

Status Table

As at October 2014, one remained in service with Aurizon, with two in store, two preserved and five scrapped.[16]

NSW NoSerial NoEntered ServiceCurrent/Last OwnerLiveryStatus
4210165-46822 Dec 1965The Heritage Locomotive CompanyIndian RedPreserved operational
Eveleigh Railway Workshops
4210266-46924 Jan 1966Dorrigo Steam Railway & MuseumSRA CandyStored
4210366-47015 Feb 1966AurizonAurizon YellowStored Goulburn
4210466-47128 Feb 1966--Scrapped
4210566-47215 Mar 1966AurizonNRR RainbowStored Goulburn
4210666-47314 Apr 1966AurizonSRA CandyScrapped
4210766-47412 May 1966AurizonNRR RainbowOperational
4210866-4753 May 1966--Scrapped
4210966-4766 Jul 1966AurizonNRR RainbowScrapped
4211066-47725 Jul 1966--Scrapped

References

  1. ↑ Bromby, Robin (1988). Australian Rail Annual 1988. Sutherland: Sherborne Sutherland Publishing. p. 14. ISBN 1 86275 004 1.
  2. ↑ "Locomotives & Traffic 421 Class Report" Railway Digest February 1987 page 47
  3. ↑ "Locomotives and Traffic 421 Class" Railway Digest August 1989 page 276
  4. ↑ "42107" Railway Digest March 1990 page 106
  5. ↑ "Locos for sale" Railway Digest July 1990 page 239
  6. ↑ "Locomotives and Traffic 421 Class" Railway Digest December 1990 page 439
  7. ↑ "The Northern Rivers Railroad" Railway Digest December 1996 page 28
  8. ↑ "Motive Power 42106" Railway Digest November 1998 page 41
  9. ↑ "QR moves into NSW with Northern Rivers Railroad buy" Rail Express 12 March 2002
  10. ↑ "QR National push" WorldCargo News March 2002
  11. ↑ Train Alteration Advice No: TAA 0818-2009 Australian Rail Track Corporation
  12. ↑ TOC Waiver RailCorp 19 March 2012
  13. ↑ Friends of 42101 Facebook page
  14. ↑ 42102 Vicsig
  15. ↑ 421 Class Railpage
  16. ↑ "Australia Wide Fleet List 2014" Motive Power issue 96 November 2014 page 64

Further reading

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