The H class are a class of diesel locomotives built by Clyde Engineering, Granville for the Victorian Railways in 1968–1969.
History The H Class were built as T class locomotives with modifications for use at the Melbourne Hump Yard. They were fitted additional equipment for their duties, including extra weight for traction, "manual power control" to allow low speed operation, and an accurate low speed speedometer.
The H class were delivered as T413 to T417, but were reclassified before entering service. The class rarely left Melbourne due to their excessive weight, until being approved to operate on the same lines as the N class in January 1987.
By July 1987 the fleet was split across duties at Melbourne Hump Yard and at North Geelong's Grain Loop. At the time, engines H1, H3, H5 and T413 (the latter as a slave only) were used at Geelong, while H2-T345 were at Melbourne Hump Yard and H4 was at Bendigo Workshops for fitting of in-cab air conditioning.
All were included in the sale of V/Line Freight to Freight Victoria in May 1999 and passed with the business to Pacific National in August 2004.
Pacific National sold three of the H class to the Ettamogah Rail Hub in 2015. Two of those were on-sold to 707 Operations in 2018. H4 was scrapped in 2020, while H1 had had its long hood cladding removed and was stored in North Dynon between 2020 and April 2022, when it was transferred to the Seymour Railway Heritage Centre as part of a long-term restoration project. In mid-2023, all four of the surviving H classes were bought by Watco Australia, and are being refurbished at North Bendigo Workshops.
By April 2026, H3 and H5 and H2 are working at Port Kembla as shunters for WATCO, and H1 are still undergoing overhaul works.
Status table
Key:WithdrawnPreservedConvertedScrapped LocomotiveDelivered asEntered serviceOwner(s)StatusH1T41320 December 1968VR (Built), VicRail (1976), V/Line (1983), FV/FA (1999/2000), PN (2004), Watco Australia (2023)Under OverhaulH2T4147 January 1969VR (Built), VicRail (1976), V/Line (1983), FV/FA (1999/2000), PN (2004), Ettamogah Rail Hub (2015), Watco Australia (2023)In serviceH3T4157 February 1969VR (Built), VicRail (1976), V/Line (1983), FV/FA (1999/2000), PN (2004), Ettamogah Rail Hub (2015), Watco Australia (2023)In serviceH4T41624 February 1969VR (Built), VicRail (1976), V/Line (1983), FV/FA (1999/2000), PN (2004)Scrapped North GeelongH5T41714 March 1969VR (Built), VicRail (1976), V/Line (1983), FV/FA (1999/2000), PN (2004), Ettamogah Rail Hub (2015), Watco Australia (2023)In service Reference:
References