The 44 class are a class of diesel-electric locomotives built by AE Goodwin, Auburn for the New South Wales Department of Railways between 1957 and 1967.
History
The 44 class were built by AE Goodwin, the Australian licence of US company Alco, and were based on the Alco DL500B model. The locomotives were fitted with Alco 12-251B engines, developing 1343 kW. They were built in two batches, the first 60 between July 1957 and April 1961 and the second 40 between October 1965 and December 1967. The last 40 had Associated Electrical Industries as opposed to General Electric generators and traction motors, as well as illuminated segregated number boxes at the No.2 end. The model was very similar to dual cab South Australian Railways 930 class, the RENFE Classes 316 and 318 and the Hellenic State Railways Class A300.
With driving cabs within both ends, the front (No.1 end) of the locomotive had a rounded nose (although not as round as the Clyde/GM "Bulldog nose" type) and a flat nose at the No.2 end. During their career, the locomotives served every part of New South Wales and operated every type of train.
In the late 1980s, some earlier examples in need of rewiring began to be withdrawn, but many survived into the 1990s, with the last being withdrawn in July 1997. Over forty still owned by the State Rail Authority were auctioned off in December 1994."State Rail's Locomotive Auction Results" Railway Digest January 1995 page 36
While most were scrapped, a number saw service with other freight operators. Chicago Freight Car Leasing Australia, Great Northern Rail Services, Independent Rail of Australia, Silverton Rail and Southern Shorthaul Railroad all operated 44s, with most ending up with Qube Logistics until their final withdrawal in 2014.
A number of preserved examples are main-line registered and, as well as operating heritage trains, are used periodically by other operators.44 Class Railpage44 Class Vicsig
Three are on Transport Heritage NSW's Heritage and Conservation Register list. 4401 was in the custody of 3801 Limited, and 4403 was with the Australian Railway Historical Society, Canberra until 2017. 4401 is now in the custody of the Junee Roundhouse Railway Museum, and 4403 and 4490 are with the NSW Rail Museum.RailCorp S170 Heritage & Conservation Register RailCorp
Fleet status +LocomotiveSerial NoCompletedCurrent OwnerLiveryStatus440182807Jul 57Transport Heritage NSWIndian redPreserved, Static Display, Junee4402?Sep 57N/ATuscan redScrapped440382809Nov 57Transport Heritage NSWCandyPreserved, Operational, Thirlmere4404?Jan 58N/ATuscan redScrapped4405?Feb 58N/ACandyScrapped4406?Feb 58N/ACandyScrapped4407?Feb 58N/ATuscan redScrapped4408?Mar 58N/ATuscan redScrapped4409?Apr 58N/ATuscan redScrapped4410?Apr 58N/ATuscan redScrapped4411?May 58N/ATuscan redScrapped4412?May 58N/ATuscan redScrapped4413?June 58N/ATuscan redScrapped4414?June 58N/ATuscan redScrapped4415?June 58N/AIndian redScrapped4416?June 58N/ATuscan redScrapped4417?June 58N/ATuscan redScrapped4418?July 58N/ATuscan redScrapped4419?Sep 58N/ACandyScrapped442082892Sep 58Dorrigo Steam Railway & MuseumRed terrorPreserved, Stored, Dorrigo4421?Oct 58N/AIndian redScrapped4422?Sep 58N/ATuscan redScrapped4423?Oct 58N/AReverse Indian redScrapped4424?Sep 58N/ACandyScrapped4425?Oct 58N/ACandyScrapped4426?Oct 58N/ATuscan redScrapped4427?Nov 58N/ARedScrapped4428?Nov 58N/ACandyScrapped4429?Nov 58N/ATuscan redScrapped4430?Dec 58N/ATuscan redScrapped4431?Nov 58N/ACandyScrapped4432?Nov 58N/ACandyScrapped4433?Dec 58N/ATuscan redScrapped4433?Dec 58N/ATuscan redScrapped4434?Dec 58N/ATuscan redScrapped4435?Jan 59N/ATuscan redScrapped4436?Jan 59N/ATuscan redScrapped4437?Feb 59N/ATuscan redScrapped4438?Mar 59N/ARedScrapped4439?Apr 59N/ACandyScrapped4440?Oct 59N/ATuscan redScrapped4441?Apr 60N/ATuscan redScrapped4442?Aug 60N/ATuscan redScrapped4443?Aug 60N/ATuscan redScrapped4444?Sep 60N/ATuscan redScrapped4445?Sep 60N/ATuscan redScrapped4446?Sep 60N/ATuscan redScrapped4447?Sep 60N/ARedScrapped4448?Oct 60N/ARedScrapped4449?Oct 60N/ATuscan redScrapped4450?Oct 60N/ATuscan redScrapped4451?Oct 60N/ATuscan redScrapped4452?Nov 60N/ATuscan redScrapped4453?Nov 60N/ATuscan redScrapped4454?Dec 60N/ARedScrapped4455?Dec 60N/ATuscan redScrapped4456?Jan 61N/ARedScrapped4457?Jan 61N/ATuscan redScrapped445883748Feb 61Qube LogisticsSilverStored, Junee4459?Mar 61N/ATuscan redScrapped4460?Apr 61N/ACandyScrapped4461?Oct 65Qube LogisticsIRA Simple Red & WhiteStored4462?Nov 65N/ATuscan redScrapped4463?Dec 65Qube logisticsIRA Simple Red & WhiteStored4464G-3421-04Jan 66Transport Heritage NSWIndian redPreserved, Operational4465G-3421-05Feb 66John CurreyCandyStored, Werris Creek4466?Mar 66N/ACandyScrapped4467?May 66N/ACandyScrapped4468?May 66UnknownIndian redStored4469?Jun 66N/ARedScrapped4470?Jun 66N/ARedScrapped4471?Aug 66Qube LogisticsCFCLA Stored 4472G-3421-12Aug 66The Picnic TrainSilver & YellowUndergoing Restoration, Junee Railway Workshops4473G-3421-13Sep 66Transport Heritage NSWIndian redPreserved, Operational4474?Sep 66N/ACandyScrapped4475?Nov 66N/ARedScrapped4476?Nov 66N/ATuscan redScrapped4477G-3421-17Dec 66Qube LogisticsCFCLAStored, Junee4478?Jan 67N/ATuscan redScrapped4479?Feb 67N/ARedScrapped4480?Feb 67N/AFreightCorp BlueScrapped4481?Mar 67N/ARedScrapped4482?Apr 67N/ARedScrapped4483?Apr 67Qube LogisticsSouthern Shorthaul RailroadStored4484?May 67N/ARedScrapped4485?May 67N/ARedScrapped4486G-3421-26May 67Transport Heritage NSWIndian redPreserved, Operational4487?Jun 67N/ARedScrapped4488G-3421-28Jul 67Qube LogisticsSilverStored, Junee4489?Jul 67N/ARedScrapped4490G-3421-30Jul 67Transport Heritage NSWIndian redPreserved, Operational, Thirlmere4491?Jul 67N/ARedScrapped4492?Aug 67N/ARedScrapped4493?Aug 67N/ARedScrapped4494?Aug 67N/ARedScrapped4495?Sep 67N/ACandyScrapped4496?Sep 67N/ACandyScrapped4497G-3421-37Oct 67Qube LogisticsSilverOperational, Junee4498?Nov 67Qube LogisticsCFCLAStored 4499?Dec 67N/AGreyScrapped44100?Dec 67N/ARedScrapped
References
Further reading
External links