W255

Constructed by Tulloch, Rhodes NSW and entered service August 1960.
Designed as a shunting engine for the many Victorian Railways yards, but also saw service on Werribee passenger services (briefly) and branchline freight.
The class as a whole were plagued with engine and transmission problems that led to them being very unpopular with crews and fitters.
The original Mercedes engines were replaced with GM versions, but many of the issues persisted. Exhibit W243 shows the original engine.

Photo by Andrew Henderson

C10

Constructed at Newport Workshops and entered service in early 1922. It was retired in 1962.
When built the C class was the heaviest and most powerful steam locomotives in Australia.

C10 was converted from coal to oil burning in August 1946.

Y137

The Y class locomotives were built for shunting, and branchline freight with roadside shunting. The controls were set up for good visibility and instant response. They became the second most common class of diesel locomotive ordered by the Victorian Railways, in 3 batches.
Y137 was constructed by Clyde Engineering, Granville NSW as part of the 2nd order of the class, and entered service in July 1965.
The Victorian Railways found the cost of new bogies prohibitive, instead using bogies off scrapped wooden suburban electric trains with suitable modifications.

For many years these locomotives were used on Werribee passenger services and some can still be seen today shunting carriages for Vline at Southern Cross and Geelong.

R704

Constructed by North British Locomotive Company of Glasgow, Scotland in 1951.
The R class were to be the “final word” in express passenger steam locomotives. The large wheel diameter and large boiler size were intended to replace the remaining A2 class locomotives on services such as the Overland, but by the time they were ordered the B class diesel locomotives had taken over. As a result they were relegated to secondary services or stored, only running to clear a bumper grain harvest.
The total working life of the class was 16 years, with the last of the class withdrawn in 1967.

R704 was shown on display at the 1951 Festival of Britain, and carries a large commemorative plaque on the side of the cab, as well as unique stainless steel boiler bands.

Photo by Andrew Henderson

D2 604

Constructed by Beyer Peacock of England in 1911, to the DD design of the Victorian Railways. It is similar to exhibit D3635, but with a smaller boiler.

D2604 was sold to Australian Paper Manufacturers in 1956, and was used as a shunter at the Morwell paper mill until the early 1960s.

APM converted it to oil firing, using a tender from a D3 locomotive tender on an underframe from a withdrawn A2 locomotive tender.

D4 268

Constructed by Newport Workshops in 1910.
A modification of the DD class design, shown by exhibits D2 604 and D3 635. All class members were built by Newport Workshops.
This type mainly saw service as suburban passenger engines prior to electrification on the longer and hillier lines, including Dandenong, Upper Ferntree Gully, Lilydale and Darling.
Following electrification the class were put to work as shunting engines, primarily at Flinders St and North Melbourne.

This exhibit is currently undergoing cosmetic restoration.

RT1

Constructed at Newport Workshops in 1932, and used on the construction of the Yarrawonga – Oaklands line.
First of a series of “Railtractors”, lightweight locomotives built on disused wagon underframes and fitted with a Fordson tractor engine. They were mainly used for shunting at remote places where staff who could use a tractor would be able to shunt the yards.

Y108

Constructed by Phoenix Foundry Ballarat, to a design by Kitson and Co of Leeds, in 1889.

The largest and most powerful 0-6-0 steam locomotives in Australia, the class of 32 were used commonly on passenger service around Melbourne before electrification, and on local freight services.

Y108 was the last of the class to be retired in 1963 as North Melbourne yard pilot.

L1150

25 L class locomotives were constructed by English Electric and imported between 1953 / 1954.
L1150 was the first of the class and entered service in April 1953.
The class were designed for use hauling briquettes and brown coal from the Morwell and Yallourn mines, and passenger service to Geelong and Traralgon. Only the Traralgon line was electrified, and most of the class were stored at Newport Workshops while this took place.
L1150 was named “R. J. Wishart” in a ceremony on Traralgon platform to mark the opening of the electrified line.
Primarily the L class worked the Traralgon passenger services Monday-Saturday (overhead was turned off on Sundays and B class diesel electrics took over), and a diesel T class would be attached to continue the train to Sale, Bairnsdale and Orbost. They also saw service on Melbourne suburban goods to Fairfield, Ringwood, Port Melbourne and other stations across the network.
With the demise of the mine traffic, the requirement for replacing the overhead, and increasing locomotive failures requiring 2 locomotives to run together at all times, the class was withdrawn and the line de-electrified by 1988.

D3 635

The D3 class were introduced in 1902 as the DD class, and were later reclassed to D1, D2 and D3 as modifications were made.

The class were constructed by a number of manufacturers, including Thompson\’s Foundry Castlemaine, Walker\’s Maryborough (Qld), Baldwin Locomotive Works of Philadelphia, Beyer Peacock, and the Newport Workshops. This was one of the last times the VR used private manufacturers for locomotive construction.

D3 635 is one of very few imported Baldwin Locomotive Works locomotives in Australia, and believed to be one of the only remaining 5\’3\” gauge Baldwin locomotives in the world.