Australian National AL class
| Industry | Locomotive manufacturing |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Rosewater , Australia |
| Products | AL class diesel-electric locomotives |
The AL class diesel-electric locomotives were manufactured by Clyde Engineering at their Rosewater facility in South Australia for Australian National during the years 1976 and 1977. Sharing mechanical components with the CL class, these units were distinguished by their dual flat-ended cabs instead of the traditional bulldog nose, bearing a resemblance to the 422 class produced in 1969 for the New South Wales Government Railways.
History
The AL class initially served on the Trans-Australian Railway route between Broken Hill and Kalgoorlie. Their operational range extended to include Alice Springs and Adelaide following the standard gauge conversions of these lines in 1980 and 1983 respectively. Although designed with passenger service capability, these locomotives were predominantly employed for hauling slower freight trains to minimize track degradation caused by their substantial weight.
In 1979, three locomotives were temporarily assigned to the NSW Public Transport Commission, which influenced the procurement of 80 similar units known as the class 81s in 1980. Starting from July 1990, through-running arrangements into New South Wales extended AL operations beyond Broken Hill reaching as far as Lithgow.
After the Darwin rail line commenced operations in 2004, AL class locomotives began servicing routes to Darwin.
Remanufacturing
In August 1992, Australian National contracted Morrison Knudsen Australia to undertake a remanufacturing program for the AL fleet at their facility in Whyalla. Under this agreement, Morrison Knudsen acquired ownership of the locomotives and leased them back to Australian National for a period of twelve years.
The refurbishment completed in 1994 involved dismantling each locomotive down to its frame. Enhancements included replacing the original EMD 645E3 prime movers with overhauled EMD 645E3C engines sourced from Morrison Knudsen’s US operations, removal of the No. 2 end cab, and reclassification as the ALF class. Following these upgrades, the units were renumbered; for instance, AL21 was redesignated as ALF18.
When Australian National’s interstate services transitioned to National Rail in 1994, lease conditions restricted these locomotives to Australian National traffic unless an elevated fee was paid. As a result, their presence on National Rail trains was limited, and they only accessed the wider national standard gauge network after Australian National secured hook and pull contracts for private carrier SCT Logistics starting July 1995.
Private ownership
The AL class was acquired by Australian Southern Railroad in November 1997 along with Australian National’s remaining freight assets. Following the division of the Australian Railroad Group in June 2006, six locomotives transferred ownership to Aurizon.
Current operations
Aurizon currently operates the ALF Class fleet out of its Adelaide Motive Power Centre. These locomotives are engaged on intermodal corridors linking Adelaide and Darwin, grain haulage across regions of South Australia and Western Victoria, and formerly on ore transport duties for the Wirrida Ore train. A program of overhauls commenced in 2020, with all units except ALF22 having undergone refurbishment.
ALF23 received an overhaul in 2022 and returned bearing Aurizon’s livery. In late 2023, ALF24 was repainted during its overhaul cycle; ALF22 followed suit with a similar repaint scheduled for late 2024. Units ALFs 18, 19, and 20 maintain their original ORA orange paint scheme supplemented by Aurizon decals. On 14 June 2023, ALF21 was written off after colliding at a level crossing near Katherine in the Northern Territory; fortunately, all crew members sustained only minor injuries.
Fleet list
| Legend: | Active service | In storage | Preserved units | Modified | Under refurbishment | Decommissioned |
|---|
| Original Number | Service Entry | Livery | Rebuild Number | Designation | Operator | Current Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AL18 | October 1976 | ORA Orange & Black (featuring Aurizon branding) | ALF19 | Aurizon | In service | |
| AL19 | October 1976 | AN Green & Yellow (bearing ARG logos) | ALZ3208 (formerly ALF25) | Aurizon | Decommissioned | |
| AL20 | November 1976 | ORA Orange & Black | ALF21 | Aurizon | Decommissioned | |
| AL21 | December 1976 | ORA Orange & Black (with Aurizon branding) | ALF18 | City of Port Pirie | Aurizon | In service |
| AL22 | June 1977 | Aurizon Yellow with black roof | ALF24 | Aurizon | In service | |
| AL23 | July 1977 | Aurizon Yellow with black roof | ALF22 | Aurizon | In service | |
| AL24 | July 1977 | ORA Orange & Black (with Aurizon branding) | ALF20 | Aurizon | In service | |
| AL25 | August 1977 | Aurizon Yellow without black roof | ALF23 | Aurizon | In service |