Commonwealth Railways NJ class

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Commonwealth Railways NJ class
1605 1602 forrestfield 090705.jpg
Australian Railroad Group's 1605 & 1602 at Forrestfield in July 2005
Type and origin
Power typeDiesel-electric
Builder Clyde Engineering, Granville
Serial number70-728, 71-729 to 71-733
Model EMD JL22C
Build date1971
Total produced6
Specifications
Configuration:
   UIC Co-Co
Gauge 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
Loco weight67 t (66 long tons; 74 short tons)
Fuel type Diesel
Prime mover EMD 12-645E
Engine type V12
Cylinders 12
Performance figures
Power output1,119 kW (1,501 hp)
Career
Operators Commonwealth Railways
Number in class6
NumbersNJ1NJ6
First run1971
Current owner Genesee & Wyoming Australia
Disposition2 in service, 1 stored, 2 exported to South Africa, 1 scrapped as of 2023

The NJ class are a class of diesel locomotive built in 1971 by Clyde Engineering, Granville for the Commonwealth Railways for use on the Central Australia Railway.

Contents

History

In 1969, Commonwealth Railways ordered six single-cab NJ class locomotives from Clyde Engineering for use on the narrow gauge 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) Central Australian Railway between Marree and Alice Springs. They hauled freight trains as and The Ghan . Built at Clyde Engineering's Granville factory, they featured many components from the company's new Kelso factory. Their cab was similar to that of the New South Wales 422 class locomotives that had recently been built. [1]

In July 1975, all were included in the transfer of Commonwealth Railways to Australian National. Following the closure of the Central Australian Railway in December 1980 and their unsuitability for conversion to standard gauge, Australian National transferred them to its former Port Lincoln Division on Eyre Peninsula, South Australia. After a few teething problems, the class settled down and were employed hauling grain and gypsum services. [1]

All six were sold with Australian National's South Australian operations to Australian Southern Railroad in August 1997 and renumbered as the 1600 class. Some were transferred to Australian Railroad Group to operate services in Western Australia. [2] [3] With the splitting up of Australian Railroad Group, two passed to Aurizon in February 2006 and four to Genesee & Wyoming Australia in June 2006. [4]

In January 2015, the two Aurizon units were exported to Durban, South Africa. [5]

In early 2019, 1604 (formerly NJ 4) was scrapped following a shunting accident at Cummins, South Australia in 2013. 1603 led the last GWA grain train to Cummins on 31 May 2019. [6]

The owner of the remaining three NJs, GWA was rebranded to One Rail Australia in February 2020 when G&W sold their share of the company. ORA sent 1603 to Port Augusta for overhaul in June 2022, but this overhaul was stopped following Aurizon's takeover of ORA the following month. As of 2023, 1601 and 1606 are working at Thevenard on gypsum trains.

Names

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New South Wales 422 class locomotive</span>

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New South Wales 42 class locomotive</span>

The New South Wales 42 class was a class of diesel locomotives built by Clyde Engineering, Granville for the New South Wales Department of Railways in 1955/56.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New South Wales 421 class locomotive</span>

The 421 class are a class of diesel locomotives built by Clyde Engineering, Granville for the Department of Railways New South Wales in 1965/66. These mainline locomotives were a follow on from the 42 class. The 421s retained the classic bulldog nose as with the other Clyde built GM and S locomotives at one end, but featured a flat-cab at the other end. In this respect, they are unique amongst bulldog nose locomotives in the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New South Wales 49 class locomotive</span> Australian locomotive class

The 49 class are a class of diesel locomotives built by Clyde Engineering, Granville for the New South Wales Department of Railways between 1960 and 1964.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New South Wales 48 class locomotive</span>

The 48 Class is a class of diesel locomotives built by AE Goodwin, Auburn for the New South Wales Department of Railways between 1959 and 1970. Once the most ubiquitous locomotive in New South Wales, Australia, It is based on Alco frames and prime movers, using General Electric electrical equipment. The South Australian Railways 830 and Silverton Rail 48s classes are of a very similar design.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Downer EDI Rail GT46C</span> Class of Australian diesel-electric locomotives

The GT46C is a model of diesel-electric locomotive designed and built by Clyde Engineering using Electro-Motive Diesel components. A number of Australian rail freight operators purchased them from 1997: Westrail as the Q class, FreightLink as the FQ class, and Freight Australia as the single-locomotive V class. As of 2022, all 24 locomotives were owned by Aurizon following its purchase of certain One Rail Australia assets in July 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">One Rail Australia</span> Former Australian railway operator

One Rail Australia was an Australian rail freight operator company. Founded by a United States short line railroad holding company, Genesee & Wyoming Inc, in 1997 as Australian Southern Railroad, and successively renamed Australian Railroad Group and Genesee & Wyoming Australia, it was renamed One Rail Australia in February 2020 after the American company sold its remaining shareholding. In July 2022, assets from the South Australian, Northern Territory and interstate operations of the company were sold to rail operator company Aurizon Holdings Limited. The remaining assets, relating to coal haulage in New South Wales and Queensland, were sold in February 2023 to Magnetic Rail Group.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Commonwealth Railways CL class</span>

The CL class is a class of diesel locomotives built by Clyde Engineering, Granville for the Commonwealth Railways in several batches between 1970 and 1972. The class was the last in the world to be built with the Electro-Motive Diesel bulldog nose but differed from previous builds in having a mansard roof.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Commonwealth Railways GM class</span> Class of diesel locomotives

The GM class are a class of diesel locomotives built by Clyde Engineering, Granville for the Commonwealth Railways in several batches between 1951 and 1967. As at January 2014, some remain in service with Aurizon and Southern Shorthaul Railroad.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Downer EDI Rail GT46C ACe</span> Australian diesel-electric locomotive class

The GT46C-ACe is a model of Australian diesel-electric locomotive designed and built between 2007-present by Downer Rail at its Cardiff Locomotive Workshops using Electro-Motive Diesel components, and subsequently built in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eyre Peninsula Railway</span> Railway on the Eyre Peninsula, South Australia

The Eyre Peninsula Railway is a 1,067 mm gauge railway on the Eyre Peninsula of South Australia. Radiating out from the ports at Port Lincoln and Thevenard, it is isolated from the rest of the South Australian railway network. It peaked at 777 kilometres in 1950; today only a 60 kilometre section remains open. It is currently operated by Aurizon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WAGR L class (diesel)</span> Class of 27 Australian diesel locomotives (EMD SD40)

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

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Australian Railways 830 class</span> Class of 45 Australian diesel-electric locomotives

The 830 class are a class of diesel locomotives built by AE Goodwin, Auburn for the South Australian Railways between 1959 and 1966. The New South Wales 48 class and Silverton Rail 48s class are of a very similar design.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Westrail S class</span> Class of 11 Australian diesel locomotives

The S class are a class of diesel locomotives built by Clyde Engineering, Forrestfield for Westrail in 1998.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WAGR A class (diesel)</span> Class of Australian diesel locomotives

The WAGR A/AA/AB classes are classes of diesel locomotives built by Clyde Engineering, Granville, New South Wales, Australia, for the Western Australian Government Railways (WAGR) between 1960 and 1969.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WAGR D class (diesel)</span>

The D/DA class are a class of diesel locomotives built by Clyde Engineering, Granville for the Western Australian Government Railways in 1971-1972.

The AL class are a class of diesel locomotives built by Clyde Engineering, Rosewater for Australian National in 1976-1977. They were mechanically similar to the CL class but instead of a bulldog nose had two flat ended cabs, similar to the 422 class built for the New South Wales Government Railways in 1969.

The BHP Whyalla DE class are a class of diesel locomotives built by Clyde Engineering, Granville for BHP between 1956 and 1965.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Queensland Railways 2170 class</span> Class of 45 Australian Co′Co′ diesel-electric locomotives

The Queensland Railways 2170 class is an Australian diesel-electric locomotive.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Queensland Railways 2300 class</span> Class of 60 Australian diesel-electric locomotives

The 2300 class are a class of diesel locomotives rebuilt by Queensland Rail's Redbank Railway Workshops between 1997 and 2002.

References

Notes

  1. 1 2 Oberg, Leon (2007). Locomotives of Australia. Sydney: Rosenberg Publishing. p. 370. ISBN   9781877058547.
  2. Narrow Gauge NJ Chris's Commonwealth Railways Pages
  3. NJ Class Railpage
  4. 1600 Class Railpage
  5. West Australian Rails Jim Bisdee
  6. "A 'sad day' for the Eyre Peninsula as locals say goodbye to rail transport". Australia: ABC News. 31 May 2019. Retrieved 11 March 2023.

Bibliography

  • Fluck, Ronald E; Marshall, Barry; Wilson, John (1996). Locomotives and Railcars of the Commonwealth Railways. Welland, SA: Gresley Publishing. ISBN   1876216018.

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