New South Wales 81 class locomotive
| Industry | Locomotive manufacturing |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Kelso , Australia |
The 81 class diesel-electric locomotives were manufactured by Clyde Engineering at their Kelso facility for the State Rail Authority.
History
Between September 1982 and February 1986, Clyde Engineering at Kelso produced a total of eighty 81 class locomotives to replace the aging 42 and 44 class models from the 1950s and to boost haulage capacity. The initial 42 units were allocated to Broadmeadow Locomotive Depot, primarily tasked with hauling coal trains in the Hunter Valley region. The remaining 38 locomotives mainly operated along the Main South line connecting Sydney and Albury, transporting both freight and passenger services. The last batch of 15 locomotives came equipped with V/Line radio systems and, starting in July 1986, extended their operations through to Melbourne. The design of the 81 class was derived from the Australian National AL class, which later influenced the development of the V/Line G class and Australian National BL class locomotives.
In 1991, an additional four locomotives were assembled at Kelso using surplus parts. Following the introduction of the 90 class in 1994, units based at Broadmeadow were redeployed to other freight assignments, expanding their operational range to include Brisbane and Broken Hill.
During the mid-1990s, some of the more recent locomotives were leased to National Rail. This arrangement was later converted into a permanent exchange involving earlier units, which were then used as powerful shunting locomotives across various locations nationwide. The entire fleet was consolidated under Pacific National after the merger of National Rail and FreightCorp in February 2002.
In February 1999, FreightCorp utilized several 81 class locomotives in South Australia to transport brown coal on the Leigh Creek to Stirling North rail line, serving the Northern Power Station near Port Augusta.
As of February 2013, Pacific National managed 82 units predominantly operating within New South Wales. Unit 8147 was retired following a derailment and fire incident near Forbes in March 2007.
Current Usage
Pacific National continues to operate most of these locomotives throughout New South Wales, supporting services such as grain transport, cement delivery, intermodal freight, and aggregate hauling. Thirteen specific units (8102, 8106, 8107, 8108, 8112, 8114, 8115, 8117, 8118, 8120, 8121, 8122, and 8143) primarily function as yard shunters within Pacific National’s intermodal division but occasionally manage intermodal train duties. Certain units are designated to particular terminals; for example, units 8114 and 8122 are stationed at Melbourne Freight Terminal in Victoria, while unit 8108 operates out of Adelaide Parklands Terminal in South Australia.
Beginning November 2023, Pacific National increased deployment of the 81 class within Victoria. Although these locomotives are not officially assigned there, they have been relocated from southern New South Wales to handle grain train operations south of the state border.
On April 1st, 2025, unit 8150 was transferred to Qube Logistics.
Liveries
Initially, all locomotives sported the State Rail Authority's distinctive "candy" paint scheme before being repainted into Freight Rail’s navy blue with yellow and white accents. Locomotives currently owned by Pacific National feature blue and yellow liveries with some variations: intermodal units (8102, 8108, 8112, 8114, 8115, 8120, 8121, and 8122) display smaller blue numbering on cab sides instead of large white numbers on their car bodies. Unit 8162 wears a unique livery—previously seen on unit 8103—that combines both large and small numbering styles. Since 2022, units including 8103, 8130, 8137, 8161, and 8174 have received a second repaint by Pacific National incorporating white stars on their cab sides; units 8110 and 8149 have undergone similar treatments. Additionally, units 8130 and 8148 feature "RUOK" decals on their car bodies.