Following the electrification of Melbourne’s suburban area and an increase in local freight the Victorian Railways constructed 2 new electric locomotives with the same electrical equipment as the suburban passenger trains.
These proved so useful that the VR constructed an additional 10 units to a modified design.
E1102 is the first of the second batch of electric locomotives, built at Jolimont and Newport Workshops in 1928. It was not given the class E until 1955 when the E class steam locomotives were withdrawn, in fact the E class plates off the steam locmotives were reused on the electric.
The original 2 units were scrapped in 1955 following a collision at Fairfield.
The class saw use on light local freights across the network, and one was usually used as a shunter at Warragul.
The E class were withdrawn in the early 1980s, E1102 one of the last in service in 1983.
Constructed by David Munro workshops.
Originally identical in appearance to exhibit E236, but was modified by the Victorian Railways to 0-6-2 wheel configuration. ]
E369 ended service as Newport Workshops yard pilot in 1972.
Constructed by Tulloch, Rhodes NSW and entered service February 1960.
Ended service as a shunter at Spotswood yard.
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 W255 shows the modifications for the newer engine.
W243 is the last unit in existance with the original Mercedes engine.
Photo by Andrew Henderson
Constructed by Newport Workshops and entered service in August 1913 as A 848.
It was modified with a superheated boiler, smoke deflectors, and renumbered A2 884 in the early 1930s, and retired in 1963.
Of the 125 constructed with outside Stephenson\’s Valve Gear, 884 is the sole survivor. Exhibit A2 995 displays the later more accessible Walscheart\’s Valve Gear.
From their introduction in 1907 to their withdrawal in 1963 the A2 class were a versatile staple of the Victorian Railways, with 185 class members running everything from The Overland to Serviceton, the Spirit of Progress, and goods trains across the state. By the late 1950s the class were progressively removed from service with the introduction of the B and R classes.
Constructed at Newport Workshops in 1941 and retired in 1956. The largest engine constructed by the Victorian Railways, and believed to be the largest non-articulated locomotive in the Southern Hemisphere.
3 of this class were to be built to run the Overland to Adelaide without double heading A2 class locomotives, but due to wartime requirements and weight restrictions on the Parwan River bridge only 1 was constructed and spent its life on the North-East line. The only 3 turntables in Victoria that could accomodate it without splitting the engine and tender were at North Melbourne, Albury and Ararat.
H220 would occasionally fill in on the Spirit of Progress when an S class steam locomotive was not available, but mostly ran goods trains between Melbourne and Albury, and occasionally Tocumwal.
A total of 53 K class were constructed in batches between 1922-1923, and 1940-1946 at the Newport Workshops.
K165 entered service in May 1941, and was withdrawn in 1968.
These were versatile and popular locomotives that could be seen running branchline services across the state, and no less than 21 of the class have survived into preservation, with a number of those still operational on tourist and heritage railways.
The last class of steam locomotive ordered by the Victorian Railways, constructed by Vulcan Foundry, Newton-Le-Willows. They were constructed between 1953 and 1954, by which point the B class diesels had also been delivered and were proving their worth. As a result the J class only had 16 years of service before the last was withdrawn from shunting at Bendigo in 1972.
These were basically an updated K class, designed with more accessible motion gear, and the capability for gauge conversion.
J559 was the last steam locomotive ever delivered to the Victorian Railways.
Constructed at Newport Workshops in May 1916 and retired in 1963.
A2 995 displays the Walscheart\’s valve gear fitted to the last 60 members of the class. Exhibit A2 884 shows the earlier Stephenson\’s Valve Gear fitted to the other 125 class members.
This locomotive was converted from coal to oil burning in 1946.
A2 995 has the distinction of running the last broad-gauge Spirit of Progress on April 16 1962. Following this date the service moved to the newly commissioned standard guage and was hauled by an S or B class diesel locomotive.
From their introduction in 1907 to their withdrawal in 1963 the A2 class were a versatile staple of the Victorian Railways, with 185 class members running everything from The Overland to Serviceton, the Spirit of Progress, and goods trains across the state. By the late 1950s the class were progressively removed from service with the introduction of the B and R classes.