|
|
Title goes here
Locomotives
V/Line has several locomotives in its fleet:
A Class
|
|
The A
Class diesel electric locomotive was rebuilt from the B Class locomotives
between 1982 and 1984. There are currently 4 A Class Locomotives
in the fleet, which operate on the Ballarat and Bendigo commuter services and
are capable of reaching a top speed of 115km/h.
The
V/Line A Class Locomotives is commonly known as the “Bulldog Nose” due to the
distinctively shaped face of the driver’s cabin.
The A
Class has a rich association with Victoria’s recent history. In 1988
locomotive A66 was painted in a green and gold livery to celebrate Australia’s Bicentenary. The engine then received a second makeover to advertise the Melbourne’s 1996 Olympic Games bid. In addition to this, four other locomotives have been
named after former AFL players from 1984.
|
N Class
|
|
The N
Class diesel electric locomotive was introduced in 1985 and each engine has
been named after a Victorian city. Today there are 25 in operation and they
form the core of V/Line’s operating fleet and reach a top speed of 115km/h.
As N
Class locomotives have been fitted with a 6,800 litre fuel tank, they were
occasionally used on The Overland (a passenger train between Melbourne and Adelaide). This large fuel capacity enabled them to make the 828km trip without refuelling.
|
P Class
|
|
The P Class
diesel electric locomotive was rebuilt from the early model ‘flat top’ T
Class locomotives in the 1980s. There are currently eight P
Class locomotives in the V/Line fleet, which are commonly used in push-pull
mode with H carriages and are capable of reaching a top speed of 100km/h.
The rebuild
from the early model ‘flat top’ involved a new cab and car body, as
well as an upgrade to the main generator, power generator, the engine and
traction motors.
|
Y Class
|
|
75 Y Class
locomotives were originally introduced in the mid to late 1960s.
However, the closure of branch lines across the state, the end of short
pick-up goods trains, in addition to the comparably slow top speed of 65km/h
meant that the use of the class dropped.
Withdrawals
started in 1985 and large-scale scrapping was undertaken in 1991 to 1992.
Today there are only four in the V/Line fleet, which are primarily used
for shunting (moving carriages).
|
|
|