New South Wales 422 class locomotive
| Company type | Diesel-electric locomotive class |
|---|---|
| Industry | Rail transport |
| Founded | 1969–1970 |
| Founder | Clyde Engineering, Granville |
| Fate | Some units scrapped, others in service or storage |
| Successor | 22 class (rebuilt units) |
| Headquarters | Granville , Australia |
Area served | New South Wales, South Australia, Western Australia, Victoria, Queensland |
| Products | Diesel-electric locomotives |
| Owner | Aurizon, Watco Australia, Magnetic Rail Group, Southern Shorthaul Railroad (as of 2023) |
{{Infobox locomotive
| name = New South Wales 422 class
| powertype = Diesel-electric
| image = File:Aurizon 2210.jpg
| caption = Aurizon 2210
| builder = Clyde Engineering, Granville
| serialnumber = 69-656 to 69-674, 70-675
| buildmodel = EMD J26C
(42220 rebuilt to J26C-2SS)
| builddate = 1969–1970
| totalproduction = 20
| uicclass = Co-Co
| gauge =
| wheeldiameter =
| length =
| width =
| height =
| axleload =
| locoweight =
| fueltype = Diesel
| fuelcap =
| lubecap =
| coolantcap =
| sandcap =
| primemover = EMD 16-645E
| rpmrange = 315–900
| enginetype = Two-stroke V16 engine diesel
| aspiration = Roots-type supercharger
| generator = EMD D32B-D14
| tractionmotors = EMD D77B, 6 of
| cylindercount = 16
| cylindersize =
| transmission = Electric
| multipleworking = Equipped
| maxspeed =
| poweroutput =
| tractiveeffort = Continuous:
at
| locobrakes = Air, Dynamic
| trainbrakes = Air
| safety = Deadman switch
| operator =
| numinclass = 20
| fleetnumbers = 42201–42220
| nicknames = Rattlesnakes
| deliverydate = 1969
|}
The 422 class diesel-electric locomotives were constructed by Clyde Engineering at Granville for the Department of Railways New South Wales during the period from 1969 to 1970. A total of twenty units were manufactured, each equipped with EMD 16-645E prime movers generating 2000 horsepower, intended for both freight and passenger operations. Featuring a Co-Co wheel configuration and electric transmission, these locomotives attained a top speed of 77 mph (124 km/h). Major Australian rail freight operators such as Aurizon, Magnetic Rail Group, Watco Australia, and Southern Shorthaul Railroad have utilized this class. According to the most recent information, ten remain actively in service, four are held in storage, and six have been decommissioned and scrapped.
History
The introduction of the 422 class marked the first instance in Australia of locomotives featuring dual cab bodies without streamlined designs, produced by Clyde Engineering in Granville. Their primary deployment was on the Main South and Illawarra routes, where they hauled significant passenger and freight trains including the Canberra Express, Intercapital Daylight, South Coast Daylight Express, Southern Aurora, and Sydney/Melbourne Express.
In 1980, unit 42220 underwent a rebuild at Clyde Engineering’s Rosewater facility, receiving an AR16 alternator, modernized electrical components, and Super Series wheel slip control technology. This locomotive served as a pilot for innovations later applied in the 81 class.
Starting in 1982, the fleet operated services extending to Melbourne until February 1990 when Victorian drivers refused to operate non-air-conditioned units. Following the establishment of National Rail, all units were assigned to this interstate operator in July 1995 while awaiting delivery of NR class locomotives. This reassignment expanded their operations to Melbourne as well as new corridors including Parkes via Forbes and from August 1996 along the North Coast line to Brisbane. They were returned to FreightCorp in September 1997; however, most units were placed into storage as Southern services transitioned to Class 81 locomotives.
In 1999, locomotives 42202 and 42206 were sold to Northern Rivers Railroad, a North Coast subcontractor of FreightCorp later acquired by Aurizon in May 2002. By January 2000, only units 42203 and 42220 remained operational under FreightCorp after being retrofitted with air-conditioning; these served on CountryLink routes between Sydney and Griffith as well as the Outback Express running to Broken Hill. Both were sold to Chicago Freight Car Leasing Australia in 2001 and rebuilt as HL203 and FL220.
In May 2000, the remaining sixteen locomotives were acquired by Australian Southern Railroad and relocated from Werris Creek to Dry Creek near Adelaide. They were gradually recommissioned for construction duties on the Alice Springs to Darwin railway project and subsequently operated across South Australia and Western Australia. Some units also returned on hire assignments to New South Wales. Plans were made to rebuild all into the upgraded 22 class with air-conditioning enhancements; however, only fourteen were completed at Downer Rail, Port Augusta.
Following corporate restructuring efforts, ten locomotives transferred to Aurizon in early 2023 while one was assigned to Magnetic Rail Group.
Status
By early 2023, a total of 14 locomotives were actively operated by Aurizon, SSR, Watco, and Magnetic Rail, while seven units were held in storage. In 2016, the fleet belonging to Watco Australia was relocated to Perth to manage infrastructure trains for Brookfield Rail.
As of November 2023, the distribution of ownership was as follows: Aurizon possessed 10 units, Watco held 2, Magnetic Rail Group maintained 1, and SSR owned 1. During early 2023, locomotives numbered 42202, 42206, and 2202 were transported to Cardiff for Aurizon’s intermodal service reactivation; notably, unit 2202 was moved by road to Dry Creek in June 2024 to undergo recommissioning.
| Key: | In service | Stored | Preserved | Rebuilt | Under Overhaul | Scrapped |
|---|
Further reading
- New South Wales Rail System Locomotives, Archives Section, State Rail Authority of New South Wales, Sydney, 1984
- A Guide to Australian Locomotion 2009 Edition, Australian Railway Historical Society (NSW)
External links
| 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 at Forrestfield Yard | Designated DC Class, Utilized on ILS Trains | |
| 42202 | 69-657 | 4 Mar 1969 | Aurizon | 42202 | Casino | Northern Rivers Railroad Blue/Orange/Yellow Scheme | Currently Undergoing Reactivation at Cardiff | Former Northern Rivers Railroad Unit |
| 42203 | 69-658 | 27 Mar 1969 | Watco Australia | HL203 | Watco Black & Yellow Livery | Operational | Previously Austrac & CFCLA Asset | |
| 42204 | 69-659 | 23 Apr 1969 | Aurizon | DC2206 | Aurizon Pineapple Livery | Dismantled at Casino in 2016 | DC Class, Previously Employed on Manildra Grain Trains | |
| 42205 | 69-660 | 7 May 1969 | Apex Industrial | 2201 | Tennant Creek | ARG Orange & Black Colors | Scrapped December 2015 in Durban, South Africa |