L1150

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the overhead, and increasing locomotive failures requiring 2 locomotives to run together at all times, the class was withdrawn and the line de-electrified by 1988.