Victorian Railways T class

Clyde Engineering

Industry	Locomotive manufacturing
Founded	1955
Headquarters	Granville , Australia
Products	Diesel-electric locomotives (T class for Victorian Railways)

The T class locomotives are a series of diesel engines manufactured by Clyde Engineering in Granville for the Victorian Railways between 1955 and 1968.

History

In July 1954, Victorian Railways placed an order for 25 diesel-electric Electro-Motive Diesel G8 locomotives, which was later increased to 27 units, aimed at replacing steam traction on rural branch lines. By June 1959, a further ten locomotives featuring elevated cabs were introduced, followed by another set of ten from December 1961.

September 1965 saw the delivery of 32 units with lowered noses, succeeded by an additional 19 from April 1967. The final five units in this series were equipped with extra ballast and fitted with low-speed controls tailored for shunting duties; these were reclassified as the H class.

In July 1969, Victorian Railways acquired a used flat top locomotive from Australian Portland Cement. This unit was modified with dynamic brakes to handle steep gradients on the Cudgewa line.

Although initially designed for branch line service, the T class increasingly operated on mainline routes as many branch lines were closed.

During 1984 and 1985, Martin & King undertook a rebuild program converting 13 flat top T class locomotives into P class units. These upgrades included fitting EMD 8-645E engines, improved main generators and traction motors, along with dedicated head end power generators.

With the arrival of the G class locomotives in the late 1980s, numerous T class units were retired. In October 1992, six low nose models were sold to Australian National, with five entering service as CK class shunters in Adelaide. Ownership transferred to Australian Southern Railroad in 1997; one was later sold to SCT Logistics, while four continued operating on the narrow gauge Eyre Peninsula Railway as of January 2014.

In 1987, four locomotives (T343, T322, T323, T324) were sold to Bob White Electrix in Geelong for use as stationary power sources supporting high voltage motor testing. These units had their bogies removed and were placed on concrete supports; initially retaining their VR liveries, they have since been repainted blue and remain operational as of 2023.

Other T class locomotives found new owners among operators such as CFCL Australia, El Zorro (railway), Great Northern Rail Services, SCT Logistics, Southern Shorthaul Railroad, and West Coast Railway (Victoria). Several examples have also been preserved.

Locomotives still in service with V/Line Freight were transferred to Freight Australia. Around 2000, some stored units were reactivated and fitted with standard gauge bogies to haul grain trains in southern New South Wales. These assets eventually became part of Pacific National's fleet in August 2004.

Subtypes

The T class is categorized into three primary design variants based on their external appearance:

• Flat tops: Units T320-T346 (initial order) derived from the Electro-Motive Diesel G8 model featuring a low-profile cab and roofline.
• High cabs: Units T347-T356 and T357-T366 (second and third orders) incorporated taller cabs but retained mechanical similarities to the flat tops; the third batch introduced a revised radiator arrangement.
• Low nose: Units T367-T386, T387-T396, T397-T406, and T407-T417 (fourth through seventh orders). The fourth order brought a lowered nose design for enhanced driver visibility along with a modernized generator. The sixth order upgraded powerplants from the older EMD 567 to the more powerful EMD 645E engine.

• • The seventh order included five locomotives (T413-T417) that were reclassified as the H class shortly after delivery.
  • Unit T360, originally built as part of the third generation, was rebuilt with a low nose following an accident during production of the fourth series.

Additional noteworthy locomotives include:

• T413: Originally constructed in 1956 for the narrow gauge Fyansford Cement Works Railway as D1; it was later acquired by Victorian Railways in 1969, converted to broad gauge, and upgraded with standard VR footplates, marker lights, and knuckle couplers.
• T414: Built in 1956 as DE02 for BHP, serving at Iron Knob and Whyalla Steelworks. This unit was excluded from the Morrison-Knudsen rebuilding program but was sold to SCT Logistics in 2006. It underwent modifications including a cab styled similarly to fourth/fifth generation Ts and was renumbered as T414.

Status table

Legend:	Operational	Stored	Preserved	Converted	Undergoing Overhaul	Decommissioned

Locomotive	Service Entry	Retirement Date	Scrapping Date	Color Scheme	Present Condition	Designation	Ownership History	Track Gauge	Remarks
T320 (initial batch)	2 August 1955	May 1986		VR Blue and Gold livery	Stored		Originally VR, then VicRail (1976), V/Line (1983), VicTrack Heritage (1996)	Template:Track gauge broad gauge	Assigned to SRHC
T321	22 August 1955	May 1986	February 1990	VR Blue and Gold livery	Decommissioned and scrapped		VR (constructed), VicRail (1976), V/Line (1983)	Template:Track gauge broad gauge
T322	12 September 1955	May 1986		VR Blue and Gold livery	Converted for static generator use		VR (built), VicRail (1976), V/Line (1983), Bob White Electrix (1986)	Template:Track gauge broad gauge
T323	26 September 1955	May 1986		VR Blue and Gold livery	Repurposed as stationary generator		VR (built), VicRail (1976), V/Line (1983), Bob White Electrix (1986)	Template:Track gauge broad gauge
T324	28 November 1955	May 1986		VR Blue and Gold livery	Utilized as stationary power source		VR (built), VicRail (1976), V/Line (1983), Bob White Electrix (1986)	Template:Track gauge broad gauge
T325	19 December 1955	May 1986	May 1989	VR Blue and Gold livery	Scrapped		VR (built), VicRail (1976), V/Line (1983)	Template:Track gauge broad gauge
T326 to T332, T336 to T340, T344, T337, T338, T339, T340, T341, T332, T344, T401, T405, T406, T407 (selected rebuilds)			VR Blue and Gold livery	Reconstructed as P or CK classes between 1984 and 1992	Various proprietors including VR, VicRail, V/Line, Australian National, Genesee and Wyoming Australia	Template:Track gauge broad gauge
Service dates 1955–1968 |Multiple withdrawal dates |Stored |Diverse liveries such as VR Blue and Gold and Freight Australia Green and Yellow with PN branding |Stored |Owned by various entities including VR, VicRail, V/Line Freight, Pacific National |Assorted gauges |Some units held by heritage organizations or kept for spare parts |
Commissioned between 1956–1968 |Mostly retired by early 1990s |Preserved - Operational or Static Display |Primarily VR Blue and Gold or V/Line Orange and Grey schemes |Preserved |Heritage groups such as Steamrail Victoria and Seymour Railway Heritage Centre own these units |Mainly Template:Track gauge broad gauge |Several engines upgraded; housed in heritage facilities |
Entered service between 1955–1967 |Predominantly withdrawn by late 1980s to early 1990s |Decommissioned and scrapped |Mostly VR Blue and Gold or V/Line Orange and Grey liveries |Scrapped |Previously owned by VR/VicRail/V/Line or successors before disposal |Primarily Template:Track gauge broad gauge |
Introduced from 1956 to beyond 1964 |Currently active or leased |Operating under liveries like SCT Red/White/Black, SSR Yellow/Black or Watco Black & Yellow |In active service with private companies such as SCT, Southern Shorthaul Railroad or Watco Australia |Various owners including former VR entities and private operators |Mixed track gauges: broad and standard |
Year of introduction: 1965 |Reactivated after conversion from standard to broad gauge in 2019 |Operational under lease to private operators like 707 Operations |Painted in PN Blue and Yellow |
Entered service in 1955 |Retired December 1987 |Currently undergoing overhaul |VR Blue and Gold livery | Owned by Steve Gibson | Template:Track gauge broad gauge | First heritage diesel equipped with ICE radio; unique for having dynamic braking |
Commissioned November 1956 | Active service continues | SCT Red/White/Black livery | Owned by Georgia McKinnon | Template:Track gauge standard gauge | Functions as Adelaide SCT shunter |

• Note: Numerous locomotives have experienced multiple ownership transfers among VR legacy companies and private firms.