Victorian Railways Y class (diesel)

Clyde Engineering
Industry	Locomotive manufacturing
Headquarters	Granville, Australia
Products	Y class diesel-electric locomotives

The Y class diesel-electric locomotives were manufactured by Clyde Engineering, Granville, specifically for Victorian Railways during the period from 1963 to 1968.

History

The first series of 25 versatile locomotives arrived in 1963. To minimize expenses, bogies and traction motors were salvaged from decommissioned Swing Door electric suburban train sets, which reduced the cost per unit from approximately £52,000 ($104,000) to £40,000 ($80,000). Two additional production runs increased the fleet size to a total of 75 locomotives by 1968.

Initially intended to supplant steam engines on branch lines and for shunting operations, the Y class also handled mainline freight and passenger trains, including services between Spencer Street and Werribee railway station. Their operational role diminished following the closure of branch lines and a decline in short-distance freight traffic.

During the 1980s, four Y class units—commonly Nos. 101 through 104—were converted to standard gauge. The process of withdrawal commenced in 1985, with a significant number dismantled between 1991 and 1992. After these reductions, some units continued service on standard gauge tracks or as yard shunters.

In the mid-1990s under V/Line Freight management, certain locomotives remained active on standard gauge or performed yard duties. Only Y152 and Y165 were repainted in the V/Line Freight color scheme. When V/Line Freight was sold to Freight Victoria in 1999, several Y class locomotives were included; by 2002, some had been upgraded with traction motors and gearing sourced from Freight Australia’s A and X Class refurbishments. These enhancements allowed operation at speeds up to 80 km/h while improving axle box reliability and adding air conditioning.

In 2005, locomotives Y109 and Y145 were sold to El Zorro; Y145 was subsequently scrapped to provide spare parts for maintaining Y109. Later, in 2014, Y109 was transferred to the Yarra Valley Tourist Railway and restored to its original number.

A significant redistribution of Y class locomotives took place in February 2013 when several were allocated to heritage operators based at Newport. Presently, four units remain active with V/Line as low-speed shunters in carriage yards, while others are owned by freight company Pacific National. Seventeen examples have been preserved, although only a minority are still operational.

Status table

Key:	In Service	Stored	Preserved	Unknown	Scrapped


Number	Entered Service	Status	Livery	Owners	Notes
Y101 (1st order)	Tuesday, 17 September 1963	Scrapped – 1992	V/Line Orange & Grey	VR (Built), VicRail (1976), V/Line (1983)
Y102	Tuesday, 17 September 1963	Preserved - Operational	V/Line Orange & Grey	VR (Built), VicRail (1976), V/Line (1983), SRHC (2015)
Y103	Wednesday, 25 September 1963	Scrapped – 1992	V/Line Orange & Grey	VR (Built), VicRail (1976), V/Line (1983)
Y104	Wednesday, 25 September 1963	Stored	V/Line Orange & Grey	VR (Built), VicRail (1976), V/Line (1983), SRHC (2015)
Y105	Friday, 4 October 1963	Scrapped – 1992	V/Line Orange & Grey	VR (Built), VicRail (1976), V/Line (1983)
Y106	Friday, 4 October 1963	Scrapped – 1991	V/Line Orange & Grey	VR (Built), VicRail (1976), V/Line (1983)
Y107	Tuesday, 15 October 1963	Scrapped – 1991	VR Blue & Gold	VR (Built), VicRail (1976), V/Line (1983)
Y108	Tuesday, 15 October 1963	Stored	V/Line Orange & Grey	VR (Built), VicRail (1976), V/Line (1983), 707 Operations (2015)
Y109 (as Y145)	Friday, 25 October 1963	Preserved	V/Line Orange & Grey	VR (Built), VicRail (1976), V/Line (1983), 707 Operations (1996), El Zorro (2005), Yarra Valley Tourist Railway (2014)	Renumbered Y145 by EL Zorro, Preserved
Y110	Friday, 25 October 1963	Scrapped – 2011	V/Line Orange & Grey	VR (Built), VicRail (1976), V/Line (1983), FV/FA (1999/2000), PN (2004)
Y111	Wednesday, 6 November 1963	Scrapped – 1991	VR Blue & Gold	VR (Built), VicRail (1976), V/Line (1983)
Y112	Wednesday, 6 November 1963	Scrapped – 1992	VR Blue & Gold	VR (Built), VicRail (1976), V/Line (1983)
Y113	Tuesday, 19 November 1963	Scrapped – 2011	V/Line Orange & Grey	VR (Built), VicRail (1976), V/Line (1983), FV/FA (1999/2000), PN (2004)
Y114	Tuesday, 19 November 1963	Scrapped – 1992	V/Line Orange & Grey

References