XPT PC CL

XPT PC CL

CountryLink XPT Power Car

The unveiling of the Express Passenger Train (XPT) at Commonwealth Engineering's Sydney plant in August 1981 heralded the dawn of a new era for both Australian passenger train concepts and locomotive technology. The train came about following many year's procrastination as to what kind of conveyance would best serve NSW's country train travellers.

Comeng successfully tendered an Australianised version of the tried and proven British High Speed Train (HST) concept, which provided locomotives at both ends - one pulling and the other pushing. State Rail, impressed by what they saw, initially ordered ten locomotives (to be offically known as 'power cars') and twenty matched coaching vehicles.

Because Australian operating conditions were vastly different to those experienced in Britain, the XPT was virtually redesigned from the bogies up. Australia's generous loading gauge allowed for longer, wider and higher passenger cars and while the British HST version was constructed of welded steel, the Comeng version used the stainless variety.

The XPT was equipped with the same Paxman 'Valenta' 12 cyl. RP200L four-stroke turbocharged engine as employed in the British HST, but was de-rated to 1491 kW to suit Australia's hotter ambient temperature. The traction gear was reduced slightly to provide a 1000 lb (4.1 kW) greater maximum tractive effort to enable the train to negotiate lengthy steep gradients (such as the 1 in 33's experienced on the Blue Mountains route).

Over the years, the XPT locomotives (and carriages) have undergone tremendous change to better equip them for their seemingly constant task. According to the XPT Maintenance Centre, almost 150 detail changes have been carried out on the locomotives' engines and traction equipment and many of the improvements have been exported back to England. They include modified load regulation characteristics in respect of alternators and traction motors to increase the allowable current to those motors for starting and low speed operations.

Company: CountryLink
Model: XP Class (based on the BR HST)
Year: 1981
Engine: Paxman 'Valenta' 12RPL200L
Power: 2000hp / 1477 kW
Starting Tractive Effort: 18,994lb / 84 kN
Continuous Tractive Effort: 17,311lb / 77 kN
Maximum Speed: 160 km/h
Driving wheel diameter: 1020 mm
Length: 17.34 m
Weight: 74t

Author: psycho_aussie

XPT PC CL
• config.txt 7.26KB
• xpt.gs 10.76KB
xpt_cl_alpha_numbers
alphanumber_0.tga 1.04KB
alphanumber_1.tga 1.04KB
alphanumber_2.tga 1.04KB
alphanumber_3.tga 1.04KB
alphanumber_4.tga 1.04KB
alphanumber_5.tga 1.04KB
alphanumber_6.tga 1.04KB
alphanumber_7.tga 1.04KB
alphanumber_8.tga 1.04KB
alphanumber_9.tga 1.04KB
xpt_cl_art
xpt_art_512.tga 1.00MB
xpt_art_icon.tga 32.04KB
xpt_cl_art_512.texture.txt 71 bytes
xpt_cl_art_icon.texture.txt 73 bytes
xpt_cl_body
body.texture.txt 27 bytes
body.tga 768.53KB
digit_1.texture.txt 30 bytes
digit_1.tga 812 bytes
digit_2.texture.txt 30 bytes
digit_2.tga 812 bytes
digit_3.texture.txt 30 bytes
digit_3.tga 812 bytes
digit_4.texture.txt 30 bytes
digit_4.tga 812 bytes
digit_5.texture.txt 30 bytes
digit_5.tga 812 bytes
digit_6.texture.txt 30 bytes
digit_6.tga 812 bytes
env_glass.bmp 12.05KB
env_glass.texture.txt 32 bytes
env_metal.bmp 12.05KB
env_metal.texture.txt 32 bytes
xpt_cl_body.im 185.98KB
xpt_cl_shadow
black.texture.txt 28 bytes
black.tga 812 bytes
xpt_cl_shadow.im 171.57KB