Queensland Railways 1620 class
The 1620 class was a class of diesel locomotives built by English Electric, Rocklea for Queensland Railways between 1967 and 1969.
The 1620 class locomotives are similar to the New Zealand Railways DI class, also built at the Rocklea works.
History
The 1620 class was an evolution of the 1600 class being fitted with a hood nose. They operated in Central and North Queensland as well as hauling commuter trains in Brisbane.[1][2][3] The class was withdrawn in the mid 1990s with some sold to John Holland and exported to Malaysia and The Philippines.[4][5]
1647 has been recently noted to still be in use with Lafarge cement at Padang Jawa, near Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Six have been preserved:[2]
- 1620 retained as part of the Queensland Rail Heritage Fleet at the Workshops Rail Museum, North Ipswich, restored for main line operation
- 1632 leased to the Mary Valley Rattler, Gympie.
- 1639 leased to the Mary Valley Rattler, Gympie.
- 1649 leased to the Mary Valley Rattler, Gympie.
- 1650 by the Australian Railway Historical Society, stored at Redbank Railway Workshops
- 1651 at Redbank Workshops
Status table of preserved locomotives
| Number | In service | Withdrawn | Owner | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1620 | 01/1967 | 1991 | QR Heritage | Ipswich Workshops | Stored pending complete rewiring of electrical systems. Unlikely to be operational for the foreseeable future. |
| 1632 | 07/1967 | 1991 | Mary Valley Rattler | Gympie | Operational. Used as a replacement when a steam locomotive is not available. |
| 1639 | 10/1967 | 1991 | Mary Valley Rattler | Gympie | Stored in Gympie Yard as a source for spare parts. |
| 1649 | 02/1969 | 1991 | Mary Valley Rattler | Gympie | Stored in Gympie Yard as a source for spare parts. |
| 1650 | 03/1969 | 1991 | QR Heritage | Ipswich Workshops | Donated to QR Heritage by ARHS(QLD). Stored in good condition awaiting completion of a restoration initiated by the previous custodian. |
| 1651 | 03/1969 | 1991 | QR Heritage | Ipswich Workshops | Donated to QR Heritage by ARHS(QLD). Used as a source for spare parts. |
References
- ^ Oberg, Leon (1984). Locomotives of Australia 1850s-1980s. Frenchs Forest: Reed Books. p. 240. ISBN 0-730100-05-7.
- ^ a b 1600, 1620 Class Queensland's Great Trains
- ^ English Electric 1620 Class Queensland's Railway Interest Group
- ^ "QR Clydes to NZ, 'Poms' to Philippines [sic]" Railway Digest October 1995 page 15
- ^ The John Holland 1620s! Philippine Railway Historical Society
External links
