V/Line P A 2001+

V/Line P A 2001+

The class were rebuilt from B class locomotives originally constructed in the 1950s, as part of the New Deal reforms of passenger rail operations in Victoria. The rebuild contract was let in January 1983 to Clyde Engineering, Rosewater with the first locomotive entering service in May 1984, but the project was abandoned in mid 1985 after rising costs due to structural fatigue, with the 11th rebuild delivered in August 1985. It was decided to instead build more of the N class locomotives, mechanically similar to the A class. The major difference was the addition of head end power generators, as it was believed this was a more efficient way of supplying power for air-conditioning and lighting than power vans or individual generator sets under carriages.

Four locomotives were named after Australian rules football players in September 1984, while A60 was named after former railway commissioner Harold Clapp. In July 1986, A85 was regeared for 160 km/h (99 mph) operation, and tested between Glenorchy and Lubeck, to test an H type carriage set fitted with high speed bogies, but was returned to the standard 133 km/h (83 mph) gearing soon after. In preparation for the privatisation of V/Line, four were allocated to passenger services and seven to freight services.

When the engines were initially converted from B class units they were intended for light, high speed passenger traffic, but in Freight Australia service this had limited value. The engine frames could not be easily reinforced, but by 2002 the D57 traction motors were swapped for D77, which raised the current axle from 825A to 1050A. To better make use of the increased power the gear ratios in each unit were changed from 59:18 to 61:16, improving adhesion and overall providing an increase in tractive effort of 35%. The lower-power traction motors were cascaded to the Y Class fleet.

The V/Line units were not upgraded in this way, and continued to operate in regular service supplementing the N Class locomotives on mainline services. Another fixed roster was to Stony Point, as the MTH carriages allocated to that service were fitted with on-board head-end-power generators. The A class locomotives were supposed to run their last mainline passenger services in 2013, with A60 operating what was supposed to be the final service, the 16:15 Southern Cross to Bacchus Marsh on 24 April 2013. However due to a shortage of N class locomotives V/Line briefly reactivated A70 in 2014, with all four locomotives in the V/Line passenger fleet having since been withdrawn. Pacific National withdrew its last examples in May 2014.

In August 2015 three of the four A class locomotives were put into long term storage, with V/Line continuing to operate A66 in revenue service, where it used to operate on the interurban service to Bacchus Marsh on a regular basis operating in peak times. By August 2018 however, timetable alterations had seen the loco no longer required on the Bacchus Marsh services and A66 was subsequently sent to Bendigo Roundhouse and later Melbourne where it resides currently in dry storage as an emergency locomotive.

During the time period of 7 and 18 January 2019, Pacific National units A73, A77, A81 and A85 were scrapped at South Dynon broad gauge turntable. In May 2019, Pacific National scrapped A71 and A79 at Melbourne Freight Terminal to further clear out redundant assets at Dynon Workshops. Currently, A78 is the last remaining ex-Freight Australia / Pacific National A class locomotive remaining which has been stored in North Bendigo Workshops with an uncertain future.

Two of the three V/Line A class locomotives that were in long term storage at South Dynon Locomotive Depot have since been allocated to heritage preservation, they are locomotives A60 and A62 due to their significance and contributions to the Victorian Railways which marked many historical milestones. A60 (formerly B60) being the first the Victorian Railways mainline diesel-electric locomotive, which also has been named after the Victorian Railway commissioner Sir Harold Clapp, and A62 (forme

Author: Rohcool323

V/Line P A 2001+
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alphanumber_0.tga 256.04KB
alphanumber_1.tga 256.04KB
alphanumber_2.tga 256.04KB
alphanumber_3.tga 256.04KB
alphanumber_4.tga 256.04KB
alphanumber_5.tga 256.04KB
alphanumber_6.tga 256.04KB
alphanumber_7.tga 256.04KB
alphanumber_8.tga 256.04KB
alphanumber_9.tga 256.04KB
• config.txt 12.46KB
loco_art
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icon_0.tga 32.53KB
screenshot.jpg 13.74KB
loco_body
a.im 1.36MB
black1.texture.txt 29 bytes
black1.tga 210 bytes
bplateblank.texture.txt 34 bytes
bplateblank.tga 24.53KB
chair_back.texture.txt 33 bytes
chair_back.tga 48.04KB
dash.texture.txt 27 bytes
dash.tga 210 bytes
digit_5.texture.txt 30 bytes
digit_5.tga 3.53KB
digit_5a.texture.txt 31 bytes
digit_5a.tga 3.04KB
digit_6.texture.txt 30 bytes
digit_6.tga 3.53KB
digit_6a.texture.txt 31 bytes
digit_6a.tga 3.04KB
dirtbog4.texture.txt 31 bytes
dirtbog4.tga 210 bytes
dirtbogfilthy.texture.txt 36 bytes
dirtbogfilthy.tga 210 bytes
dirtbogmedium.texture.txt 36 bytes
dirtbogmedium.tga 210 bytes
dirty white.texture.txt 34 bytes
dirty white.tga 12.53KB
env_glass.bmp 12.05KB
env_glass.texture.txt 32 bytes
env_metal.bmp 48.05KB
env_metal.texture.txt 32 bytes
fan
anim.kin 2.32KB
dirtbogfilthy.texture.txt 36 bytes
dirtbogfilthy.tga 210 bytes
fan.im 57.68KB
vrs_vrblue_b.texture.txt 35 bytes
vrs_vrblue_b.tga 327.51KB
front.tga 179.77KB
fuelfiller-fuelfiller.texture.txt 55 bytes
fuelfiller.tga 32.04KB
glass.texture.txt 28 bytes
glass.tga 64.04KB
headlightglass-headlightglass.texture.txt 63 bytes
headlightglass.tga 1.02KB
light.bmp 2.05KB
light.texture.txt 28 bytes
light.tga 3.04KB
livery_normal.tga 300 bytes
redlight.texture.txt 31 bytes
redlight.tga 48.53KB
sfan
anim.kin 2.32KB
sfan.im 51.84KB
vrs_vrblue_a.texture.txt 59 bytes
vrs_vrblue_a.tga 16.00MB
vrs_vrblue_b.texture.txt 35 bytes
vrs_vrblue_b.tga 327.51KB
shadow-shadowalpha.texture.txt 47 bytes
shadow.tga 210 bytes
shadowalpha.bmp 384.05KB
speedo_face.texture.txt 34 bytes
speedo_face.tga 96.04KB
speedo_lhside.texture.txt 36 bytes
speedo_lhside.tga 24.04KB
speedo_rhside.texture.txt 36 bytes
speedo_rhside.tga 24.04KB
speedo_stand.tga 24.04KB
speedo_top.texture.txt 33 bytes
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vr_b-vr_b.texture.txt 43 bytes
vr_b.tga 4.04KB
vrorange_s_sidegrill_opacity.bmp 9.05KB
vrorange_s_sidegrill_opacityb.bmp 9.05KB
vrs_blue_sidegrill-vrorange_s_sidegrill_opacity.texture.txt 81 bytes
vrs_blue_sidegrill.tga 1.41KB
vrs_blue_sidegrill2.texture.txt 42 bytes
vrs_blue_sidegrill2.tga 60.67KB
vrs_vrblue_a.texture.txt 59 bytes
vrs_vrblue_a.tga 16.00MB
vrs_vrblue_a_normal.texture.txt 61 bytes
vrs_vrblue_b.texture.txt 59 bytes
vrs_vrblue_b.tga 429.40KB
vrs_vrblue_b_normal.texture.txt 61 bytes
weathered.texture.txt 32 bytes
weathered.tga 48.53KB
whitelight.texture.txt 33 bytes
whitelight.tga 48.53KB
win.texture.txt 41 bytes
win.tga 64.04KB
yellow.tga 8.53KB
loco_shadow
black.texture.txt 28 bytes
black.tga 210 bytes
loco_shadow.im 371.62KB
• lstub.gs 115 bytes
• trs_smoke.tfx 456 bytes
window_wipers
anim.kin 10.86KB
awipers.im 20.55KB
dirtbogmedium.texture.txt 36 bytes
dirtbogmedium.tga 768.53KB
gray2.texture.txt 28 bytes
gray2.tga 1.50MB
wipers.im 20.55KB