The L Class are a class of diesel locomotives built by Clyde Engineering, Granville and Commonwealth Engineering (subcontracted by Clyde), Rocklea for the Western Australian Government Railways between 1967 and 1973.

History With the Eastern Goldfields Railway between Perth and Kalgoorlie being converted to standard gauge, the Western Australian Government Railways started to take delivery of 23 Electro Motive Diesel GT26C locomotives from Clyde Engineering in October 1967."20 Years Ago" Railway Digest October 1987 page 332 The design was based on the EMD SD40 reduced in height to fit within the Australian loading gauge. They were the first Australian locomotives to use a turbocharged EMD engine. At the time they were comfortably the largest and heaviest diesel locomotive operated by a government operator.

All were delivered from Sydney via Melbourne and Adelaide, necessitating them being placed on broad gauge bogies for the journey between Dynon and Port Pirie.

They entered service hauling iron ore trains from Koolyanobbing to Kwinana and the Indian Pacific. However they were quickly removed from passenger trains after it was realised the damage they could cause to the track at higher speeds.

In January 1972, Comalco purchased two locomotives of the same design for use on its line at its bauxite mine in Weipa. These were built without dynamic brakes but had an extra of ballast for increased adhesion. In 1973, the Western Australian Government Railways took delivery of a further two units, funded by Western Mining Corporation as part of the building of a nickel mine at Mount Windarra. The Comalco locomotives were built by Clyde Engineering's Granville factory in 1971/72, and the WMC funded locomotives were built under subcontract by Commonwealth Engineering at their Rocklea plant after Granville had closed in 1973.

In 1983, three were leased to V/Line to haul services on the standard gauge Melbourne to Albury line."Locomotives and Traffic" Railway Digest January 1985 page 12 One even operated through to Sydney in May 1984.Railway Digest July 1984 page 247

In 1994, following the purchase of GML10, Comalco's R1.001 was sent to Clyde Engineering, Kelso for overhaul.Railway Digest September 1994 page 8 Upon its return in August 1994, R1.002 was sold to Westrail and placed in service as Lw276.

Following the delivery of the Q Class locomotives in 1997, many were withdrawn with those remaining in service relegated to trailing unit status."The L Class Locomotives of WA" Railway Digest August 2000 page 18

In July 1998, seven were sold to Australian Transport Network. After being overhauled by National Railway Equipment Company, Whyalla, four were placed in service by ATN Access hauling grain trains in southern New South Wales and Victoria. Three were included in the sale of Australian Transport Network to Pacific National in February 2004 while the fourth along with the three unused examples along with one of the operational units were sold to Rail Technical Services, Dynon who resold them to QR National subsidiaries Interail and Australian Railroad Group for use in New South Wales.

The remainder were included in the sale of Westrail to Australian Railroad Group in December 2000. All were included in the sale of Australian Railroad Group's Western Australian operations to QR National in June 2006. After being stored for some years, the Pacific National units were scrapped in 2015.

All of the locomotives under the control of the Australian Railroad Group have been renumbered as the 3100 class.L Class (WAGR) RailpageLQ Class RailpageLZ Class RailpageL Class Vicsig Those fitted with Q-Tron traction control have had the "LQ" prefix applied, those with ZTR traction control were called "LZ". Some were transferred to New South Wales to haul trains from the Manildra Group's flour mills at Gunnedah, Manildra and Narrandera to Bomaderry from 2003 until 2008.

In 2011, Comalco sold R1.001 to Australian Locolease who placed it in service as L277 and leased it to El Zorro to operate grain trains in Victoria. After several years of storage and irregular use, L277 was sold to Southern Shorthaul Railroad in 2020 and was transferred to Cootamundra for reactivation work, which was completed in September 2020.

In 2018, all Aurizon owned units were placed into long-term storage, facing an uncertain future. LZ3111 hauled three sister units as well as flatbed and well wagons to Avon Yard on 12 January that year before returning light engine back to Forrestfield Marshalling Yard.

In July 2021, Aurizon reactivated LZ3119 and LZ3120 for use on grain trains in New South Wales. After spending a year and a half there, LZ3120 was transferred back to Western Australia in December 2022. Nearly a month prior to this, LZ3109 and LZ3114 were shipped by road to Progress Rail's workshops in Port Augusta for rebuilding and return to service.

On 19 July 2023, LZ3111 was reactivated and ran light engine to Avon Yard to take up shunting duties there. It was relocated to Aurizon's new Forrestfield intermodal terminal on 28 December the same year, also for shunting duties.

As of 2 November 2024, LZ3119 (formerly L253) is located at Nowra under lease to the Manildra Group, where it will serve as the onsite shunt locomotive at their manufacturing plant in Bomaderry.

Status Table

Key:In ServiceStoredPreservedConvertedUnder OverhaulScrapped

+ Serial number Entered service Original Road Number Renumbered As Name Current/Last Owner Livery Status67-54130 October 1967L251-Thunderbird 1Pacific NationalPN Blue & YellowScrapped, 5 May 2015 (Werris Creek)67-54220 November 1967L252LZ3101Kurra KurrakaAurizonQR National PineappleScrapped by accident in June 2016 (Casino) 67-54314 December 1967L253LZ3119-AurizonARG Orange w/ Aurizon Logo PatchesReactivated July 2021. Hired to SSR for Manildra Group grain contract 10/24.67-5445 January 1968L254-Enterprise NCC 1701Pacific NationalATN Access Burgundy & YellowScrapped after an engine fire, 4 November 2016 (Cardiff Locomotive Workshops)67-5458 February 1968L255LZ3105-AurizonG&W Orange & Black w/ ARG LogosStored, October 2014 (Avon Yard)67-5468 March 1968L256LZ3106-AurizonQR National PineappleStored, 12 January 2018 (Avon Yard)68-54714 March 1968L2573102WagimanJ&P MetalsG&W Orange & Black w/ ARG LogosScrapped, 30 October 202168-54828 March 1968L258LZ3107-AurizonG&W Orange & Black w/ ARG LogosStored, January 2018 (Forrestfield)68-54919 April 1968L259LZ3103Aboriginal StockmanAurizonAurizon Pineapple Stored (Avon Yard)68-55024 May 1968L260L3108-AurizonWestrail Yellow w/ PatchesStored, October 2014 (Avon Yard)68-55114 August 1968L261LZ3109-AurizonAurizon Bulk YellowRebuilt by Progress Rail, Port Augusta68-55223 August 1968L262L3110-AurizonG&W Orange & Black w/ ARG LogosStored (Forrestfield)68-55311 October 1968L263LZ3111-AurizonG&W Orange & Black w/ ARG LogosReactivated in 2023 for shunting duties68-55416 October 1968L264LZ3112-AurizonARG Mustard & BurgundyStored, 12 January 2018 (Avon Yard)68-55518 October 1968L265LQ3121ShoalhavenAurizonARG Mustard & Burgundy Stored (Avon Yard)68-55625 October 1968L266L3113-AurizonWestrail Orange & Blue Phase 2Stored (Avon Yard)68-55728 November 1968L267LZ3114-AurizonAurizon Bulk YellowRebuilt by Progress Rail, Port Augusta, Leased to SSR68-61718 December 1968L268L3115-AurizonWestrail Yellow w/ ARG logosStored (Avon Yard)68-61817 January 1969L269--WestrailWestrail Orange & Blue Phase 1Involved in a crossing accident in Esperance on 30 May 1995. Scrapped, February 199668-6197 March 1969L270 -Red DwarfPacific NationalPN Blue & YellowScrapped, 5 May 2015 (Werris Creek)69-62012 April 1969L271LQ3122John Douglas Kerr AurizonInterail Rainbow w/ Aurizon Logo PatchesScrapped by accident in June 2016 (Casino)69-62120 May 1969L272L3116 -AurizonWestrail Orange & Blue Phase 2 w/ PatchesStored (Avon Yard)69-62213 June 1969L273LZ3104Purnu AurizonG&W Orange & Black w/ ARG LogosScrapped by accident in June 2016 (Casino)72-752March 1972R1.001L277Phoenix/Hustle MuscleSouthern Shorthaul RailroadComalco Yellow & Orange w/ SSR LogosReactivated, September 202072-753June 1972R1.002Lw276, LZ3120-AurizonARG Orange w/ Aurizon Logo PatchesReactivated for NSW grain traffic in July 2021 then returned to WA in December 202273-77926 September 1973L274LZ3117-AurizonG&W Orange & Black w/ ARG LogosStored, 12 January 2018 (Avon Yard)73-78015 October 1973L275L3118 -AurizonWestrail Orange & Blue Phase 2 w/ ARG LogosStored, October 2014 (Avon Yard)

References

Australia Wide Fleet List Motive Power issue 96 November 2014 pages 65, 69

External links