Victorian Railways S class (diesel)

The S class are a class of diesel locomotives built by Clyde Engineering, Granville for the Victorian Railways between 1957 and 1961.

History The S class was based on the Electro-Motive Diesel F7 design and were very similar to the GM12 class then being built by Clyde Engineering for the Commonwealth Railways. They were mechanically similar to the 1952 built double ended B class.

Delivery The first order for 10 locomotives were progressively delivered between August 1957 and February 1958. The first four took the names and numbers of the recently scrapped S class steam locomotives, with all being named after prominent Victorians. An additional eight locomotives were ordered for use on the new North East standard gauge line and delivered between November 1960 and December 1961.

The first locomotives were built in New South Wales and tested both as light engines (without trains) and later hauling trains, then they were delivered to Wodonga in Victoria and converted to broad gauge on cranes there. Later locomotives ran through to Melbourne on the then-under-construction standard gauge mainline. S316, the second-to-last, was utilised on a consolidating train (to help settle recently laid ballast) between Wodonga and Seymour on 29 November 1961, then later it and classmate S317 ran an inspection train as far as Sunshine.

On 3 January 1962 the first through freight trains between Sydney and Melbourne arrived at and departed North Dynon, worked by engines S313, S314, S315, S316 and S317 between Melbourne and Albury in various combinations. On 10 April 1962 S317 worked with Victorian carriage 1VFK to test clearances in the newly constructed Spencer Street standard gauge platform, and one of the bogie-mounted brake cylinders fouled the new structure of Platform 2. S310, S311 and S312 had been in use on the broad gauge network following delivery, but all three were moved to the standard gauge by 14 April 1962. S305 worked on standard gauge from October 1964 for around five months, to allow other engines (starting with S310) to enter South Dynon workshops for maintenance. However, the engine failed and so S312 was forced back into service to fill gaps in the roster without undergoing repairs.

Utilisation The class were initially used on express passenger trains such as the Intercapital Daylight, Southern Aurora, Spirit of Progress and The Overland, but were also used on fast freights. On the broad gauge, they often operated in pairs, while on the standard gauge they usually ran solo.S class diesel electric locomotives Mark Bau's VR website A second 'hostlers' cab was provided at the number two end, but was only used around depots, or to haul empty carriages short distances.

In February 1969, two were destroyed in the Violet Town railway disaster, and were deemed uneconomical to repair and scrapped. In January 1967 S317 was badly damaged in a head-on collision with X33 south of Broadford Loop and was returned to Clyde Engineering for rebuilding. In June 1982, S317 was again involved in a fatal accident when it ran into the rear of the Spirit of Progress at Barnawartha, killing the crew.

As more modern locomotives were introduced, those on the standard gauge moved to the broad gauge. Examples would periodically appear on the standard gauge.

When the G Class engines entered service, the railways declared that no more S Class engines would undergo major overhauls. The last two had been S301 in 1985 and S307 in 1986; as of July 1987, engines S303, 304, 305 and 309 were withdrawn, 308 banned as a leading unit and 306 was under minor repair but still in the VR Blue livery.Newsrail September 1988 p. 282 In February 1994, four (300, 302, 311, 312) were sold to West Coast Railway for use on their Melbourne to Warrnambool passenger service. By April 1999, only four remained in the V/Line fleet and even these were only used during periods of high demand."The Last of the Bulldogs" Railway Digest April 1999 page 40 A few have been preserved.

The first known working of an S class locomotive east of Dandenong was on the 28 June 1986 run of the 8:25 am Bairnsdale passenger service, with N455 leading east-facing S309. S class engines were considered "familiar" on the Gippsland corridor by 1988, replacing withdrawn L class electric engines working briquette trains.

Engine locations were recorded as at 8 June 1987, thus: Engine Livery Location Status/allocation S300 V/Line Ballarat East Loco depot Wheat trains S301 V/Line South Dynon Standard gauge S302 VR Albury S303 VR South Dynon For soundproofing modifications S304 VR Albury S305 VR Withdrawn early 1986 S306 VR Bendigo Wheat trains S307 V/Line Ararat Briquette trains S308 VR South Dynon For soundproofing modifications S309 V/Line Geelong Wheat trains S310 V/Line Traralgon Briquette trains S311 VR Bendigo Wheat trains S312 V/Line Geelong Wheat trains S313 V/Line Bendigo Wheat trains S315 V/Line Bendigo Wheat trains S317 V/Line Geelong Goods trains

Due to complaints of excessive noise, S303 and S308 were been banned from use except as trailing engines on The Overland; on the date cited, S303 was being modified at South Dynon in an attempt to resolve the issue. S308 was also at Dynon, but for repairs to its traction motors. Otherwise, S class engines were mostly used on goods trains, including block grain, quarry and briquette services. Engine G521 was transferred to standard gauge in July 1987, which freed up S301 and X41 to return to broad gauge. S303 was returned to service, still restricted to a trailing unit only, on 20 July 1987, while S308 was being held at Dynon Workshops waiting for traction motors to be retrieved from the withdrawn B67 and B72. S301 was restored to broad gauge by this date.

Privatisation era Privatisation brought an upturn in the class' fortunes with some overhauled and as at May 2014, they remain in service with CFCL Australia, Pacific National and Southern Shorthaul Railroad.S Class RailpageS Class Vicsig In 2019, S300 and S311 were purchased privately from CFCLA.https://www.facebook.com/groups/2195575627125412/permalink/2669636536385983/ S311 was purchased from its private owner by SSR in mid 2020 and was promptly returned to service, still on standard gauge operating primarily in NSW. Pacific National donated S307 to the Seymour Railway Heritage Centre on 17 March 2023. Pacific National donated S301 to Steamrail Victoria on 7 March 2024, and it is now used on heritage operations. In 2025, the Pacific National patches that had been applied over S301's Freight Australia logos were replaced with "Steamrail Victoria" logos in the style of the FA logos.

In late July 2025, S317 was repainted into a Victorian Railways-inspired black and yellow scheme and renamed "Jenny Nally". The locomotive had previously been renamed "Jenny Molloy" when SSR inherited it from its predecessor Great Northern Rail Services in 2003. The locomotive's namesake had died in 2024, and the repaint was a tribute to her.https://www.ssr.com.au/tribute-to-jenny-nally S300's private owner also entrusted his locomotive to Steamrail Victoria and Seven-O-Seven Operations for use on railtours in late September.

Fleet status Key:In ServiceStoredPreservedUnder RestorationUnder RepairScrapped

LocomotiveSerial noNameEntered serviceWithdrawnScrappedLiveryStatusOwner(s)GaugeNotesFirst OrderS30057-164Matthew Flinders21 Aug 1957CFCLA Silver and Blue (Debranded)Preserved – Operational VR (Built), VicRail (1974), V/Line (1983), West Coast Railway (1994), CFCLA (2004), Privately owned (2019?)1,435 mm (4 ft in) standard gaugePrivately owned, Purchased from CFCL AustraliaS30157-165Sir Thomas Mitchell4 Sep 1957Freight Australia Green and Yellow with Steamrail LogosPreserved – Operational VR (Built), VicRail (1974), V/Line (1983), Freight Australia (1999), Pacific National (2004), Steamrail Victoria (2024)1,600 mm (5 ft 3 in) broad gaugeDonated to Steamrail Victoria in March 2024S30257-166Edward Henty18 Sep 1957El Zorro Orange and Grey with SSR LogosScrapped - North Bendigo Workshops 2025VR (Built), VicRail (1974), V/Line (1983), West Coast Railway (1994), V/Line Passenger (2004), El Zorro (2006), Southern Shorthaul Railroad (2014)1,600 mm (5 ft 3 in) broad gaugeScrapped due to fire damage suffered in March 2022. S30357-167CJ La Trobe30 Sep 1957Jul 1988VR Blue and GoldPreserved – Operational VR (Built), VicRail (1974), V/Line (1983), VicTrack Heritage Register (1990)1,435 mm (4 ft in) standard gaugeAllocated to Seymour Railway Heritage CentreS30457-168George Bass15 Oct 1957May 1987Mar 1992VR Blue and GoldScrappedVR (Built), VicRail (1974), V/Line (1983)1,600 mm (5 ft 3 in) broad gaugeS30557-169Hamilton Hume4 Nov 19572 Dec 1985Feb 1991VR Blue and GoldScrappedVR (Built), VicRail (1974), V/Line (1983)1,600 mm (5 ft 3 in) broad gaugeS30657-170John Batman25 Nov 1957Jun 2019Pacific National Blue and YellowOut of Traffic – OverhaulVR (Built), VicRail (1974), V/Line (1983), Freight Australia (1999), Pacific National (2004), 707 Operations (2023).1,600 mm (5 ft 3 in) broad gaugeReturned to Broad Gauge in September 2018. Donated to 707 Operations in September 2023.S30757-171John Pascoe Fawkner10 Dec 1957Pacific National Blue and YellowPreserved – Operational VR (Built), VicRail (1974), V/Line (1983), Freight Australia (1999), Pacific National (2004), SRHC (2023)1,435 mm (4 ft in) standard gaugeDonated to the Seymour Railway Heritage Centre in March 2023S308 (SD308)58-179Sir Redmond Barry20 Jan 195825 Jul 1988V/Line Orange and GreyPreserved – Static VR (Built), VicRail (1974), V/Line (1983), VicTrack Heritage (????)1,600 mm (5 ft 3 in) broad gaugeAllocated to the Newport Railway Museum for static display. Renumbered Sd308 as a demonstration unit S30958-182William Lonsdale24 Feb 195819 Jul 19881996V/Line Orange and GreyScrappedVR (Built), VicRail (1974), V/Line (1983)1,600 mm (5 ft 3 in) broad gaugeSecond OrderS31060-227George Higinbotham25 Nov 1960V/Line Orange and GreyStoredVR (Built), VicRail (1974), V/Line (1983), Freight Australia (1999), Pacific National (2004), Seymour Railway Heritage Centre (2013)1,600 mm (5 ft 3 in) broad gaugeS31160-228Sir Ferdinand von Mueller16 Nov 1960CFCLA Silver and Blue with SSR LogosIn ServiceVR (Built), VicRail (1974), V/Line (1983), West Coast Railway (1994), CFCLA (2004), Privately Owned (2019?), Southern Shorthaul Railroad (2020) 1,435 mm (4 ft in) standard gaugeS31260-229Peter Lalor27 Jan 1961Rail Power Black with SSR LogosOperationalVR (Built), VicRail (1974), V/Line (1983), West Coast Railway (1995), Rail Power (2011), SSR (2017)S31361-230Alfred Deakin27 Feb 196114 Dec 1994VR Blue and GoldPreserved – Operational VR (Built), VicRail (1974), V/Line (1983), VicTrack Heritage Register (1996)1,600 mm (5 ft 3 in) broad gaugeWithdrawn after suffering a serious electrical fault, allocated to Steamrail Victoria in 1996, first ran in preservation in 1997S31461-231Sir John O'Shanassy20 Apr 19617 Feb 19697 Feb 1969VR Blue and GoldScrappedVR (Built)1,435 mm (4 ft in) standard gaugedestroyed Violet Town railway disasterS31561-238Sir Charles Gavan Duffy16 Oct 196123 Aug 1988Apr 1992V/Line Orange and GreyScrappedVR (Built), VicRail (1974), V/Line (1983)1,435 mm (4 ft in) standard gaugeS31661-239Sir Andrew Clarke10 Nov 19617 Feb 19697 Feb 1969VR Blue and GoldScrappedVR (Built)1,435 mm (4 ft in) standard gaugedestroyed Violet Town railway disasterS31761-240Jenny Nally7 Dec 1961Victorian Railways Inspired Black and YellowOperationalVR (Built), VicRail (1974), V/Line (1983), Great Northern (????), Southern Shorthaul Railroad (2004)1,435 mm (4 ft in) standard gaugeOriginally named Sir John Monash. Initially renamed Jenny Molloy when first repainted into SSR livery, renamed to Jenny Nally in July 2025 as a tribute to Ms. Nally.

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Victorian Railways S class (diesel)

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