Written By: Alex Thorn
Photos By:
Page Last Updated:
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The 48 class are branchline locomotives ordered by the NSWGR to be built by AE Goodwin. The class is made up of an eventual 6 orders placed between 1959 and 1970 making for 165 units produced in total.
The design was based on the Alco export model DL531 which had been used in countries such as Pakistan, India, Brazil and Peru. It was a simple design, with a flush roofline and cab and a narrow body. Engines installed were the Alco 251B, producing around 900hp, and no dynamic braking is fitted. Co-Co wheel arrangements were chosen, differing from the later VR branchline units which would opt for Bo-Bo bogies. Each unit of every order entered service in the standard NSWGR Indian Red colour scheme. Also in 1959, the South Australian Railways had placed an order of 45 830 class units which were virtually of the same design as the NSW 48 class. |
Liveries worn by 48 classes |
Mark 1
|
Locomotive Info:
Type: Diesel-Electric Number Built: 45 Operational: 5 Stored: 8 Scrapped: 23 Sold: 8 Preserved: 5 Model: DL531 Loco Length: 14.76 Meters Weight: 75 tonnes Engine: ALCo 6-251B Generator: GE GT584 Traction Motors: GE 761 Horsepower: 1050 Max Speed: 120 km/h |
4809-44212-4426-4501 lead a grain train at Willow Tree. (30/3/85)
Photo By: Roger Renton |
The NSWGR had put out a tender for 20 branchline diesel-electric locomotives in 1958 to replace aging steam locomotives which still hauled many of the branchline goods and passenger services around NSW. The tender for these units ultimately went to AE Goodwin at Auburn in 1959 with the first unit 4801, being delivered in August of that year and entering service in early September after trials. Further order of units were placed in 1960 and 1961. Further orders were made and by March 1965, 45 of the 48 class were in service, becoming the Mk1 fleet. In 1962, various members of the class had been installed with head end power units to supply train heating, particularly for the Cooma overnight mail trains. The Mk1 units were initially based at either Werris Creek or Casino. The first 16 units did not have exhaust stacks fitted, resulting in fumes entering the cab when operating long end. Exhaust stacks would later be retrofitted and become standard on all later units.
4820-4807-4823 lead a grain train at The Rock. (29/3/86)
Photo By: Chris Nuthall |
4836-4831-4845 with a container train at Junee. (7/5/94)
Photo By: Ian Green |
Locomotive Status
Click on underlined Road No. for more photos
Road No. |
Livery |
Owner |
Service Life |
Current State |
4801 |
Red Terror |
Transport Heritage NSW |
1 Sep 1959 - Aug 1994 |
Preserved - Stored |
4802 |
Red Terror |
State Rail Authority NSW |
12 Sep 1959 - Sep 1994 |
Scrapped |
4803 |
Indian Red |
Transport Heritage NSW |
28 Sep 1959 - Present |
Preserved - Operational |
4804 |
Red Terror |
Silverton |
Oct 1959 - Apr 1995 |
Scrapped |
4805 |
Red Terror |
Transport Heritage NSW |
Oct 1959 - Jan 1996 |
Stored |
4806 |
FreightCorp Blue |
Pacific National |
Nov 1959 - Apr 1994 |
Stored |
4807 |
Indian Red |
Transport Heritage NSW |
Nov 1959 - Present |
Preserved - Operational |
4808 |
Candy |
State Rail Authority NSW |
Nov 1959 - Jun 1994 |
Scrapped |
4809 |
Reverse Indian Red |
Cootes Industrial |
Nov 1959 - Apr 1994 |
Scrapped |
4810 |
Red Terror |
State Rail Authority NSW |
Dec 1959 - Aug 1994 |
Scrapped |
4811 |
Candy |
State Rail Authority NSW |
Dec 1959 - Sep 1994 |
Sold - renumbered to 48s36 |
4812 |
Indian Red |
State Rail Authority NSW |
Jan 1960 - Apr 1994 |
Sold - renumbered to CAR1 |
4813 |
Red Terror |
State Rail Authority NSW |
Jan 1960 - Sep 1994 |
Sold - renumbered to DA7 |
4814 |
Austrac |
Junee Rail Workshop |
Jan 1960 - Present |
Stored |
4815 |
Red Terror |
State Rail Authority NSW |
Feb 1960 - Aug 1994 |
Sold - renumbered to 48s34 |
4816 |
Austrac |
Junee Rail Workshop |
Feb 1960 - Present |
Stored |
4817 |
Indian Red |
State Rail Authority NSW |
Mar 1960 - Aug 1994 |
Scrapped |
4818 |
Red Terror |
Pacific National |
Mar 1960 - May 1997 |
Scrapped |
4819 |
RailCorp Orange and Grey |
Transport For NSW |
Apr 1960 - Present |
Operational |
4820 |
Indian Red |
Junee Rail Workshop |
May 1960 - Oct 1994 |
Stored |
4821 |
Indian Red |
Goulburn Rail Heritage Centre |
Oct 1960 - Present |
Preserved - Stored |
4822 |
Indian Red |
Dorrigo Museum |
Nov 1960 - Sep 1994 |
Preserved - Static |
4823 |
Red Terror |
State Rail Authority NSW |
Dec 1960 - Apr 1994 |
Scrapped |
4824 |
Red Terror |
State Rail Authority NSW |
Jan 1961 - Sep 1994 |
Scrapped |
4825 |
Reverse Indian Red |
State Rail Authority NSW |
Feb 1961 - Sep 1994 |
Sold - renumbered to 48s32 |
4826 |
Reverse Indian Red |
Australia National |
Feb 1961 - Oct 1994 |
Scrapped |
4827 |
RailCorp Orange and Grey |
Transport For NSW |
Mar 1961 - Present |
Operational |
4828 |
Reverse Indian Red |
Cootes Industrial |
Apr 1961 - May 1997 |
Scrapped |
4829 |
Reverse Indian Red |
State Rail Authority NSW |
May 1961 - Unknown |
Sold - renumbered to 48s33 |
4830 |
Indian Red |
Silverton |
Jun 1961 - Apr 1995 |
Scrapped |
4831 |
Indian Red |
State Rail Authority NSW |
Aug 1961 - Sep 1994 |
Scrapped |
4832 |
Reverse Indian Red |
CFCLA |
Oct 1961 - Apr 1994 |
Scrapped |
4833 |
Indian Red |
3801 Ltd |
Oct 1961 - Present |
Operational |
4834 |
Red Terror |
CFCLA |
Oct 1961 - Apr 1994 |
Scrapped |
4835 |
Tuscan |
State Rail Authority NSW |
Nov 1961 - Apr 1994 |
Scrapped |
4836 |
Austrac |
Junee Rail Workshop |
Nov 1961 - Present |
Stored |
4837 |
Red Terror |
Cootes Industrial |
Nov 1961 - Jun 1997 |
Scrapped |
4838 |
Candy |
State Rail Authority NSW |
Dec 1961 - Aug 1994 |
Sold - renumbered to 48s37 |
4839 |
Candy |
State Rail Authority NSW |
Dec 1961 - Aug 1994 |
Scrapped |
4840 |
Indian Red |
State Rail Authority NSW |
Dec 1961 - Apr 1992 |
Scrapped |
4841 |
Candy |
Cootes Industrial |
Jan 1962 - Jun 1997 |
Scrapped |
4842 |
Candy |
Cootes Industrial |
Jan 1962 - Unknown |
Scrapped |
4843 |
Candy |
State Rail Authority NSW |
Feb 1962 - Aug 1994 |
Sold - renumbered to 48s35 |
4844 |
Candy |
State Rail Authority NSW |
Mar 1962 - Aug 1994 |
Scrapped |
4845 |
Red Terror |
State Rail Authority NSW |
Mar 1962 - Aug 1994 |
Scrapped |
Mark 2
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Locomotive Info:
Type: Diesel-Electric Number Built: 45 Operational: 5 Stored: 8 Scrapped: 23 Sold: 8 Preserved: 5 Model: DL531 Loco Length: 14.76 Meters Weight: 75 tonnes Engine: ALCo 6-251B Generator: AEI 3602 Traction Motors: GE 761 Horsepower: 1050 Max Speed: 120 km/h |
4862-4866 with an up oil train near Camelia. (17/2/00)
Photo By: Chris Nuthall |
Mk2 units began to be delivered in June 1964 with 39 of the further order being in service by September 1965. These were rated at a power of 1050hp and were initially allocated to the Illawarra region to dieselise the area. However, by this period the 48 class had also operated more broadly around NSW including as shunting units in major goods yards and passenger stations.
4852-44206-4472-4523 with a grain train at Ardglen. (29/9/84)
Photo By: Roger Renton |
4854-G523-48134-4894 with a down grain train at Thornton. (26/5/11)
Photo By: Andy Warren |
Locomotive Status
Click on underlined Road No. for more photos
Road No. |
Livery |
Owner |
||
4846 |
FreightCorp Blue |
Grain Corp |
June 1964 - April 2016 |
Scrapped |
4847 |
Candy |
CFCLA |
June 1964 - June 1995 |
Scrapped |
4848 |
FreightCorp Blue |
Pacific National |
July 1964 - July 1997 |
Rebuilt - became PL1 |
4849 |
FreightCorp Blue |
Pacific National |
July 1964 - Jan 2003 |
Scrapped |
4850 |
FreightCorp Blue |
Pacific National |
Aug 1964 - Jan 2003 |
Scrapped |
4851 |
FreightCorp Blue |
Pacific National |
Aug 1964 - Present |
Stored |
4852 |
FreightCorp Blue |
Pacific National |
Aug 1964 - Apr 2002 |
Scrapped |
4853 |
FreightCorp Blue |
Pacific National |
Sep 1964 - Present |
Stored |
4854 |
FreightCorp Blue |
Pacific National |
Sep 1964 - Present |
Stored |
4855 |
FreightCorp Blue |
Pacific National |
||
4856 |
FreightCorp Blue |
Pacific National |
||
4857 |
FreightCorp Blue |
CFCLA |
||
4858 |
Indian Red |
NSWGR |
||
4859 |
Blue |
Private |
||
4860 |
FreightCorp Blue |
Pacific National |
||
4861 |
FreightCorp Blue |
Pacific National |
||
4862 |
FreightCorp Blue |
Pacific National |
||
4863 |
Indian Red |
NSWGR |
||
4864 |
FreightCorp Blue |
Grain Corp |
||
4865 |
FreightCorp Blue |
Pacific National |
||
4866 |
FreightCorp Blue |
Pacific National |
||
4867 |
FreightCorp Blue |
Pacific National |
||
4868 |
FreightCorp Blue |
Pacific National |
||
4869 |
FreightCorp Blue |
Pacific National |
||
4870 |
FreightCorp Blue |
Pacific National |
||
4871 |
FreightCorp Blue |
Pacific National |
||
4872 |
FreightCorp Blue |
Grain Corp |
||
4873 |
FreightCorp Blue |
Pacific National |
||
4874 |
FreightCorp Blue |
Pacific National |
||
4875 |
FreightCorp Blue |
Pacific National |
||
4876 |
FreightCorp Blue |
Pacific National |
||
4877 |
FreightCorp Blue |
Pacific National |
||
4878 |
FreightCorp Blue |
Grain Corp |
||
4879 |
FreightCorp Blue |
Pacific National |
||
4880 |
FreightCorp Blue |
Pacific National |
||
4881 |
FreightCorp Blue |
Pacific National |
||
4882 |
FreightCorp Blue |
Pacific National |
||
4883 |
FreightCorp Blue |
Pacific National |
||
4884 |
FreightCorp Blue |
Grain Corp |
||
4885 |
FreightCorp Blue |
Pacific National |