Commonwealth Railways NT class
| Industry | Locomotive manufacturing |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1913 |
| Headquarters | Rhodes , Australia |
The NT class consisted of diesel-electric locomotives constructed by Tulloch Limited at Rhodes between 1965 and 1968 for the Commonwealth Railways. These units served on the Central Australia Railway, the North Australia Railway, and the Port Lincoln Division operated by Australian National.
History
In 1964, the Commonwealth Railways commissioned three locomotives from Tulloch Limited based on a Sulzer design previously utilized by the Nigerian Railway Corporation. The inaugural locomotive arrived on 12 May 1965, bearing the name of Federal Minister for Shipping & Transport Gordon Freeth.
A further three units were delivered in 1966 for deployment on the North Australia Railway, followed by an additional seven in 1968—two assigned to the Central Australian Railway and five to the North Australia Railway. After the introduction of the NJ class in 1971, the five engines operating on the Central Australian line were relocated to northern routes.
In November 1972, a runaway event at Frances Bay freight yard resulted in the destruction of three locomotives. With the closure of the North Australia Railway in December 1974, the ten remaining NT units were reassigned to service on the Central Australian Railway.
By July 1975, all NT locomotives had been transferred to Australian National. Following the shutdown of the narrow-gauge Central Australian Railway in 1980, three units were moved to operate on the Eyre Peninsula Railway, while others were retired. The final three locomotives were withdrawn during the late 1980s; notably, NTs 69 and 73 were damaged by fire during dismantling.
Preservation
NT76 has been preserved and is currently operated by Pichi Richi Railway at Quorn. It primarily performs duties related to track maintenance, shunting activities, and operates on occasions when steam locomotives are unavailable.
Class workings
- NT65 – Named Gordon Freeth; delivered 24 April 1965; first NT to operate on Quorn line from 1 May 1965; transferred to Northern Australia Railway (NAR) on 13 September 1971; moved to Central Australia Railway (CAR) in 1976; stored at Port Augusta by 1981; accumulated 575,954 km.
- NT66 – Delivered on 18 June 1965 via Broken Hill and Quorn; assigned to NAR from 4 October 1971; shifted to CAR in 1976; stored at Port Augusta by 1981; covered 948,205 km.
- NT67 – Arrived on 4 August 1965 via Quorn line; transferred to NAR on 14 February 1968; moved to CAR in 1976 serving as Marree Narrow Gauge shunter; stored at Port Augusta in 1981; relocated to Peterborough in 1983; operated on Wilmington Line circa 1984; scrapped at Gladstone in 1989.
- NT68 – Delivered on 11 November 1966; assigned to NAR in December 1966; involved in significant accident at Darwin Yard in November 1972; moved to CAR in 1975; withdrawn at Port Augusta in 1978.
- NT69 – Delivered November 1966 via Quorn line; assigned to NAR December 1966; transferred to CAR in 1976; stored at Port Augusta by 1981; relocated to Peterborough in 1983; last North Australia trains June 1976; moved to Port Lincoln in 1984 and first repainted with AN Corporate green/gold livery after overhaul in January 1985; last mainline service April 1988 and last yard shunting June 1988 at Port Lincoln; scrapped August 1990.
- NT70 – Delivered January 1967; assigned to NAR June 1967; involved in Darwin Yard accident November 1972; scrapped in 1975.
- NT71 – Delivered February 1968 via Quorn line; assigned to NAR May 1968; involved in Darwin Yard accident November 1972; scrapped in 1975.
- NT72 – Delivered March 1968 via Quorn line; assigned to NAR July 1968; transferred to CAR in 1976; scrapped in 1978.
- NT73 – Delivered April 1968; assigned to NAR July 1968; moved to CAR in 1976; relocated to Gladstone October 1981 and then Port Lincoln around February 1985, repainted with AN Corporate green/gold after overhaul; last mainline run April 1988 and last yard shunter September 1988 at Port Lincoln; scrapped August 1990.
- NT74 – Delivered June 1968; assigned to NAR January 1971; transferred to CAR in 1976; sent to Peterborough November 1981 for asset recovery of Quorn Line equipment; moved to Port Lincoln around 1984 for rewiring workshops; stored following crankshaft failure July 1987; scrapped November 1989.
- NT75 – Delivered June 1969 (with noted date discrepancy); assigned to NAR August 1968; involved in Darwin Yard accident November 1972; transferred to CAR by mid-1970s; scrapped at Port Augusta same year.
- NT76 – Delivered August 1968; assigned to NAR November of that year; transferred from CAR starting in 1976 as last Marree Yard shunter until March 1980; relocated to Gladstone April 1980 and Booleroo Centre April alongside NSU56 unit. Used as trailing unit pending soundproofing modifications and withdrawn mid-1980s. Transferred approximately around 1986 to Wilmington line and remains operational with Pichi Richi Railway.
- NT77 – Delivered September 1968; assigned to NAR August 1971; transferred from CAR starting from 1976 and scrapped at Port Augusta within that year.