W class diesel hydraulic locomotives | MODEL: 0-6-0 | ||||
W 263 at Seymour, 1978
Even though VR seemed happy with its Clyde/EMD products, in 1958 VR accepted a tender from Tullochs Ltd for the supply of 25 diesel hydraulic shunting locos. Features of the locos were a Mercedes Benz diesel engine and Krupp transmissions. It is believed that all of the W's were delivered with dual controls which were removed after union pressure early in their lives. Up until about 1962 they ran Werribee passenger trains at a maximum speed of 40 MPH, they were also trialled on Bacchus Marsh passenger trains without success. As delivered they made a transition to obtain the higher speed.
The Mercedes Benz engines proved maintenence intensive and at least 10 W's were fitted with GM diesel engines from 1973 until 1977. These locos could be indentified by an extra exhaust stack. W 266 was built as a demonstrator for NSWGR and numbered 7101, it and W 267 were delivered and operated on the standard gauge. (All other W's were strictly Broad Gauge) They were the first two locomotives of an additional order for 25 more W's. The W's saw service mainly around Melbourne yard, Tottenham yard, Ballarat, Geelong, Ararat and Seymour yards. They also ran small, local goods trains around the Ballarat area. By the mid 80's they were all out of service. All of the W's were built at Tulloch's N.S.W. plant |
Click on underlined # for photo | |||||||
Road # | Serial # |
In service
|
Withdrawn | Service life |
Disposition
|
Color schemes | GM engine installed |
W 241 | 006 |
21-12-1959
|
707 group | vrb | Feb. 1975 | ||
W 242 | 007 |
30-01-1960
|
approved for scrap 4-7-83 | vrb | |||
W 243 | 008 |
27-02-1960
|
trans to HVR 15-2-1985 | vrb | |||
W 244 | 009 |
15-03-1960
|
WCR to 707 ops | vrb - vlo | June 1976 | ||
W 245 | 010 |
04-04-1960
|
vrb | yes | |||
W 246 | 011 |
27-04-1960
|
vrb | ||||
W 247 | 012 |
10-05-1960
|
Off Reg 10-7-1987 | vrb | |||
W 248 | 013 |
25-05-1960
|
Sept. 1982 | scrapped Spotswood E 88 | vrb | ||
W 249 | 014 |
30-05-1960
|
OR 10-7-87 scrapped 4/1988 | vrb | Feb. 1973 | ||
W 250 | 015 |
11-06-1960
|
PRESERVED Yarra Valley | vrb | Sept. 1976 | ||
W 251 | 016 |
20-06-1960
|
2-4-82 | approved for scrapping 28-9-82 | vrb | ||
W 252 | 017 |
04-07-1960
|
Jan. 1981 | condemned June 1984, scrapped early 1988 | vrb | Nov. 1975 | |
W 253 | 018 |
18-07-1960
|
30-07-1982 | scrapped early 1988 | vrb | ||
W 254 | 019 |
25-07-1960
|
scrapped early 1988 | vrb | |||
W 255 | 020 |
03-08-1960
|
PRESERVED ARHS museum | vrb | Aug. 1974 | ||
W 256 | 022 |
15-08-1960
|
14-06-1978 | scrapped 20-07-1981 | vrb | ||
W 257 | 023 |
29-08-1960
|
08-02-1982 | vrb | May 1975 | ||
W 258 | 024 |
07-09-1960
|
vrb | ||||
W 259 | 025 |
20-09-1960
|
scrapped early 1988 | vrb | Aug. 1975 | ||
W 260 | 026 |
04-10-1960
|
PRESERVED privately | vrb | |||
W 261 | 027 |
24-10-1960
|
scrapped early 1988 | vrb | |||
W 262 | 029 |
21-11-1960
|
scrapped? | vrb | Aug 1977 | ||
W 263 | 030 |
28-11-1960
|
scrapped? | vrb | |||
W 264 | 032 |
10-12-1960
|
25-02-1982 | scrapped? | vrb | ||
W 265 | 031 |
22-12-1960
|
mid 1980 | scrapped early 1988 | vrb | ||
W 266 | 028 |
02-07-1961
|
scrapped early 1988 | vrb | |||
W 267 | 036 |
18-12-1961
|
scrapped? | vrb |
ABOVE: W 241 at Geelong loco, 1978.
ABOVE: The classleader, W 241 back in service at North Melbourne, 2005
W 242 at Ballarat, 1981 Photo courtesy James Gordon
ABOVE: 2 year old W 243 at Spencer St, July 16 1962
W 243 at Ballarat, 1978
W 247 at Ballarat, Oct 1981
photo courtesy James Gordon
W 244 at Sth Dynon loco, 1978
W 246 at Seymour loco 1978
W 248 at Ballarat workshops, 1978
W 249 at Geelong loco 1978 W 249 was the first to be converted to a GM engine, its exhaust arrangement was different to other GM engine conversions
W 250 at Geelong loco, 1978
W 252 at Sth Dynon 1979
ABOVE: W 253 in happier days in between yard pilot duties at Geelong 1978 BELOW: at Ballarat workshops 1979 awaiting its demise.
W 255 at Newport Workshops, 1988
All that was left of W 256 when I caught up to it at Newport. 1979
W's that had GM diesels installed could be identified by the raised long end hood and the conical exhaust stack seen here at the far end of W 257.
Photo at Sth Dynon 1978 |
W 258 at Geelong loco, 1978
W 259 at Seymour 1978
W 260 at Geelong loco 1978
W 261 at Geelong loco 1978
W 262 at South Dynon 1978
W 263 at Ballarat Sept 1984
W 264 at Ballarat, Sept. 9 1981
ABOVE: W 265 at Ballarat, 1981
Photo courtesy James Gordon
ABOVE: W 266 at Ballarat East loco depot, 1980
ABOVE % BELOW: W 267 at Sth Dynon loco, 1978.
Classender W 267 at Sth Dynon loco, 1978
W's 244 - 241 - 246 - 257 - 262 - 252 at Sth Dynon loco, Sept. 2 1978
W 258 at Newport workshops, 1978, waiting for its appointment with the scrapper.
This article appeared in the May 1973 VR Newsletter
|
|