New South Wales 422 class locomotive explained

New South Wales 422 class
Powertype:Diesel-electric
Builder:Clyde Engineering, Granville
Serialnumber:69-656 to 69-674, 70-675
Buildmodel:EMD J26C
(42220 rebuilt to J26C-2SS)
Builddate:1969 - 1970
Totalproduction:20
Uicclass:Co-Co
Wheeldiameter:400NaN0
Length:
Width:9feet
Height:13feet
Fueltype:Diesel
Fuelcap:1200impgal
Lubecap:166impgal
Coolantcap:175impgal
Sandcap:12cuft
Primemover:EMD 16-645E
Rpmrange:315 - 900
Enginetype:Two-stroke V16 diesel
Aspiration:Roots blower
Generator:EMD D32B-D14
Tractionmotors:EMD D77B, 6 of
Cylindercount:16
Cylindersize:9.0625x
Maxspeed:770NaN0
Poweroutput:2000-1NaN-1
Tractiveeffort:Continuous:
709202NaN2
at 7.71NaN1
Operator:
Numinclass:20
Fleetnumbers:42201 - 42220
Nicknames:Rattlesnakes
Firstrundate:10 January 1969
Currentowner:
Disposition:7 in service, 4 stored,
6 scrapped

The 422 class are a class of diesel locomotives built by Clyde Engineering, Granville for the Department of Railways New South Wales in 1969/70.

History

The 422 class were the first Australian locomotives built with non-streamlined dual cab bodies. Manufactured by Clyde Engineering, Granville, they were introduced into service on the Main South and Illawarra lines where they would spend most of their New South Wales careers hauling passenger and freight services. Among the services they hauled were the Canberra Express, Intercapital Daylight, South Coast Daylight Express, Southern Aurora, Spirit of Progress, Griffith Express and Sydney/Melbourne Express.

In 1980, 42220 was rebuilt by Clyde Engineering, Rosewater, receiving an AR16 alternator, a new electrical system and Super Series wheel slip technology. It was a test bed for many of the features incorporated into the 81 class.[1]

From 1982, they began to operate through to Melbourne. This ceased in February 1990 when non air-conditioned locomotives would no longer be accepted by Victorian drivers.[2]

With the formation of National Rail, the 422s were all allocated to the new interstate carrier in July 1995 pending delivery of its NR class locomotives.[3] This saw them again frequently operating to Melbourne, albeit usually as second units and over new territory to Parkes via Forbes and from August 1996 via the North Coast line to Brisbane.[1] [4] When they were returned to FreightCorp in September 1997, their Southern duties were now being handled by Class 81s so most were stored.[5]

In 1999, 42202 and 42206 were sold to FreightCorp's North Coast sub-contractor, Northern Rivers Railroad passing with the business to QR National in May 2002.[6]

By January 2000, only 42203 and 42220 remained in service with FreightCorp; these having been fitted with air-conditioning. These were retained primarily to operate CountryLink services from Sydney to Griffith and from January 2000 over new ground on the Outback Express to Broken Hill.[7] These were sold to Chicago Freight Car Leasing Australia in 2001 and later rebuilt as HL203 and FL220.[6]

In May 2000, the other 16 were sold to the Australian Southern Railroad and transferred in one movement from Werris Creek where they had been stored to Dry Creek, Adelaide[8] where they were gradually reactivated. Some were placed in service operating construction trains on the Alice Springs to Darwin line as well as in South Australia and Western Australia. Others returned to New South Wales on hire to other operators. It was decided to rebuild all 16 as the 22 class which among other modifications saw air-conditioning fitted, although only 14 ended up being completed at Downer Rail, Port Augusta.[6] [9] [10]

With the splitting up of Australian Railroad Group, 11 passed to Aurizon in February 2006 and five to One Rail Australia in June 2006.[11] [12] [13] [14] [15]

Status

In October 2014, 13 remained in service with Aurizon, CFCL Australia and One Rail Australia with seven in store.[16] In January 2015, four were sold to Apex Industrial and exported to Durban, South Africa, before being scrapped in December 2015.[17] [18] [19] Both CFCL Australia units were sold to Watco Australia in 2016 and transferred to Perth to operate Brookfield Rail infrastructure trains.[20] [21]

As of November 2023 10 where owned by Aurizon, 2 by watco, 1 by East Coast Rail & 1 by SSR. In early 2023, 42202, 42206, and 2202 went to Cardiff for reactivation for Aurizon intermodal services., But 2202 has been road hauled to dry creek in June 2024 for reactivation.

Key:In ServiceStoredPreservedRebuiltUnder OverhaulScrapped
NSW NoSerial NoEntered ServiceCurrent/Last OwnerCurrent NoNameLiveryStatusNotes
4220169-65610 Jan 1969AurizonDC2205Aurizon Yellow Organe Red And GreyStored in ForrestfieldDC Class, Used On ILS Trains
4220269-6574 Mar 1969Aurizon42202CasinoNorthern Rivers Railroad Blue/Orange/YellowBeing Reactivated at Cardiff Ex NRR
4220369-65827 Mar 1969Watco AustraliaHL203Watco Black & YellowOperational Ex Austrac & CFCLA
4220469-65923 Apr 1969AurizonDC2206Aurizon PineappleScrapped at Casino, 2016DC Class, Used on Manildra Grain
4220569-6607 May 19692201Tennant CreekARG Orange & BlackScrapped December 2015 Durban, South AfricaUsed on Manildra Grain
4220669-66120 May 1969Aurizon42206Northern Rivers Railroad Blue/Orange/YellowBeing Reactivated at Cardiff Ex NRR
4220769-66230 May 1969Aurizon2207Aurizon SA Bulk CentralOperationalPort Pirie Shunter
4220869-6639 Jun 1969AurizonDC2208Aurizon Yellow Organe Red And GreyStored ForrestfieldDC Class
4220969-66423 Jun 1969Aurizon42209FreightCorp BlueScrapped at Picton, July 2015Trailing Status Only
4221069-66523 Jun 1969Aurizon2210Aurizon SA Bulk CentralOperationalMainly Used on Shuttle Workings Between Dry Creek & Gillman Terminal
4221169-6664 Aug 1969Apex Industrial42211FreightCorp BlueScrapped December 2015 Durban, South AfricaTrailing Status Only
4221269-66718 Aug 1969Aurizon2212Aurizon SA Bulk CentralOperationalAlice Springs Shunter
4221369-6685 Sep 1969Aurizon2202KatherineARG Orange & BlackRoad Hauled To Dry Creek June 2024 For ReactivationUsed On Darwin line
4221469-66924 Sep 1969Apex Industrial2203DarwinARG Orange & BlackScrapped December 2015 Durban, South AfricaUsed On Darwin line
4221569-67010 Oct 1969AurizonDC2213Aurizon PineappleStored ForrestfieldDC Class
4221669-67128 Oct 1969Southern Shorthaul Railroad2204AliceARG Orange & BlackStored CootamundraIncluded in sale of CLF1, CLF3, CLP9, CLP12
4221769-67211 Nov 1969Aurizon2214G&W Orange & BlackOperationalDarwin Shunter
4221869-6731 Dec 1969Apex IndustrialDC2215ARG Orange & Black (formerly wore Bicentennial livery)Scrapped December 2015 Durban, South AfricaDC class
4221969-67416 Dec 1969East Coast Rail2216GWA Orange & BlackOperationalShunter
4222070-67521 Jan 1970Watco AustraliaFL220Watco Black & YellowOperationalEx Austrac & CFCLA

Further reading

Notes and References

  1. "The 422 class locomotives of NSW" Railway Digest February 2000 page 42
  2. "Locomotives and Traffic Victorian Standard Gauge" Railway Digest March 1990 page 104
  3. "80 Class Return to the NSW North Coast on National Rail Freights" Railway Digest August 1995 page 14
  4. "Locomotives and Traffic 422s to Brisbane" Railway Digest October 1996 page 31
  5. "Locomotives and Traffic Motive Power" Railway Digest September 1997 page 33
  6. http://www.auscisionmodels.com.au/422_class_page.htm NSWGR 422/22/FL/HL Class Locomotive
  7. "Riding the Outback Express" Railway Digest March 2000 page 22
  8. "FreightCorp 422s Sold to Private Operator" Railway Digest June 2000 page 14
  9. http://www.railpage.com.au/locos/class/75/ 422 Class
  10. http://www.railpage.com.au/locos/class/78 22 Class
  11. http://www.theage.com.au/news/Business/Qld-Rail-buys-into-freight-market/2006/02/14/1139679576182.html "Qld Rail buys into freight market"
  12. http://www.gwrr.com/operations/railroads/australia/genesee_wyoming_australia Operations
  13. http://www.vicsig.net/index.php?page=locomotives&class=422&orgstate=N&type=Diesel-Electric 422 Class
  14. http://www.vicsig.net/index.php?page=locomotives&class=22&orgstate=A&type=Diesel-Electric 22 Class
  15. https://web.archive.org/web/20160411235425/http://www.locomotivesforafrica.com/uploads/4/1/2/5/41253489/422_and_22_class_locos.pdf Aurizon Locomotive Data Sheet 422/22/DC Class
  16. "Australia Wide Fleet List 2014" Motive Power issue 96 November 2014 pages 64-67
  17. "Motive Power Roundup" Motive Power issue 97 January 2015 page 108
  18. "Australian Locomotive Expatriates" Motive Power issue 107 September 2016 page 48
  19. Web site: 2019-05-01 . NSWGR 422 class locomotives . 2023-06-16 . THNSW . en.
  20. "Watco Australia" Motive Power issue 108 November 2016 page 28
  21. https://extranet.artc.com.au/docman/DocManFiles/DocTypes/TOC/Files/16175.PDF?551291244 Transfer of ownership of locomotives FL220 & HL203