Victorian Railways Y class (diesel)

The Y class are a class of diesel locomotives built by Clyde Engineering, Granville for the Victorian Railways between 1963 and 1968.

Victorian Railways Y class
Y129 in current PTV / V/Line livery at Southern Cross station
Type and origin Power type Diesel-electric Builder Clyde Engineering, Granville Model EMD G6B Build date 1963–1968 Total produced 75
Specifications Configuration: ​  • UIC Bo-Bo Gauge 1,600 mm (5 ft 3 in) Length 13.28 m (43 ft 7 in) Loco weight 65 t Fuel type Diesel Prime mover EMD 6-567C (first 50) EMD 6-645 (last 25) Engine type V6 2-stroke Aspiration Naturally aspirated Generator EMD D25E Traction motors General Electric 237
Performance figures Maximum speed 65 km/h (40 mph); Y175 upgraded to 95 km/h (59 mph) Power output 480 kW (640 hp)
Career Operators Victorian Railways Number in class 75 Numbers Y101–Y175 First run 1963 Preserved Y127, Y133, Y135, Y137, Y159, Y164 Current owner Pacific National V/Line Newport Railway Museum Ettamogah Rail Hub Steamrail Victoria 707 Operations Disposition 17 in service, 6 preserved, 8 stored, 43 scrapped

History

Y109 (as Y145) at Newport Workshops in 2006

Preserved Seymour Railway Heritage Centre Y133 in July 2009

El Zorro Y145 in June 2008

V/Line Y129 at Southern Cross in October 2011

Y127 at Southern Cross in November 2021

Y119 stabled at the Seymour Railway Heritage Centre in April 2023

In 1963, the first of 25 general purpose diesel-electric locomotives was delivered by Clyde Engineering. As a cost saving measure, they were built with bogies and motors retrieved from scrapped Swing Door electric suburban train sets; the re-use of these components reduced the unit cost of the Y class locomotive from around £52,000 ($104,000) to £40,000 ($80,000).^[1] Two further orders saw the class total 75 by 1968.

Although built to dieselise Victoria's shunting operations and replace steam locomotives on branch line services, they were also used on mainline goods and passenger services, including between Spencer Street and Werribee.^[2]

After closure of branch lines across the state and the end of short pick-up goods trains, use of the class dropped.^[3]

In the 1980s, it is thought that four Y Class locomotives were on standard gauge, typically Nos 101–104.

Withdrawals commenced from 1985 and large-scale scrappings commenced during 1991 and 1992.^[3]

After the mass-withdrawals of the Y fleet up to 1992, engines 101, 102, 104, 150 and 151 were on standard gauge, as 103 had been withdrawn in the late 1980s. Y101 followed in the early '90s after suffering a collision, but it was not directly replaced.

From 1995, under the newly formed V/Line Freight division, engines Y115, Y151, Y152 and Y169 were running trains on standard gauge, and locomotives Y124 and Y142 were confined to shunting at South Dynon. Within a few years Y150 had replaced Y115 on standard gauge, with the latter engine shifting to Ballarat as a yard pilot. Around the same time, Y169 replaced Y102, and Y152 replaced Y104. These two engines were stored at Newport workshops, then transferred to South Dynon's "rotten row" where they sat for about a decade.

Only two engines—Y152 and Y165—were repainted into the V/Line Freight scheme, which was essentially the same as previous with a new decal and a lighter grey.

The 1999 sale of V/Line Freight to Freight Victoria included engines 110, 113, 115, 118–119, 121–122, 138, 150–152, 157, 165, 169, 171 and 174.^[4] Some of these were upgraded by 2002 using traction motors and gear sets cascaded from the Freight Australia A and X Class locomotive upgrades, permitting operation at 80 km/h. This required replacing the original plain whitemetal axle boxes; in the short term they were modified but eventually they were all replaced with custom units, obviating the need for fortnightly lubrication of the bearings. Air conditioning was also fitted.^[5]

Today, four are in service with V/Line as carriage yard shunters and fitted with low speed controls,^[6] with others owned by freight operator Pacific National.^[7][8][9] Seventeen units are officially preserved, though only a handful of those are operational.

Status table

Key:	In Service	Stored	Preserved	Scrapped
Locomotive	Entered service	Current status	Name	Owner(s)	Notes
Y101 (1st order)	Tuesday, 17 September 1963	Scrapped – 1992		VR (Built), VicRail (1976), V/Line (1983)
Y102	Tuesday, 17 September 1963	Preserved - Operational		VR (Built), VicRail (1976), V/Line (1983), SRHC (2015)
Y103	Wednesday, 25 September 1963	Scrapped – 1992		VR (Built), VicRail (1976), V/Line (1983)
Y104	Wednesday, 25 September 1963	Stored		VR (Built), VicRail (1976), V/Line (1983), SRHC (2015)
Y105	Friday, 4 October 1963	Scrapped – 1992		VR (Built), VicRail (1976), V/Line (1983)
Y106	Friday, 4 October 1963	Scrapped – 1991		VR (Built), VicRail (1976), V/Line (1983)
Y107	Tuesday, 15 October 1963	Scrapped – 1991		VR (Built), VicRail (1976), V/Line (1983)
Y108	Tuesday, 15 October 1963	Stored		VR (Built), VicRail (1976), V/Line (1983), 707 Operations (2015)
Y109 (as Y145)	Friday, 25 October 1963	Preserved		VR (Built), VicRail (1976), V/Line (1983), 707 Operations (1996),[10][11] El Zorro (2005), Yarra Valley Tourist Railway (2014)
Y110	Friday, 25 October 1963	Scrapped – 2011		VR (Built), VicRail (1976), V/Line (1983), FV/FA (1999/2000), PN (2004)
Y111	Wednesday, 6 November 1963	Scrapped – 1991		VR (Built), VicRail (1976), V/Line (1983)	As per all VR locos that ever carried the number "111" was known as "Lord Nelson" by Drivers and Fitters (1 x eye; 1 x arm; 1 x bottom). Had A7-EL Automatic Brake handle in cab (instead of No.4; Independent was a Westinghouse "W" type self lapping brake as per other Y class) but did NOT have full A7EL brake equipment.
Y112	Wednesday, 6 November 1963	Scrapped – 1992		VR (Built), VicRail (1976), V/Line (1983)
Y113	Tuesday, 19 November 1963	Scrapped – 2011		VR (Built), VicRail (1976), V/Line (1983), FV/FA (1999/2000), PN (2004)
Y114	Tuesday, 19 November 1963	Scrapped – 1992		VR (Built), VicRail (1976), V/Line (1983)
Y115	Thursday, 28 November 1963	In Service		VR (Built), VicRail (1976), V/Line (1983), FV/FA (1999/2000), PN (2004), Ettamogah Rail Hub (2015)
Y116	Thursday, 28 November 1963	Scrapped – 1992		VR (Built), VicRail (1976), V/Line (1983)
Y117	Tuesday, 10 December 1963	Scrapped – 1991		VR (Built), VicRail (1976), V/Line (1983)
Y118	Tuesday, 10 December 1963	Scrapped – 2015		VR (Built), VicRail (1976), V/Line (1983), FV/FA (1999/2000), PN (2004)
Y119	Thursday, 19 December 1963	Stored		VR (Built), VicRail (1976), V/Line (1983), FV/FA (1999/2000), PN (2004), Ettamogah Rail Hub (2015)	Used as a shunter at SRHC.
Y120	Thursday, 19 December 1963	Scrapped – 1992		VR (Built), VicRail (1976), V/Line (1983)
Y121	Tuesday, 7 January 1964	Scrapped – 2011		VR (Built), VicRail (1976), V/Line (1983), FV/FA (1999/2000), PN (2004)
Y122	Tuesday, 7 January 1964	Scrapped – 2015		VR (Built), VicRail (1976), V/Line (1983), FV/FA (1999/2000), PN (2004)
Y123	Friday, 17 January 1964	Scrapped – 1991		VR (Built), VicRail (1976), V/Line (1983)	FIRST Diesel-Electric Commissioners' Locomotive. Only geared as standard for 40 M.P.H. / 65 km/h. Interior of cab painted non-standard plain white for Commissioners' Train use. Replaced steam locomotive D3 639 (really D3 658) until arrival of 60 M.P.H. geared Y 175 in August 1968. Commissioners' Driver at change-over from steam to diesel was Tommy Donnelly.
Y124	Friday, 17 January 1964	In Service		VR (Built), VicRail (1976), V/Line (1983), FV/FA (1999/2000), PN (2004)
Y125	Monday, 10 February 1964	Stored		VR (Built), VicRail (1976), V/Line (1983), DERMPAV (2015)
Y126 (2nd order)	Tuesday, 4 May 1965	Scrapped – 1992		VR (Built), VicRail (1976), V/Line (1983)
Y127	Tuesday, 4 May 1965	Preserved – Operational		VR (Built), VicRail (1976), V/Line (1983), 707 Operations (????)	Repainted into V/Line orange & grey 2021
Y128	Saturday, 22 May 1965	Scrapped – 1988		VR (Built), VicRail (1976), V/Line (1983)
Y129	Saturday, 22 May 1965	In Service		VR (Built), VicRail (1976), V/Line (1983), V/Line Passenger (1995)	PTV livery. Southern Cross and Geelong Yard pilot
Y130	Saturday, 22 May 1965	Scrapped – 2011		VR (Built), VicRail (1976), V/Line (1983)
Y131	Friday, 4 June 1965	Scrapped – 1992		VR (Built), VicRail (1976), V/Line (1983)
Y132	Friday, 4 June 1965	Scrapped – 1992		VR (Built), VicRail (1976), V/Line (1983)
Y133	Thursday, 17 June 1965	Preserved – Operational		VR (Built), VicRail (1976), V/Line (1983), VicTrack Heritage (????).	Allocated to the Victorian Goldfields Railway
Y134	Thursday, 17 June 1965	In Service	Yoda (unofficial)	VR (Built), VicRail (1976), V/Line (1983), Progress-Rail Cardiff	Was EDi / Downer pilot at Cardiff. Now Progress Rail pilot at Cardiff, not used, in storage.
Y135	Sunday, 27 June 1965	Stored		VR (Built), VicRail (1976), V/Line (1983), South Gippsland Railway (????), Yarra Valley Railway (2016)[12]
Y136	Sunday, 27 June 1965	In Service	James W Ryan (preserved)	VR (Built), VicRail (1976), V/Line (1983), EDI-Rail (????)	Newport Workshops pilot
Y137	Saturday, 10 July 1965	Preserved – Static		VR (Built), VicRail (1976), V/Line (1983), VicTrack Heritage (????)	Allocated to Newport Railway Museum
Y138	Saturday, 10 July 1965	Scrapped – 2011		VR (Built), VicRail (1976), V/Line (1983), FV/FA (1999/2000), PN (2004)
Y139	Wednesday, 21 July 1965	Scrapped – 1992		VR (Built), VicRail (1976), V/Line (1983)
Y140	Wednesday, 21 July 1965	Scrapped – 1996		VR (Built), VicRail (1976), V/Line (1983)
Y141	Saturday, 31 July 1965	Scrapped – 1992		VR (Built), VicRail (1976), V/Line (1983)
Y142	Saturday, 31 July 1965	In Service		VR (Built), VicRail (1976), V/Line (1983), FV/FA (1999/2000), PN (2004), ERH (201?)	Leased to the VGR IN 2019.
Y143	Thursday, 12 August 1965	Stored		VR (Built), VicRail (1976), V/Line (1983), 707 Operations (2015)
Y144	Thursday, 12 August 1965	Scrapped – 1992		VR (Built), VicRail (1976), V/Line (1983)
Y145	Thursday, 26 August 1965	Scrapped – 2014		VR (Built), VicRail (1976), V/Line (1983); Great Northern Rail Services (1994 – frame only), El Zorro (2003)
Y146	Thursday, 26 August 1965	Scrapped – 1992		VR (Built), VicRail (1976), V/Line (1983)
Y147	Thursday, 16 September 1965	In Service	Leased to the VGR IN 2019.	VR (Built), VicRail (1976), V/Line (1983), FV/FA (1999/2000), PN (2004), ERH (201?)
Y148	Thursday, 16 September 1965	In Service		VR (Built), VicRail (1976), V/Line (1983), BlueScope Steel (????)	Long Island pilot
Y149	Saturday, 2 October 1965	Scrapped – 1996		VR (Built), VicRail (1976), V/Line (1983)
Y150	Saturday, 2 October 1965	Scrapped – 2011		VR (Built), VicRail (1976), V/Line (1983), FV/FA (1999/2000), PN (2004)
Y151 (3rd order)	Thursday, 21 December 1967	In Service		VR (Built), VicRail (1976), V/Line (1983), FV/FA (1999/2000), PN (2004), Ettamogah Rail Hub (2015)
Y152	Thursday, 21 December 1967	Stored		VR (Built), VicRail (1976), V/Line (1983), FV/FA (1999/2000), PN (2004), VicTrack Heritage (2009)	Stored Seymour.
Y153	Saturday, 13 January 1968	Scrapped – 1992		VR (Built), VicRail (1976), V/Line (1983)
Y154	Saturday, 13 January 1968	Scrapped – 1992		VR (Built), VicRail (1976), V/Line (1983)
Y155	Wednesday, 31 January 1968	Scrapped – 1992		VR (Built), VicRail (1976), V/Line (1983)
Y156	Friday, 23 February 1968	In Service		VR (Built), VicRail (1976), V/Line (1983), V/Line Passenger (1995)	PTV livery. Southern Cross and Geelong yard pilot
Y157	Wednesday, 28 February 1968	In Service		VR (Built), VicRail (1976), V/Line (1983), FV/FA (1999/2000), PN (2004), ERH (201?)	Used as a shunter at SSR Bendigo Workshops. Leased to the VGR IN 2019.
Y158	Thursday, 14 March 1968	Scrapped – 1992		VR (Built), VicRail (1976), V/Line (1983)
Y159	Thursday, 14 March 1968	Preserved – Operational		VR (Built), VicRail (1976), V/Line (1983), Daylesford Spa Country Railway (????)
Y160	Wednesday, 3 April 1968	Scrapped – 1992		VR (Built), VicRail (1976), V/Line (1983)
Y161	Wednesday, 3 April 1968	In Service		VR (Built), VicRail (1976), V/Line (1983), V/Line Passenger (1995)	PTV Livery. based at Southern Cross or Geelong Yards as yard pilot
Y162	Saturday, 27 April 1968	Scrapped – 1988		VR (Built), VicRail (1976), V/Line (1983)
Y163	Saturday, 27 April 1968	In service		VR (Built), VicRail (1976), V/Line (1983), V/Line Passenger (1995)	PTV Livery. Southern Cross and Geelong Yard Pilot
Y164	Saturday, 18 May 1968	Preserved – Operational		VR (Built), VicRail (1976), V/Line (1983), VicTrack Heritage (1991)	Allocated to Steamrail Victoria. Currently Newport Workshops West Block pilot.
Y165	Saturday, 18 May 1968	Scrapped (Jan 2020)		VR (Built), VicRail (1976), V/Line (1983), FV/FA (1999/2000), PN (2004–2020)
Y166	Wednesday, 5 June 1968	Scrapped – 1991		VR (Built), VicRail (1976), V/Line (1983)
Y167	Wednesday, 5 June 1968	Scrapped – 1992		VR (Built), VicRail (1976), V/Line (1983)
Y168	Tuesday, 18 June 1968	Stored		VR (Built), VicRail (1976), V/Line (1983), DERMPAV (????)
Y169	Tuesday, 18 June 1968	Stored		VR (Built), VicRail (1976), V/Line (1983), FV/FA (1999/2000), PN (2004), Ettamogah Rail Hub (2015)
Y170	Saturday, 13 July 1968	Scrapped – 1992		VR (Built), VicRail (1976), V/Line (1983)
Y171	Saturday, 13 July 1968	Stored		VR (Built), VicRail (1976), V/Line (1983), FV/FA (1999/2000), PN (2004), Ettamogah Rail Hub (2015)
Y172	Thursday, 25 July 1968	Scrapped – 1992		VR (Built), VicRail (1976), V/Line (1983)
Y173	Thursday, 25 July 1968	Scrapped – 1996		VR (Built), VicRail (1976), V/Line (1983), Australian Paper Mills (may have been leased only; was painted yellow)
Y174	Thursday, 8 August 1968	Stored		VR (Built), VicRail (1976), V/Line (1983), FV/FA (1999/2000), PN (2004), Ettamogah Rail Hub (2015)
Y175	Thursday, 8 August 1968	Scrapped – 1992		VR (Built), VicRail (1976), V/Line (1983).	Downgraded to "standard" Y class 65 km/h gearing circa 1980 when T class locomotives (399, 400, 403, 406, 410) took over Commissioners' Train role. Was only Y fitted with a 64 Volt power outlet (above main reservoir on Driver's side) for powering batteries on Norman Car on Commissioners' Train overnight).

References

1. "REPORT FROM THE COMMITTEE OF PUBLIC ACCOUNTS UPON DERAILMENTS ON THE VICTORIAN RAILWAY SYSTEM" (PDF). Parliament of Victoria. 8 December 1964. p. 27. Archived (PDF) from the original on 22 December 2015. Retrieved 17 December 2015.
2. Oberg, Leon (1984). Locomotives of Australia 1850-1980s. Frenchs Forest: Reed Books. pp. 247, 248. ISBN 0-730100-05-7.
3. Railmac Publications (1992). Australian Fleetbooks: V/Line locomotives. Kitchner Press. ISBN 0-949817-76-7.
4. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 1 September 2015.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
5. Hewison, P, Kimpton, R. (2002) Freight Australia's Rollingstock Initiatives, Conference on Railway Engineering, Wollongong, 10–13 November 2002, p.294-295
6. Newsrail February 1997 p. 89
7. Y Class diesel electric locomotives Archived 7 December 2013 at the Wayback Machine Mark Bau's VR website
8. Y Class Archived 26 February 2014 at the Wayback Machine Railpage
9. Y Class Archived 29 August 2016 at the Wayback Machine Vicsig
10. ":: 707 Operations Inc – Steam Trains of Australia ::". 12 July 2005. Archived from the original on 12 July 2005.
11. ":: 707 Operations Inc – Steam Trains of Australia ::". 12 July 2005. Archived from the original on 12 July 2005.
12. "Facebook". www.facebook.com. Archived from the original on 20 February 2022. Retrieved 10 July 2021.