The 800 class were a class of diesel locomotives built by English Electric, Rocklea for the South Australian Railways in 1956/57. They were nearly identical to the earlier Jamaican Railways 81 class.
History The 800 class were diesel shunter locomotives operated by the South Australian Railways. Although built for shunting duties in Adelaide, they also operated trip workings between Dry Creek and Mile End, pick up trains around Port Adelaide and passenger services. In March 1978 all were included in the transfer of the South Australian Railways to Australian National (AN).
In 1986, a new computer system required the class leaders of the former South Australian Railways to be renumbered as the last member of the class, with 800 becoming 810."Australian National Broken Hill Line Report" Railway Digest October 1986 page 314
Withdrawals of the 800 class occurred from 1987 to 1991, with 806 being the first to be scrapped in 1988. 803 was damaged in a derailment at Osborne in 1990 and never returned to service. Scrapping of most of the class members continued until 1994. Broad Gauge 800-class diesel locomotives Chris's Commonwealth Railways Pages800 Class Railpage800 Class Rail SA800 Class Vicsig
801 was the last 800 in service, working its final mainline train in 1991 and continuing with shunting duties at Islington until 1992. It was sold to the National Railway Museum, Port Adelaide that year and became the sole surviving member of the 800 class.801 National Railway Museum It is preserved in full operational condition and used for shunting museum exhibits, as well hauling passenger shuttles along the museum's 600m exhibition track.
In 2013, 801 was fully repainted from its faded AN livery (as it appeared when withdrawn from service) into its previous South Australian Railways livery.
SDS Models produced HO Scale models of the 800 class in 2020, producing DC and DCC variants of the class as they appeared in service with the SAR, AN, and in preservation with the NRM.
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