Railways and Tramways of Australia

T320 with a special train at Tongala, 30 December 1998. Photo: Weston Langford, www.westonlangford.com/images/photo/123053/

Versatile diesels

Diesel locomotive T320 entered service in Victoria on 5 August 1955.

Victorian Railways obtained diesel locomotives for mainline operation and shunting work during the early 1950s. They then sought general duties diesels for light freight and passenger service. It was part of a plan to rehabilitate the railways, which included replacing older types of steam engines. An initial order was placed with Clyde Engineering at Granville in Sydney for 27 diesel locomotives.

T Class leader no. 320 underwent trials in Sydney before working goods trains through to Melbourne. Upon arrival it was given a thorough inspection before being assigned to shunting duties.

The T Class locomotives demonstrated their versatility by carrying out a wide range of duties. They were capable of operating on many branch lines, although they were required to maintain strict speed limits.

A total of 94 T Class locomotives entered service from 1955 until 1969. There were three different series, each using a slightly different body. The first series (T320–346, T413) became known as flat tops because the top of the cab was flush with the rest of the roof; the second series (T347–366) had raised cabs to provide improved vision; and the third series (T367–412) had lower short hoods, which enabled even greater visibility for the crew. T413 was purchased second-hand from Australian Portland Cement and added to the first series. Units T399–412 were equipped with more powerful engines than earlier deliveries.

Many T Class members were withdrawn from service during the 1980s. Thirteen were rebuilt as P Class units for passenger work. Some of the T Class continue in freight service while others are owned by preservation groups.

T320 is preserved at Seymour Rail Heritage Centre, the first of these versatile locomotives that helped modernise Victorian Railways.

Bibliography

RL Abbott, ‘The T-Class diesel electric locomotives’, Australian Railway Historical Society Bulletin, no. 419, September 1972, pp 169–75.

P Clark, ‘The Victorian Railways T Class – Part One’, Motive Power, no. 39, April 2005, pp 30–7.

P Clark, ‘The Victorian Railways T Class – Part 2’, Motive Power, no. 42, October 2005, pp 36–41.

E McLean, ‘Still going strong – the ex-VR T Class’, Railway Digest, vol. 50, no. 10, October 2012, pp 28–35.

‘Medium-powered diesels for general service’, Railway Transportation, vol. 4, no. 10, October 1955, pp 24–5, 42.

Southern Shorthaul Railroad locomotive T381, Melbourne, 8 May 2006. Photo: Marcus Wong, Wikimedia Commons.