New South Wales 86 class locomotive explained

New South Wales 86 class
Powertype:Electric
Builder:Comeng, Granville
Builddate:1983-1985
Totalproduction:50
Uicclass:8601-8649: Co′Co′
8650: Bo′Bo′Bo′
Wheeldiameter:12502NaN2
Wheelbase:15.4frac=8NaNfrac=8
Length:Over headstocks:
18.73frac=8NaNfrac=8
Over coupler pulling faces:
20.08frac=8NaNfrac=8
Width:2950frac=8NaNfrac=8
Height:Over stowed pantograph:
4400frac=8NaNfrac=8
Axleload:19.8t
Locoweight:119t
Electricsystem: Overhead
Collectionmethod:Two pantographs
Tractionmotors:6 × Mitsubishi MB-485-BVR
Maxspeed: (Design Max.)
(TfNSW restriction)
Poweroutput:Continuous:
2700-1NaN-1,
One hour:
2880-1NaN-1
Tractiveeffort:Continuous:
2220NaN0
at 450NaN0
Operator:State Rail Authority
FreightCorp
Numinclass:50
Fleetnumbers:8601-8650
Firstrundate:15 March 1983
Lastrundate:30 June 2002
Preservedunits:8601, 8606, 8607, 8644, 8646, 8649, 8650
Disposition:7 preserved with 2 operational and 5 static,
43 scrapped

The 86 class is a class of electric locomotives built by Comeng, Granville for the State Rail Authority of New South Wales.[1]

History

The 86 class initially hauled passenger and freight services to Lithgow on the Main Western line and Wyong on the Main Northern line. Their sphere of operation extended to Newcastle on the latter line in June 1984 and to Port Kembla in January 1986 when the Illawarra line was electrified.

With a one-hour rating of 4,400 horsepower (hp), the 86 class was the most powerful locomotive in Australia at the time. Although no longer in regular use, the class remains among the most powerful in the country. Despite their higher power rating, they were generally regarded as inferior to the Metropolitan-Vickers built 46 class, which dated from the late 1950s.

The last, 8650 was delivered as a Bo-Bo-Bo trial unit.[2] It spent long periods out of traffic undergoing repair.

In 1994/95 all were repainted by A Goninan & Co, Taree into Freight Rail (later FreightCorp) blue.[3] By October 1997 18 had been withdrawn from service with cracked frames.[4] By this stage the amount of work requiring electrics was reducing. National Rail decided it would through haul its services and from March 1998 FreightCorp ceased operating them on Main Northern line services.[5] The need for electrics continued to decline with their remaining duties mainly being hauling coal trains from Lithgow to Port Kembla. The last examples were withdrawn in June 2002.

In 2002, most were sold to Silverton Rail and taken to Broken Hill then sold again in February 2006 to Allco Finance Group with some on sold, but most scrapped.[6] [7] Four were leased back to RailCorp in 2004 (8601, 8609, 8622 and 8644) for use on infrastructure trains during construction of the Bondi Junction turnback.

Status

86 class locomotives!Number!Owner!Location!Status!Livery!References/Notes
8601Dorrigo Steam Railway & MuseumDorrigoStatic DisplayFreightCorp Blue
8602ScrappedFreightcorp Blue
8603ScrappedFreightcorp Blue
8604ScrappedFreightcorp Blue
8605ScrappedFreightcorp Blue
8606Sydney Electric Train SocietyEnfieldOperationalFreightcorp Blue [8]
8607Privately OwnedCanberraStoredFreightCorp Blue
8608ScrappedFreightCorp Blue
8609ScrappedFreightCorp Blue
8610ScrappedFreightCorp Blue
8611Scrapped FreightCorp Blue
8612ScrappedFreightCorp Blue
8613ScrappedFreightCorp Blue
8614ScrappedFreightCorp Blue
8615ScrappedFreightCorp Blue
8616ScrappedFreightCorp Blue
8617ScrappedFreightCorp Blue
8618ScrappedFreightCorp Blue
8619ScrappedFreightCorp BluePlanned For Conversion to Drivable Crew Van for SCT at Islington Workshops, Plan Scrapped.
8620ScrappedFreightCorp Blue
8621ScrappedFreightCorp Blue
8622ScrappedFreightCorp Blue
8623ScrappedFreightCorp Blue
8624ScrappedFreightCorp Blue
8625ScrappedFreightCorp Blue
8626ScrappedFreightCorp Blue
8627ScrappedFreightCorp Blue
8628ScrappedFreightCorp Blue
8629ScrappedFreightCorp Blue
8630ScrappedFreightCorp Blue
8631ScrappedFreightCorp Blue
8632ScrappedFreightCorp Blue
8633ScrappedFreightCorp Blue
8634ScrappedFreightCorp Blue
8635ScrappedFreightCorp Blue
8636ScrappedFreightCorp Blue
8637ScrappedFreightCorp Blue
8638ScrappedFreightCorp Blue
8639ScrappedFreightCorp Blue
8640ScrappedFreightCorp Blue
8641ScrappedFreightCorp Blue
8642ScrappedFreightCorp Blue
8643Scrapped FreightCorp Blue
8644Members of Sydney Electric Train SocietyChulloraStoredFreightCorp Blue[9]
8645ScrappedFreightCorp Blue
8646Transport Heritage NSWThirlmereStatic displayFreightCorp Blue[10]
8647ScrappedFreightCorp Blue
8648ScrappedFreightCorp Blue
8649Members of Sydney Electric Train SocietyEnfieldOperationalCandy[11]
8650Dorrigo Steam Railway & MuseumDorrigoStatic DisplayFreightCorp BlueExperimental “Tri-Bo” or “Bo-Bo-Bo”

Further reading

Notes and References

  1. When They were Young – The 85 and 86 class Electric Locomotives. Walters. Chris. Australian Railway History. May 2007. 198–208.
  2. "8650" Railway Digest November 1985 page 320
  3. "86 Class Repaints" Railway Digest April 1995 page 35
  4. "Out of Service" Railway Digest October 1997 page 31
  5. "Electric Locos" Railway Digest June 1998 page 35
  6. http://www.railpage.com.au/locos/class/91/ 86 Class
  7. http://www.vicsig.net/index.php?page=locomotives&class=86&orgstate=N&type=Electric%20%281500V%20DC%29 86 Class
  8. Web site: SETS Fleet - Electric Locomotive 8606. www.sets.org.au. 2020-05-09.
  9. Web site: 8644 information.
  10. Web site: 8646 information.
  11. Web site: 8649 information.

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