New South Wales 422 class locomotive

New South Wales 422 class
Aurizon 2210
Type and origin Power type Diesel-electric Builder Clyde Engineering, Granville Serial number 69-656 to 69-674, 70-675 Model EMD J26C (42220 rebuilt to J26C-2SS) Build date 1969–1970 Total produced 20
Specifications Configuration: ​  •  UIC Co-Co Gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge Wheel diameter 40 in (1,016 mm) Length Over headstocks: 56 ft 4 in (17.17 m) Over coupler pulling faces: 60 ft 6 in (18.44 m) Width 9 ft 9 in (2.97 m) Height 13 ft 11 in (4.24 m) Axle load 18  long tons  0 cwt (40,300 lb or 18.3 t) Loco weight 108 long tons 0 cwt (241,900 lb or 109.7 t) Fuel type Diesel Fuel capacity 1,200 imp gal (5,500 L; 1,400 US gal) Lubricant cap. 166 imp gal (750 L; 199 US gal) Coolant cap. 175 imp gal (800 L; 210 US gal) Sandbox cap. 12 cu ft (0.34 m3) Prime mover EMD 16-645E RPM range 315–900 Engine type Two-stroke V16 diesel Aspiration Roots blower Generator EMD D32B-D14 Traction motors EMD D77B, 6 of Cylinders 16 Cylinder size 9.0625 in × 10 in (230 mm × 254 mm) Transmission Electirc MU working Equipped Train heating No Loco brake Air, Dynamic Train brakes Air Safety systems Deadman switch
Performance figures Maximum speed 77 mph (124 km/h) Power output 2,000 hp (1,490 kW) Tractive effort Continuous: 70,920 lbf (315.47 kN) at 7.7 mph (12.4 km/h)
Career Operators Magnetic Rail Group Aurizon Watco Australia Southern Shorthaul Railroad Number in class 20 Numbers 42201–42220 Nicknames Rattlesnakes Delivered 1969 First run 10 January 1969 Last run 21 January 1970 Current owner Aurizon Magnetic Rail Group Watco Australia Southern Shorthaul Railroad Disposition 10 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 Aurizon 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 10 passed to Aurizon in early 2023 and 1 to Magnetic Rail Group in early 2023. ^{[11] [12] [13] [14] [15]}

Status

In early 2023, 14 remained in service with Aurizon, SSR, watco, and Magnetic Rail with seven in store. ^[16] In 2016 Watco Australia units and transferred to Perth to operate Brookfield Rail infrastructure trains. ^{[17] [18]}

As of November 2023 10 where owned by Aurizon, 2 by watco, 1 by Magnetic Rail Group & 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 service	Stored	Preserved	Rebuilt	Under Overhaul	Scrapped

NSW No	Serial No	Entered Service	Current/Last Owner	Current No	Name	Livery	Status	Notes
42201	69-656	10 Jan 1969	Aurizon	DC2205		Aurizon Pineapple	Stored in Forrestfield Yard	Coded DC Class, Used on ILS Trains
42202	69-657	4 Mar 1969	Aurizon	42202	Casino	Northern Rivers Railroad Blue/Orange/Yellow	Being Reactivated at Cardiff	Ex Northern Rivers Railroad
42203	69-658	27 Mar 1969	Watco Australia	HL203		Watco Black & Yellow	Operational	Ex Austrac & CFCLA
42204	69-659	23 Apr 1969	Aurizon	DC2206		Aurizon Pineapple	Scrapped at Casino, 2016	DC Class, Used on Manildra Grain
42205	69-660	7 May 1969	Apex Industrial	2201	Tennant Creek	ARG Orange & Black	Scrapped December 2015 Durban, South Africa	Used on Manildra Grain
42206	69-661	20 May 1969	Aurizon	42206		Northern Rivers Railroad Blue/Orange/Yellow	Operational	Ex NRR
42207	69-662	30 May 1969	Aurizon	2207		Aurizon SA Bulk Central	Operational	Port Pirie Shunter
42208	69-663	9 Jun 1969	Aurizon	DC2208		Aurizon Pineapple	Stored Forrestfield	DC Class
42209	69-664	23 Jun 1969	Aurizon	42209		FreightCorp Blue	Scrapped at Picton, July 2015	Trailing Status Only
42210	69-665	23 Jun 1969	Aurizon	2210		Aurizon SA Bulk Central	Operational	Mainly Used on Shuttle Workings Between Dry Creek & Gillman Terminal
42211	69-666	4 Aug 1969	Apex Industrial	42211		FreightCorp Blue	Scrapped December 2015 Durban, South Africa [19]	Trailing Status Only
42212	69-667	18 Aug 1969	Aurizon	2212		Aurizon SA Bulk Central	Operational	Alice Springs Shunter
42213	69-668	5 Sep 1969	Aurizon	2202	Katherine	ARG Orange & Black	Road Hauled To Dry Creek June 2024 For Reactivation	Used On Darwin line
42214	69-669	24 Sep 1969	Apex Industrial	2203	Darwin	ARG Orange & Black	Scrapped December 2015 Durban, South Africa	Used On Darwin line
42215	69-670	10 Oct 1969	Aurizon	DC2213		Aurizon Pineapple	Stored Forrestfield	DC Class
42216	69-671	28 Oct 1969	Southern Shorthaul Railroad	42216	Alice	ARG Orange & Black	Stored Cootamundra	Included in sale of CLF1, CLF3, CLF4, CLP9, CLP12, renumbered 42216 February 2025
42217	69-672	11 Nov 1969	Aurizon	2214		G&W Orange & Black	Operational	Darwin Shunter
42218	69-673	1 Dec 1969	Apex Industrial	DC2215		ARG Orange & Black (formerly wore 1988 Bicentennial livery)	Scrapped December 2015 Durban, South Africa	DC class
42219	69-674	16 Dec 1969	Magnetic Rail Group	2216		GWA Orange & Black	Operational	Shunter
42220	70-675	21 Jan 1970	Watco Australia	FL220		Watco Black & Yellow	Operational	Ex Austrac & CFCLA

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. NSWGR 422/22/FL/HL Class Locomotive Auscision Models
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. 422 Class Railpage
10. 22 Class Railpage
11. "Qld Rail buys into freight market" The Age 14 February 2006
12. Operations Genesee & Wyoming Australia
13. 422 Class Vicsig
14. 22 Class Vicsig
15. Aurizon Locomotive Data Sheet 422/22/DC Class Locomotives for Africa via Wayback Machine. Retrieved 11 April 2016.
16. "Australia Wide Fleet List 2014" Motive Power issue 96 November 2014 pages 64-67
17. "Watco Australia" Motive Power issue 108 November 2016 page 28
18. Transfer of ownership of locomotives FL220 & HL203 Australian Rail Track Corporation 14 November 2016
19. "Australian Locomotive Expatriates" Motive Power issue 107 September 2016 page 48

Further reading

• New South Wales Rail System Locomotives. Sydney: Archives Section, State Rail Authority of New South Wales. 1984.
• A Guide to Australian Locomotion 2009 Edition Published by Australian Railway Historical Society (NSW)

External links

Media related to New South Wales 422 class locomotives at Wikimedia Commons