New South Wales 70 class locomotive
Encyclopedia
In January, 1959, a contract was placed by the New South Wales Government Railways
with Commonwealth Engineering Limited
of Granville
for the construction of ten 550 hp (410 kW) 0-6-0 diesel-hydraulic shunting locomotives. They were specifically intended to replace aging steam locomotives in use at Port Kembla
the following day. As the new servicing facilities at Port Kembla were not then complete, 7001 was temporarily allocated to Enfield
(Delec) and worked local services. On 28 September 1960, 7001 worked its first passenger train, a railway employees' train from Sydney Terminal to Chullora
workshops.
By the end of 1960, a further three of the class had been delivered. 7003 ventured out on to the Richmond line with the afternoon passenger train from the Brickworks
(Abattoirs branch) on two occasions in 1961.
Whilst the remaining units had been delivered by mid-May, 1961, 7007 was not accepted by the NSWGR until February, 1962. Multiple unit 70s became regular visitors to the Campbelltown to Camden line prior to its closure, working coal trains from Narellan.
, Cooma
, Tumut
, Picton-Mittagong Loop line, Moss Vale
to Unanderra
, thence to Sydney and to Casino
. Tumut and Cooma were included in the schedule as large profile loads were common to these destinations during the construction of the Snowy Mountains Scheme.
By early July 1963, three had been based at Thirroul
for crew training. They worked on transfer workings within the South Coast
district and shunting at Port Kembla North
.
In December, 1963, instruction classes on the new locomotives commenced in two railway carriages at Port Kembla station. From 27 December, four 70-class were rostered for shunting duties on the wharves and in the 'commercial' areas. New Years Day, 1964, saw 7003 the first locomotive inside the new Port Kembla depot, followed by 7004, 7005 and 7008. 7007 and 7010 had followed by 4 January, with the remaining units still in Sydney at Delec.
The remaining 4 locomotives followed to Port Kembla during January and the final steam working was on 31 January. Usually only up to 7 units would be rostered to work a shift. Spare locomotives would be loaned to Thirroul for main-line duties, if required.
Additional duties for the 70-class were found as shunters in Port Kembla North Yard, transfer workings to the AIS Exchange sidings at Cringila
and even working at Wollongong
shunting passenger carriages off evening commuter trains.
7009 was taken out of traffic on 10 February 1984 and sent to Eveleigh. 7008 followed on 21 June 1984. 7002 was the next to go and on 13 August 1984, all three were officially withdrawn. 7007 failed on 12 September 1984 and was set aside at Port Kembla, to be joined by 7010 in June the following year. 7003 was subsequently withdrawn after a wheel sheared off.
7008 was purchased by the Dorrigo Steam Railway and Museum
in 1985. 7002 and 7009 were both scrapped at Simsmetal, Mascot.
48-class
took over all shunting and transfer duties at Port Kembla from 12 November 1984. Three 70-class were to be kept operational and the remainder kept spare. By early September 1986, only two locomotives were available for local working, 7006 and 7010. 7010 last operated on 10 September 1986 and 7006's last regular day in service was the following day.
Of the locomotives remaining at Port Kembla, 7001, 7004, 7005, 7006 and 7010 were all sold to Simsmetal for scrap. 7003 and 7007 were sold to the Emu Bay Railway
[EBR] in Tasmania. However, the EBR were only interested in the transmissions from their purchases and, as they were not anxious to send staff from Burnie
to dismantle the locomotives, they entered into an agreement with the Dorrigo Steam Railway and Museum for that group to provide EBR with the reconditioned transmission they had on hand in exchange for locomotive 7007. 7003 was cut up by the DSR&M and the transmission supplied to EBR.
7010 was purchased by the DSR&M, apparently from Simsmetal, giving it three complete units. 7006 was sold by Simsmetal to local Wollongong enthusiasts who restored the locomotive to operating condition at the New South Wales Rail Transport Museum
. This locomotive was on loan to the Powerhouse Museum, but recent photographs in the Winter 2010 RHC update show the loco back at Thirlmere.
New South Wales Government Railways
The New South Wales Government Railways was the government department that operated the New South Wales Government's railways until the establishment of the Public Transport Commission in 1972. Although later known officially as the Department of Railways, New South Wales, it was still generally...
with Commonwealth Engineering Limited
Comeng
The Comeng train is a type of electric train that operates on the suburban railway network of Melbourne, Australia. They first appeared on the network in VicRail "teacup" livery in 1981 to replace the last of the then-60 year old Tait trains. More were ordered after the failed refurbishment and...
of Granville
Granville, New South Wales
Granville, is a suburb in western Sydney, Australia. Granville is located west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the City of Parramatta. A small part in the north-west is located in the Local Government Area of the City of Holroyd.South Granville is a...
for the construction of ten 550 hp (410 kW) 0-6-0 diesel-hydraulic shunting locomotives. They were specifically intended to replace aging steam locomotives in use at Port Kembla
Port Kembla, New South Wales
Port Kembla is a suburb of Wollongong 8 km south of the CBD and part of the Illawarra region of New South Wales. The suburb comprises a seaport, industrial complex , a small harbour foreshore nature reserve, and a small commercial sector. It is situated on the tip of Red Point, first sighted...
Delivery
Designated the 70-class, the class leader, 7001, was not delivered until 15 August 1960. After weighing, the unit worked a 400-ton test load to BotanyBotany, New South Wales
Botany is a suburb in south-eastern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Botany is located 10 kilometres south of the Sydney central business district and is part of the City of Botany Bay....
the following day. As the new servicing facilities at Port Kembla were not then complete, 7001 was temporarily allocated to Enfield
Enfield, New South Wales
Enfield is a suburb, in the Inner-West of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Enfield is located 13 kilometres south-west of the Sydney central business district in the local government area of Burwood Council.-History:...
(Delec) and worked local services. On 28 September 1960, 7001 worked its first passenger train, a railway employees' train from Sydney Terminal to Chullora
Chullora, New South Wales
Chullora, a suburb of local government areas City of Bankstown and the Municipality of Strathfield, is located 15 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district, in the state of New South Wales, Australia, and forms a part of the Greater Western Sydney region.-History:The suburb of...
workshops.
By the end of 1960, a further three of the class had been delivered. 7003 ventured out on to the Richmond line with the afternoon passenger train from the Brickworks
Brickworks
A brickworks also known as a brick factory, is a factory for the manufacturing of bricks, from clay or shale. Usually a brickworks is located on a clay bedrock often with a quarry for clay on site....
(Abattoirs branch) on two occasions in 1961.
Whilst the remaining units had been delivered by mid-May, 1961, 7007 was not accepted by the NSWGR until February, 1962. Multiple unit 70s became regular visitors to the Campbelltown to Camden line prior to its closure, working coal trains from Narellan.
Modifications
Around the end of 1962, defects became apparent. Coupling rods were snapping when the locomotives were travelling at speed. Commencing in February, 1963, the problem was rectified by fitting heavier duty side rods. The original side cab-windows were replaced from January, 1963. The exhaust stacks were modified from January, 1967.The Snowy Mountains Connection
Possibly the most unusual duty alloted to the class was the working of the new Interstate Profile train during the latter part of 1963. It worked from Sydney to AlburyAlbury, New South Wales
Albury is a major regional city in New South Wales, Australia, located on the Hume Highway on the northern side of the Murray River. It is located wholly within the boundaries of the City of Albury Local Government Area...
, Cooma
Cooma, New South Wales
-Education: is Cooma's only public high school, it serves the town and seven of the neighbouring rural towns and villages such as Berridale, Jindabyne, Nimmitabel, Bredbo and Dalgety....
, Tumut
Tumut, New South Wales
Tumut is a town in the Riverina region of New South Wales, Australia, situated on the banks of the Tumut River. Tumut is at the foothills of the Snowy Mountains and is referred to as the gateway to the Snowy Mountains Scheme...
, Picton-Mittagong Loop line, Moss Vale
Moss Vale, New South Wales
Moss Vale is a town in the Southern Highlands of New South Wales, Australia, in Wingecarribee Shire. It has a population of 7,339 and is sited on the Illawarra Highway, which connects to Wollongong and the Illawarra coast via Macquarie Pass...
to Unanderra
Unanderra, New South Wales
Unanderra is a suburb of Wollongong in New South Wales, Australia. It is located approximately 10 km south-west of the Wollongong CBD. It is bordered to the west by Farmborough, Cordeaux Heights and Farmborough Heights in the Mount Kembla foothills, the north by Figtree, the east by Berkeley...
, thence to Sydney and to Casino
Casino, New South Wales
Casino is a town in the Northern Rivers area of New South Wales, Australia, with a population of 9,400 people . It lies on the banks of the Richmond River and is situated at the junction of the Bruxner Highway and the Summerland Way....
. Tumut and Cooma were included in the schedule as large profile loads were common to these destinations during the construction of the Snowy Mountains Scheme.
Move to Port Kembla
Thirroul, New South Wales
Thirroul is a northern seaside suburb of the city of Wollongong, Australia, with the name supposedly Aboriginal for "Valley of Cabbage Tree Palms". Situated between Austinmer and Bulli, it is approximately 13 kilometres north of Wollongong, and 69 km south of Sydney...
for crew training. They worked on transfer workings within the South Coast
South Coast railway line, New South Wales
The South Coast Line is in the intercity region of Sydney's CityRail services. It serves the coastal region to the south of the Sydney metropolitan area including the Illawarra region, most notably the regional city of Wollongong, and extended services reach as far as Nowra in Shoalhaven.- Line...
district and shunting at Port Kembla North
Port Kembla North railway station, New South Wales
-Neighbouring stations:...
.
In December, 1963, instruction classes on the new locomotives commenced in two railway carriages at Port Kembla station. From 27 December, four 70-class were rostered for shunting duties on the wharves and in the 'commercial' areas. New Years Day, 1964, saw 7003 the first locomotive inside the new Port Kembla depot, followed by 7004, 7005 and 7008. 7007 and 7010 had followed by 4 January, with the remaining units still in Sydney at Delec.
The remaining 4 locomotives followed to Port Kembla during January and the final steam working was on 31 January. Usually only up to 7 units would be rostered to work a shift. Spare locomotives would be loaned to Thirroul for main-line duties, if required.
Work at Port Kembla
With the construction of the new Inner Harbour at Port Kembla and its associated branch from Conniston completed in October, 1953, there was a transfer of coal loading operations to that facility. Furthermore, there was a decline of during the early part of 1964 on the 'old' commercial network.Additional duties for the 70-class were found as shunters in Port Kembla North Yard, transfer workings to the AIS Exchange sidings at Cringila
Cringila, New South Wales
Cringila is a densely populated southern suburb in the city of Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia, about 4 km along Springhill Road. The suburb is bounded by Berkeley, Unanderra, Lake Heights and Warrawong....
and even working at Wollongong
Wollongong, New South Wales
Wollongong is a seaside city located in the Illawarra region of New South Wales, Australia. It lies on the narrow coastal strip between the Illawarra Escarpment and the Pacific Ocean, 82 kilometres south of Sydney...
shunting passenger carriages off evening commuter trains.
Varied Colours
All locomotives were issued to traffic in the standard colour scheme of Indian Red with chrome lining. 7006 was out-shopped in July, 1982, in the short-lived 'reverse' colour scheme and 7007 was out-shopped in April, 1983, in the 'candy' colour scheme.Demise
By early 1984, the use of 70-class on the Port Kembla industrial network was at an all-time low. Only one or two were needed for the day shift. A further three would be occupied on shunting duties at Port Kembla North, with, perhaps, two more on transfer work.7009 was taken out of traffic on 10 February 1984 and sent to Eveleigh. 7008 followed on 21 June 1984. 7002 was the next to go and on 13 August 1984, all three were officially withdrawn. 7007 failed on 12 September 1984 and was set aside at Port Kembla, to be joined by 7010 in June the following year. 7003 was subsequently withdrawn after a wheel sheared off.
7008 was purchased by the Dorrigo Steam Railway and Museum
Dorrigo Steam Railway and Museum
The Dorrigo Steam Railway and Museum in Dorrigo, New South Wales, Australia is a large, privately owned collection of preserved railway vehicles and equipment from the railways of New South Wales, covering both Government and private railways...
in 1985. 7002 and 7009 were both scrapped at Simsmetal, Mascot.
48-class
New South Wales 48 class locomotive
The 48 Class are a diesel electric locomotive ordered by the New South Wales Government Railways from 1959. Once the most ubiquitous locomotive in New South Wales , the locomotives were built by A. E. Goodwin, based on Alco frames and prime movers, using General Electric electrical equipment...
took over all shunting and transfer duties at Port Kembla from 12 November 1984. Three 70-class were to be kept operational and the remainder kept spare. By early September 1986, only two locomotives were available for local working, 7006 and 7010. 7010 last operated on 10 September 1986 and 7006's last regular day in service was the following day.
Of the locomotives remaining at Port Kembla, 7001, 7004, 7005, 7006 and 7010 were all sold to Simsmetal for scrap. 7003 and 7007 were sold to the Emu Bay Railway
Emu Bay Railway
The Melba Line is a narrow gauge railway on the west coast of Tasmania. The line was originally constructed as a private railway line named the Emu Bay Railway and was one of the longest lasting and successful private railway companies in Australia...
[EBR] in Tasmania. However, the EBR were only interested in the transmissions from their purchases and, as they were not anxious to send staff from Burnie
Burnie, Tasmania
- Sport :Australian rules football is popular in Burnie. The city's team is the Burnie Dockers Football Club in the Tasmanian State League.Rugby union is also played in Burnie. The local club is the Burnie Rugby Union Club. They are the current Tasmanian Rugby Union Statewide Division Two Premiers...
to dismantle the locomotives, they entered into an agreement with the Dorrigo Steam Railway and Museum for that group to provide EBR with the reconditioned transmission they had on hand in exchange for locomotive 7007. 7003 was cut up by the DSR&M and the transmission supplied to EBR.
7010 was purchased by the DSR&M, apparently from Simsmetal, giving it three complete units. 7006 was sold by Simsmetal to local Wollongong enthusiasts who restored the locomotive to operating condition at the New South Wales Rail Transport Museum
New South Wales Rail Transport Museum
The New South Wales Rail Transport Museum located in Thirlmere, New South Wales south-west of Sydney, is a museum dedicated to displaying former locomotives, carriages and goods wagons from the New South Wales Government Railways as well as private operations in NSW. The collection features steam,...
. This locomotive was on loan to the Powerhouse Museum, but recent photographs in the Winter 2010 RHC update show the loco back at Thirlmere.
Base Reference Material & Further reading
- New South Wales Rail System Locomotives. Sydney: Archives Section, State Rail Authority of New South Wales. 1984.