Queensland Railways 3900 class
| Industry | Locomotive manufacturing |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Maryborough , Australia |
| Products | Electric locomotives |
The 3900 class consists of electric locomotives constructed by Walkers Limited at their Maryborough, Queensland facility for Queensland Rail during the period from 1988 to 1990.
History
In July 1984, a collaboration between Clyde Engineering and Walkers Limited won a contract to manufacture 70 electric locomotives of the Queensland Railways 3500/3600 class, with electrical systems provided by Allmänna Svenska Elektriska Aktiebolaget (ASEA). These locomotives were designed primarily for coal hauling on the electrified Blackwater and Goonyella rail corridors. The initial order was subsequently expanded to 80 units.
Construction was carried out at Walkers' Maryborough plant, while Clyde Engineering was responsible for certain electrical components and the commissioning process.
After plans were made to electrify the North Coast line stretching from Brisbane to Rockhampton, the final batch of 30 locomotives was delivered as the 3900 class. These featured design modifications tailored for passenger and mixed freight operations, including reshaped bodies to accommodate Brisbane’s tunnel clearances and enhanced gearing allowing maximum speeds of up to .
3550 class
To address increasing traffic on Central Queensland’s coal routes, 19 of these locomotives were converted into the 3550 class.