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

W class diagram

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Withdrawn Service life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 247 at Geelong 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

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