The K class are a class of diesel locomotives built by English Electric, Rocklea for the Western Australian Government Railways between 1966 and 1969.

History

Nine K class were delivered in 1966/67 to operate services on the Eastern Goldfields Railway from Perth to Kalgoorlie that was being converted to standard gauge. After initially working construction trains, in November 1966 they began working wheat trains from Merredin to Fremantle and once the full line was opened began working services to Kalgoorlie and Esperance.

In January 1966, K201 became the first locomotive to travel across Australia. It hauled freight trains from Brisbane to Melbourne, before being hauled for the rest of the journey. It passed through five states, travelled on six railway systems and required a change of bogies at Melbourne, Port Pirie and Kalgoorlie."20 Years Ago" Railway Digest January 1986 p. 30.

Goldsworthy Mining Ltd had purchased six similar locomotives, and after having one destroyed in an accident, purchased K202 with K210 ordered as a replacement. In July 1986 Goldsworth Mining purchased K203.

The Western Australian Government Railways also purchased 16 similar R class locomotives mounted on narrow gauge bogies. In 1974 three were fitted with standard gauge bogies and reclassified as the Ka class.

Four have been sold to SCT Logistics and three had gone to South Spur Rail Services by August 2000."Western Australian Roundup" Railway Digest January 2001 p. 40.K Class Vicsig. Retrieved 17 May 2026. The latter three are now owned by Greentrains and have been used as Broken Hill shunters as well as in Western Australia.K205 Western Australian Railscene e-Mag issue 1 5 January 2009 p. 4.K205 Western Australian Railscene e-Mag issue 178 27 February 2012 p. 8.

The two sold to Goldsworthy Mining were transferred to BHP's Port Kembla operation in November 1992.

Status table Key:In ServiceWithdrawnPreservedConvertedScrapped

Serial numberDate deliveredOriginal Road numberRenumbered AsNameCurrent/Last OwnerStatusA.1097 February 1966K201--SCT LogisticsStored, DynonA.1108 March 1966K2028, D50-GreentrainsScrapped, Port Kembla (May 2002).A.11121 March 1966 K2039, D51-GreentrainsScrapped, Bellevue (20 June 2014)A.13413 October 1966K204--WestrailScrapped, Midland Railway Workshops (24 October 1998)A.13525 October 1966K205--GreentrainsScrapped, Bellevue (20 June 2014)A.1338 December 1966K206--GreentrainsScrapped, Bellevue (27 June 2014)A.13619 December 1966K207--SCT LogisticsScrapped, Laverton, Victoria (August 2011)A.13731 December 1966K208-Thomas SmithSCT LogisticsScrapped Forrestfield, (August 2026)A.14223 February 1967 K209--SCT LogisticsStored, DynonA.18627 March 1969 K210--GreentrainsScrapped, Bellevue (3 July 2014)

References

Further reading