The WAGR A/AA/AB classes are classes of diesel locomotives built by Clyde Engineering, Granville, New South Wales, Australia, for the Western Australian Government Railways (WAGR) between 1960 and 1970.
History In July 1960 Clyde Engineering delivered the first of the WAGR's 14 A class locomotives. Six were assembled under contract by Commonwealth Engineering at Bassendean becoming the first diesel locomotives built in Western Australia. The last two were financed by Western Mining Corporation. A1506, A1513-14 were fitted with dynamic brakes.
In 1967 five improved AA class were delivered, followed by six AB classes in 1970. All were built at Granville and fitted with more powerful Electro Motive Diesel 12-645E engines.
In January 1998 ten (A1502-A1510 & AB1533) were sold to Tranz Rail."Westrail Motive Power" Railway Digest April 1998 p. 14. All were shipped to New Zealand in February 1998. Five were scrapped for parts, one sold to Tasrail for partsA Class Rail Tasmania. Retrieved 1 February 2014. and in November 2005, four were sold as hulks to National Railway Equipment Company and shipped to Mount Vernon, Illinois.A1504 Rail Pictures. Two of the latter were rebuilt and in 2010 sold to Ferrocarril de Antofagasta a Bolivia. There they were reunited with seven (A1512, AA1515-AA1519 & AB1532) that had been sold to the Chile operator in September 1998."Westrail" Railway Digest November 1998 p. 37.
Those remaining with Westrail were included in the sale of the business to Australian Railroad Group in October 2000. When the business was split in June 2006, A1513 and A1514 were transferred to Aurizon with the South Australian operations and were reclassified as the 1200 class while A1501 and the remaining four ABs passed to Aurizon with the Western Australian operations, and were renumbered AB1501-AB1504. In January 2008, A1501 was withdrawn and donated to Rail Heritage WA.Members Newsletter February 2008 Rail Heritage WA. Retrieved 1 February 2014. A1202, AB1501 and AB1502 were exported to South Africa in January 2015.
In April 2017, AB1535 was donated to Rail Heritage WA for use with the Wheatbelt Heritage Rail Project at Minnivale.
Class list (A) Key:In ServiceWithdrawnPreservedConvertedUnknownScrapped
Serial number Date built Original road number Renumbered as Current/Last Owner Status60-216June 1960A1501-Rail Heritage WAPreserved, Western Australian Rail Transport Museum, Bassendean.60-217July 1960A15021443Ferrocarril de Antofagasta a BoliviaExported to Chile62-263September 1962A1503CC5RusalRebuilt by NREX with low short-end hood and converted to metre gauge, exported to Guinea for use on Conakry – Fria bauxite trains in 2008.62-264October 1962A1504CC6Rusal62-265October 1962A1505-Tranz RailScrapped63-274June 1963A1506-Tranz RailScrapped64-371December 1964A1507-TasrailExported to Tasmania for parts, later scrapped64-372February 1965A1508-Tranz RailScrapped64-373February 1965A1509-Tranz RailScrapped65-374April 1965A15101444Ferrocarril de Antofagasta a BoliviaExported to Chile65-375June 1965A15111202Rovos RailExported to Durban, South Africa, January 201565-376July 1965A15121431Ferrocarril de Antofagasta a BoliviaExported to Chile65-427December 1965A15131203AurizonThevenard, Eyre Peninsula, as A class no. 120365-428December 1965A15141204AurizonIn service at Thevenard, Eyre Peninsula, as A class no. 1204
Class list (AA)
Key:In ServiceWithdrawnPreservedConvertedUnknownScrapped
Serial number Date built Original road number Renumbered as Current/Last Owner Status67-534August 1967AA15151432Ferrocarril de Antofagasta a BoliviaExported to Chile67-535September 1967AA15161433Ferrocarril de Antofagasta a BoliviaExported to Chile67-536October 1967AA15171434Ferrocarril de Antofagasta a BoliviaExported to Chile67-537October 1967AA15181435Ferrocarril de Antofagasta a BoliviaExported to Chile67-538November 1967AA15191436Ferrocarril de Antofagasta a BoliviaExported to Chile
Class list (AB)
Key:In ServiceWithdrawnPreservedConvertedUnknownScrapped
Serial number Date built Original road number Renumbered as Current/Last Owner Status69-676November 1969AB1531AB1501Apex IndustrialExported to South Africa, January 201569-677December 1969AB15321437Ferrocarril de Antofagasta a BoliviaExported to Chile69-678February 1970AB1533-Tranz RailScrapped69-679February 1970AB1534AB1502Apex IndustrialExported to South Africa, January 201569-680March 1970AB1535AB1503 (ARG), AB1535 (RHWA)Rail Heritage WAPreserved, currently leased to Watco for use on maintenance and construction trains69-681April 1970AB1536AB1504AurizonScrapped June 2026 (C. D. Dodd Forrestfield)
References Notes
Bibliography
External links
A class History of Western Australia Railways & Stations gallery AB class History of Western Australia Railways & Stations gallery