New South Wales 46 class locomotive

The 46 class was a class of mainline electric locomotive built by Metropolitan-Vickers and its partner Beyer, Peacock and Company in England for the New South Wales Government Railways.[1]

New South Wales 46 class
SETS's 4615 at Junee Roundhouse Museum
in March 2011
Type and origin
Power typeElectric
BuilderMetropolitan-Vickers/Beyer Peacock, Bowesfield Works, Stockton-on-Tees, England
Serial number786-825
Build date1956-58
Total produced40
Specifications
Configuration:
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 • UICCo-Co
Gauge4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)
Wheel diameter45 in (1,143 mm)
Wheelbase41 ft 0 in (12.5 m)
LengthOver headstocks:
51 ft 2 in (15.60 m)
Over coupler pulling faces:
53 ft 11 1⁄4 in (16.44 m)
Width9 ft 7 in (2.92 m)
HeightOver stowed pantograph:
14 ft 6 in (4.42 m)
Axle load18 long tons 14 cwt (41,900 lb or 19 t)
Loco weight112 long tons 0 cwt (250,900 lb or 113.8 t)
Sandbox cap.18 cu ft (0.51 m3)
Electric system/s1,500 V DC Overhead
Current pickup(s)Two pantographs
Traction motorsMetropolitan-Vickers 272, 6 of
Performance figures
Maximum speed70 mph (113 km/h)
Power outputContinuous:
3,400 hp (2,540 kW)
One hour:
3,780 hp (2,820 kW)
Tractive effortContinuous:
36,700 lbf (163.25 kN)
One hour:
40,800 lbf (181.49 kN) at 34.5 mph (55.5 km/h)
Career
OperatorsNew South Wales Government Railways
Number in class40
Numbers4601-4640
First run25 June 1956
Preserved4601, 4602, 4615, 4627, 4638
Disposition35 Scrapped, 3 Static, 2 Stored

History
Preserved 4638 at Broadmeadow Locomotive Depot in July 2013

The locomotives were built at Bowesfield Works, Stockton-on-Tees, with electrical equipment supplied by Metropolitan-Vickers from its Trafford Park and Sheffield plants. Metropolitan-Vickers drew on experience gained from its earlier British Railways class 76 and 77 electric locomotives, which were used on the Woodhead Line in England and later in The Netherlands.

The locomotives were purchased as part of the electrification of the Main Western line over the Blue Mountains from Penrith to Bowenfels. They hauled passenger services from Sydney Central including from 1970 the Indian Pacific and freight services from Rozelle and Enfield yards.

From January 1960 they also began to operate to Gosford following the electrification of the Main Northern line. This was later extended to Broadmeadow and Newcastle in June 1984.

From 1968 they hauled coal services from Glenlee Colliery on the Main South line and from January 1986 began to operate to Port Kembla following the Illawarra line being electrified.

Demise

Their build quality and durability was such that 38 remained on the books in 1990. By April 1993, a number had been withdrawn and partially stripped with 31 in service or under repair.[2] Following a decision by National Rail to use diesel locomotives on its services over the electrified network, the need for electric locomotives decreased.[3] In December 1994, 10 were sold for scrap.[4] The remaining class members had been withdrawn by January 1996.[5]

Performance

The 40 members of the 46 class were the most powerful locomotives in Australia for many years, with a one-hour rating of 3,780 horsepower (2,820 kW) and ability to deliver more for short periods. They proved to be very reliable and were generally considered superior to the newer and more powerful Comeng 85 class and 86 class locomotives.

Motors and control gear

The 46 class featured six MV 272 traction motors fed current switched by electropneumatic power contactors. The MV 272 motor had six poles and was lap-wound. The driver's traction controls included the accelerating, reversing and regenerating handles. Nineteen starting and five field weakening resistances were available with the traction motors connected in series, series-parallel and parallel (for a total of seventy five manually selected power settings, e.g. OFF, starting resistors 1-19, all resistors cut out in 20, field weakening resistors cut in from 21 to 25). Series-parallel comprised two parallel circuits, each of three motors in series, whereas parallel is three parallel circuits of two motors in series. The removable reversing handle controlled the direction of travel and motor connection. Parallel was available only in the forward direction.

Accidents

The 46 class locomotives were involved in a number of serious incidents:

  • On 16 July 1965, a 44-vehicle freight train hauled by 4620 ran away for 4 miles (6.4 km), careering downhill at speeds of up to 95 miles per hour (153 km/h), before a spectacular derailment at Wentworth Falls in the Blue Mountains. Investigations revealed that whilst the air brake train pipe was connected from the locomotive to the train, the associated isolating cock was left closed. This rendered the train brakes inoperative.
  • On 16 January 1976, a freight train hauled by 4623 collided with the rear of a stationary double deck interurban electric multiple unit train at Glenbrook, killing one passenger. This accident was caused by a wrong-side signal failure. The automatic signal behind the EMU displayed "caution" when it should have been at "danger", thereby admitting the following goods train into the occupied signal section.
  • On 18 January 1977, 4620 was damaged in the Granville rail disaster, which claimed 83 lives. The locomotive was withdrawn and later scrapped.

Preservation

Five locomotives (and one cab) were saved for preservation:[6][7]

Preserved 46 class locomotives
Number Owner Location Status References/Notes
4601 Transport Heritage NSW Valley Heights Static Display [8]
4602 Dorrigo Steam Railway & Museum Dorrigo Stored
4615 Sydney Electric Train Society Lithgow Awaiting overhaul [9]
4617 Private owner Junee Stored Cab only
4627 Sydney Electric Train Society Rothbury Stored [10]
4638 Transport Heritage NSW Broadmeadow Stored
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References
  1. Singleton, CC (October 1956). "The 46-Class Electric Locomotive". Australian Railway Historical Society Bulletin. pp. 142–144.
  2. "46 Class report" Railway Digest May 1993 page 191
  3. "Night Ban on Short North Diesel Use" Railway Digest September 1994 page 11
  4. "State Rail's Locomotive Auction Results" Railway Digest January 1995 page 36
  5. "Remaining 46 Class Units go into Storage" Railway Digest April 1996 page 9
  6. 46 Class Railpage
  7. 46 Class Vicsig
  8. "Locomotive 4601". infobluemountains.net.au. Retrieved 9 May 2020.
  9. "SETS Fleet - Electric Locomotive 4615". www.sets.org.au. Retrieved 9 May 2020.
  10. "SETS Fleet - Electric Locomotive 4615". www.sets.org.au. Retrieved 9 May 2020.

Further reading
  • New South Wales Rail System Locomotives. Sydney: Archives Section, State Rail Authority of New South Wales. 1984.
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