The 46 class was a type of mainline electric locomotive built by Metropolitan-Vickers and its partner Beyer, Peacock & Company in England for the Department of Railways New South Wales. They later operated for the Public Transport Commission, State Rail Authority and FreightCorp with most remaining in service into the 1990s.

History 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. The first was delivered in June 1956.Australia's Most Powerful Locomotives for Work on Steep Mountain Grades Railway Transportation August 1956 pages 26-29, 40The 46-Class Electric Locomotive Australian Railway Historical Society Bulletin issue 228 October 1956 pages 142-144

They hauled passenger services from Sydney Central and freight services from Rozelle and Enfield yards.New South Wales Mixed-Traffic Locomotives Railway Gazette 14 February 1958 pages 192-196

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.

From 1970 they hauled the Indian Pacific from Sydney Central to Lithgow. Because of the Commonwealth Railways stainless steel carriage stock having shorter than normal buffing plates, 4601-4604 had their buffers removed at one end to avoid buffer locking in 1970 with 4605-4608 similarly treated in 1974.Bufferless 46 Class are Causing Problems Railway Digest March 1970 page 11Bufferless 46 Class Railway Digest July 1974 page 15

Demise and preservation 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 By April 1993, a number had been withdrawn and partially stripped with 31 in service or under repair.46 Class report Railway Digest May 1993 page 191 Following a decision by National Rail to use diesel locomotives on its services over the electrified network, the need for electric locomotives decreased.Night Ban on Short North Diesel Use Railway Digest September 1994 page 11 In December 1994, ten were sold for scrap.State Rail's Locomotive Auction Results Railway Digest January 1995 page 36 The remaining class members had been withdrawn by January 1996.Remaining 46 Class Units go into Storage Railway Digest April 1996 page 9

A few examples have survived into preservation with locomotives 4601 and 4638 owned by Transport Heritage NSW, 4615 and 4627 owned by the Sydney Electric Train Society (SETS) and 4602 owned by the Dorrigo Steam Railway and Museum. 4601 is located at the Valley Heights Rail Museum and 4638 is stored at the Chullora Heritage Hub.Locomotive 4601 Valley Heights Rail MuseumVeteran electric finds new home as in traffic units face uncertain future Railway Digest July 1998 page 10

4615 was purchased in 1998 and was previously at the Junee Roundhouse Railway Museum until it was moved from in 2015 via ParkesNSW 46 Class Electric Locomotive 4615 Sydney Electric Train Society86 Class Electric Reactivated Motive Power issue 120 November 2018 page 74627 was previously owned by the Hunter Valley Railway Trust, but it was purchased by SETS in 2013. Both were later transferred to Lithgow in June 2018 and July 2023 with the former planned for operational restoration while the latter is planned for static restoration.NSW 46 Class Electric Locomotive 4627 Sydney Electric Train Society

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 (the locomotive involved in the Granville rail disaster) ran away for , reaching speeds up to downhill before a massive 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, rendering the train brakes inoperative. On 16 January 1976, a freight train hauled by 4622 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 84 lives. The locomotive was condemned and scrapped.Three Locomotives Condemned Railway Digest September 1977 page 217

Fleet Status +NumberEntered serviceWithdrawnLocationStatus460126/06/195614/04/1994Valley Heights, NSWStatic Display460219/07/195628/02/1994Dorrigo, NSWStored460310/09/195616/01/1996 -Scrapped460410/09/195616/01/1996 -Scrapped460528/09/195609/12/1993 -Scrapped460628/09/195615/01/1996 -Scrapped460719/10/195617/01/1996 -Scrapped460812/10/195617/01/1996 -Scrapped460919/10/195616/01/1996 -Scrapped461026/10/195615/01/1996 -Scrapped461119/11/195601/09/1995 -Scrapped461230/01/195715/01/1996 -Scrapped461327/12/195617/01/1996 -Scrapped461428/12/195619/01/1996 -Scrapped461521/01/195717/01/1996Lithgow, NSWStored461607/03/1957? -Scrapped461728/01/195704/03/1994Junee, NSWStored (Cab only)461804/03/195704/05/1989 -Scrapped461917/03/195713/04/1992 -Scrapped462027/03/195718/01/1977 - Scrapped462116/04/195716/01/1996 -Scrapped462208/04/1957? -Scrapped462301/05/1957? -Scrapped462421/05/195706/05/1994 -Scrapped462505/06/1957? -Scrapped462629/05/195717/01/1996 -Scrapped462709/05/195717/01/1996Lithgow, NSWStored462806/07/195729/11/1995 -Scrapped462920/07/195715/01/1996 -Scrapped463017/08/195722/11/1995 -Scrapped463121/10/195719/04/1990 -Scrapped463202/11/195707/11/1990 -Scrapped46339/11/195707/11/1990 -Scrapped463413/01/195805/09/1990 -Scrapped463503/04/195812/02/1991 -Scrapped463609/05/195808/02/1994 -Scrapped463720/06/195812/02/1991 -Scrapped4638?16/01/1996Chullora, NSWStored463905/12/195815/01/1996 -Scrapped464019/12/195818/10/1990 -Scrapped

References

Further reading