V/Line A class

V/Line A class locomotives

Company type	Diesel-electric locomotive class
Industry	Rail transport
Predecessor	Victorian Railways B class
Founded	May 1984 (1984-05)
Founder	Clyde Engineering
Fate	Rebuilt from B class, some units scrapped, preserved, or stored
Successor	Victorian Railways N class locomotives (additional production)
Headquarters	Rosewater , Australia
Area served	Victoria, Australia
Products	Diesel-electric locomotives
Owner	Public Transport Corporation (V/Line), later Pacific National, Southern Shorthaul Railroad, heritage groups

The A class diesel locomotives originated from the reconstruction of Victorian Railways B class units, undertaken by Clyde Engineering in Rosewater, South Australia, for the Public Transport Corporation's V/Line during the period 1984 to 1985.

History

These locomotives were converted from the original B class models, which were produced in the 1950s, as part of the New Deal initiative aimed at reforming Victorian passenger rail services. In January 1983, the contract for rebuilding was granted to Clyde Engineering at Rosewater, with the first locomotive entering operational service by May 1984. However, escalating expenses caused by structural fatigue issues led to the cessation of the program after completing eleven rebuilds in August 1985. Subsequently, production shifted toward additional N class locomotives—these shared mechanical similarities but featured head end power generators to supply air-conditioning and lighting, thereby eliminating the need for separate power vans or carriage-mounted generators.

In September 1984, four locomotives received names honoring notable Australian rules football players, while A60 was dedicated to former railway commissioner Harold Clapp. By July 1986, A85 underwent gearing modifications for high-speed operation and was trialed with bogies designed for H type carriage sets; however, it soon reverted to its original gearing configuration. Prior to the privatization of V/Line, four units were assigned to passenger duties and seven were designated for freight operations.

Originally engineered for lightweight, high-speed passenger services, these locomotives had limited effectiveness when deployed by Freight Australia. In 2002, their D57 traction motors were replaced with more powerful D77 models, boosting axle current capacity from 825A to 1050A. Additionally, gear ratios were adjusted from 59:18 to 61:16 to enhance adhesion and increase tractive effort by approximately 35%. The lower-powered motors removed during this upgrade were repurposed for use in the Y Class locomotives.

The V/Line A class fleet did not receive these upgrades and continued operating alongside N Class units on mainline and Stony Point routes where carriages were equipped with onboard head-end power. Plans called for the A class to be withdrawn from mainline passenger service by 2013; A60 conducted what was intended as its final journey on April 24 of that year. Due to shortages within the N class fleet, V/Line temporarily recommissioned A70 in 2014; since then, all four V/Line passenger A class locomotives have been retired. Pacific National phased out its remaining units by May 2014.

By August 2015, three out of four V/Line A class locomotives entered extended storage; only A66 remained active in revenue service on peak Bacchus Marsh interurban runs until timetable revisions in August 2018 resulted in its storage first at Bendigo Roundhouse and later in Melbourne as a reserve unit. Repainted in V/Line’s Orange and Grey livery, it returned to operational status by mid-2022.

Between January 7 and 18, 2019, Pacific National dismantled units A73, A77, A81, and A85 at South Dynon. Later in May 2019, A71 and A79 were scrapped at Melbourne Freight Terminal. Presently, A78 remains stored at North Bendigo Workshops with its future uncertain.

Of the three remaining V/Line A class locomotives formerly housed at South Dynon, two have been preserved due to their historical importance: A60—the first mainline diesel-electric locomotive for Victorian Railways—is now with the Seymour Railway Heritage Centre, while A62—the first diesel-electric locomotive to surpass one million miles—is held by 707 Operations. These transfers took place on June 6, 2020. The third unit, A70, was relocated from South Dynon to Newport Workshops on June 24, 2022. Purchased by Southern Shorthaul Railroad in September 2023, it was moved to Bendigo for reactivation; this process concluded by late 2024 with testing underway by January 2025 and its inaugural full freight service occurring on February 5, 2025.

Livery

At the time of delivery, the class sported the distinctive V/Line orange and tangerine color scheme. In February 1988, locomotive A66 was adorned with a green and gold paint job to commemorate the Australian Bicentenary. Subsequently, it received a unique livery promoting Melbourne's campaign for the 1996 Olympic Games. During the 2000s and 2010s, these locomotives were seen in various liveries including the 1995 red and blue or the 2008 red and yellow V/Line Passenger designs, as well as Freight Australia's green and yellow scheme featuring Pacific National logos.

In 2022, A66 was returned to its original V/Line orange and grey colors; A62 underwent a similar restoration in 2024. Meanwhile, A70 was repainted in Southern Shorthaul Railroad's "tiger" livery when it was reactivated in 2024.

Status table

Key:	In Service	Stored	Preserved	Converted	Under Overhaul	Scrapped

Locomotive	Pre-conversion	Named	Entered service	Withdrawn	Scrapped	Livery	Owners	Status	Gauge	Notes
A60	B60	Sir Harold Clapp	1984-09-07	2015-08-01		V/Line Mk2	V/Line (Rebuilt), V/Line Passenger (1995), VicTrack Heritage (2020)	Stored	1,600 mm broad gauge	Assigned to Seymour Railway Heritage Centre since 2020.
A62	B62		1984-07-17	2015-08-01		V/Line Orange and Grey	V/Line (Rebuilt), V/Line Passenger (1995), VicTrack Heritage (2020)	Preserved - Operational	1,600 mm broad gauge	Allocated to 707 Operations as of 2020.
A66	B66		1985-03-22			V/Line Orange and Grey	V/Line (Rebuilt), V/Line Passenger (1995)	Operational	1,600 mm broad gauge	Reactivated and available for hire by heritage groups.
A70	B70	Nico	1985-05-10	2015-08-01		Southern Shorthaul Railroad Tiger	V/Line (Rebuilt), V/Line Passenger (1995), Southern Shorthaul Railroad (2023)	Operational	1,600 mm broad gauge
A71	B71	Dick Reynolds	1984-03-20	2019-06-01	Freight Australia Green and Yellow with Pacific National logos	V/Line (Rebuilt), V/Line Freight (1995), Pacific National (2004)	Scrapped	1,600 mm broad gauge
A73	B73	Bob Skilton	1984-03-20	2019-01-14	Freight Australia Green and Yellow with Pacific National logos	V/Line (Rebuilt), V/Line Freight (1995), Pacific National (2004)	Scrapped	1,600 mm broad gauge
A77	B77	Ian Stewart	1984-05-17	2019-01-17	Freight Australia Green and Yellow with Pacific National logos	V/Line (Rebuilt), V/Line Freight (1995), Pacific National (2004)	Scrapped	1,600 mm broad gauge
A78	B78		1984-12-21		Freight Australia Green and Yellow with Pacific National logos	V/Line (Rebuilt), V/Line Freight (1995), Pacific National (2004), Seymour Railway Heritage Centre (2024)	Stored - North Bendigo	1,600 mm broad gauge
A79	B79		1985-06-22	2019-05-17	Freight Australia Green and Yellow with Pacific National logos	V/Line (Rebuilt), V/Line Freight (1995), Pacific National (2004)	Scrapped	1,600 mm broad gauge
A81	B81		1985-08-15	2019-01-10	Freight Australia Green and Yellow with Pacific National logos	V/Line (Rebuilt), V/Line Freight (1995), Pacific National (2004)	Scrapped	1,600 mm broad gauge
A85	B85	Haydn Bunton	1984-06-05	2019-01-14	Freight Australia Green and Yellow with Pacific National logos	V/Line (Rebuilt), V/Line Freight (1995), Pacific National (2004)	Scrapped	1,600 mm broad gauge