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The RL class are a class of diesel locomotives built by Rail Technical Support Group (RTS) for the National Railway Equipment Company at Islington Railway Workshops in Australia.
The concept of the RL class dates back to 1994 when Morrison Knudsen Australia purchased some 442 class locomotives from the State Rail Authority with the aim of rebuilding them with EMD 16 645F3B engines. However the project was shelved and the locomotives scrapped.
Following National Railway Equipment Company purchasing Morrison Knudsen, the project was revitalised albeit using new locomotive frames. Nine were built by RTS at Islington Railway Workshops, Adelaide between 2005 and 2010 with bogies and compressors from the 442s and reconditioned parts from the United States.
Seven were originally built and initially owned by Chicago Freight Car Leasing Australia before being sold to Greentrains and leased to South Spur Rail Services. [1] [2] [3] One was included in the sale of the South Spur Rail Services business to Qube Logistics in May 2010 who later took delivery of a further two. A tenth was not completed after a defect was discovered in the frame and scrapped.
They have hauled freight services in New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia. In April 2016, the six Greentrains units were sold to Southern Shorthaul Railroad. [4] [5]
| Number | Owner | Livery |
|---|---|---|
| RL301 | Southern Shorthaul Railroad | Greentrains green & yellow |
| RL302 | Southern Shorthaul Railroad | Greentrains green & yellow |
| RL303 | Qube Logistics | Greentrains green & yellow |
| RL304 | Southern Shorthaul Railroad | Southern Shorthaul Railroad "Help Us Get Home Safely" |
| RL305 | Southern Shorthaul Railroad | Greentrains green & yellow |
| RL306 | Southern Shorthaul Railroad | Greentrains green & yellow |
| RL307 | Southern Shorthaul Railroad | Greentrains green & yellow |
| RL309 | Qube Logistics | Qube Logistics silver & yellow |
| RL310 | Qube Logistics | Qube Logistics silver & yellow |
Southern Shorthaul Railroad is an Australian rail freight services operator in New South Wales and Victoria. The company also provides workshop services, such as rolling stock manufacturing and wagon and locomotive maintenance.
Southern & Silverton Rail was an Australian rail operator founded in 1886 as the Silverton Tramway Company. The company operated the 1067 mm Silverton Tramway, conveying silver-lead-zinc concentrates 58 kilometres from Broken Hill to the South Australian border. In 1970, its main line was bypassed by the newly standardised, government-funded line from Broken Hill to Port Pirie. It then diversified to operating hook-and-pull services and in the mid-1990s rebranded to Silverton Rail. In 2006, it was purchased by South Spur Rail Services and rebranded again as Southern & Silverton Rail, before both entities were sold to Coote Industrial. In June 2010 it was sold to Qube Logistics and absorbed into that brand.
Rail First Asset Management (RailFirst), formerly known as CFCL Australia, is an Australian rolling stock leasing company operating in the rail freight market. It leases assets to a number of private rail operators, predominantly on the defined interstate rail network.
East Coast Heritage Rail is a not for profit company limited by guarantee formed in June 1985 as 3801 Limited to operate steam locomotive 3801 and its associated rolling stock. The company operated heritage train tours from 1986 until 2017, with operations recommencing in February 2019 under the new brand, East Coast Heritage Rail.
The 45 class are a class of diesel-electric locomotives built by AE Goodwin, Auburn for the New South Wales Department of Railways between 1962 and 1964.
The 442 class are a class of diesel locomotives built by AE Goodwin and Comeng, Auburn for the New South Wales Department of Railways between 1970 and 1973.
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.
The C Class are a class of diesel locomotive built by Clyde Engineering, Rosewater for the Victorian Railways in 1977–1978.
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.
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 of January 2014, some remain in service with Aurizon and Southern Shorthaul Railroad.
Independent Rail of Australia was an accredited railway freight operator in New South Wales, Australia.
The 1300 class were a class of diesel locomotive built by English Electric, Rocklea for Queensland Rail between 1967 and 1972. They were later sold to AN Tasrail.
The Hamersley & Robe River railway, majority-owned by Rio Tinto, and operated by its subsidiary Pilbara Iron, is a private rail network in the Pilbara region of Western Australia for the purpose of carrying iron ore. The network is larger than any other Australian heavy freight rail network in private ownership. The total length of its track is about 1,700 km (1,056 mi).
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.
The 600 class are a class of diesel-electric locomotives manufactured by AE Goodwin, Auburn for the South Australian Railways between 1965 and 1970.
The Silverton Tramway 48s class are a class of diesel locomotives built by AE Goodwin, Auburn for the Silverton Tramway in 1960–1961. The State Rail Authority 48 class and South Australian Railways 830 class are of a very similar design.
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.
Greentrains was a locomotive and rolling stock leasing company in Australia. It was formed in June 2008 as a subsidiary of Coote Industrial.
The Islington Railway Workshops are railway workshops in the northern suburbs of Adelaide, South Australia. They were the chief railway workshops of the South Australian Railways, and are still in operation today.
The 2350 class were a class of diesel locomotive built by English Electric, Rocklea, for Queensland Railways in 1973–1974. All were later sold to AN Tasrail.