Freight Australia XR class

Class of diesel locomotives used in Australia

4 ft 8+1⁄2 in),
1,600 mm (5 ft 3 in)Length18.34 m (60 ft 2 in)Fuel typeDieselPrime moverEMD 16-645E3CEngine typeV16AspirationTurbochargedCylindersV16

Performance figures
Maximum speed	115 km/h (71 mph)
Power output	3,300 hp (2,500 kW)

Career
Operators	Freight Australia Pacific National
Number in class	9
Numbers	XR550-XR555, XR557-XR559
Current owner	Pacific National
Disposition	9 in service

The XR class are a class of diesel locomotives built by Freight Australia and Pacific National at South Dynon Locomotive Depot.

History

Between 2002 and 2004, Freight Australia rebuilt six X class locomotives with engines cascaded from G class locomotives, larger radiators, and a new cab to provide better driver visibility.^[1]^[2]^[3] The first six (XR550 - XR555) were converted from X38, X35, X40, X33, X34 and X32 respectively. A seventh (XR556) was planned to be converted from X36 but never eventuated.^[4]

A further three (XR557 - XR559) were built in 2004/05 by Freight Australia's successor, Pacific National, as new-builds.^[4]

In 2020, several were placed in storage due to a poor grain harvest.^[5]^[6] As at October 2022, all nine were active, seven on the broad gauge and two (XR558 and XR559) on standard gauge. As of November 2023 all are on BG except XR557 & XR559 ^[7]

The class are mechanically similar to the later XRB class B units.^[4]

References

^ Here & There Australian Railway History issue 774 April 2002 page 154
^ X class rebuilding project Railway Digest October 2003 pages 29-32
^ Locomotive Upgrading by the Operator Railway Digest July 2004 page 39
^ ^a ^b ^c Oberg, Leon (2010). Locomotives of Australia 1850s - 2010. Rosenberg Publishing. p. 345. ISBN 9781921719011.
^ Four stored XR Class locos moved - two for further storage and two for reactivation Newsrail September 2020 page 255
^ MotivePower Roundup Motive Power issue 133 January 2021 page 116
^ Australia Wide Fleet List Motive Power issue 144 November 2022 page 69

External links

Media related to Freight Australia XR class at Wikimedia Commons

Locomotives and rolling stock of the Victorian Railways, predecessors and successors

Locomotives and self-propelled vehicles

Melbourne & Hobson's
Bay Railway Company
(incomplete list)

First Engine - 2-2-2WT (1854)
Melbourne, Meteor, Rapid, Sandridge, St Kilda, Victoria, Yarra, No.8, No.9 and No.11 - 2-4-0WT (1854), later N Class

Geelong & Melbourne
Railway Company
(incomplete list)

Ariel - 0-4-0T (1855)
Titania, Oberon, Typhoon and Sirocco - 2-2-2WT (1855)

Melbourne & Suburban
Railway Company
(incomplete list)

Kew and #1378 - 2-4-0WT (1861)

Melbourne Railway Company

Windsor and Prahran - 2-4-0WT (1863), later N Class

Melbourne & Essendon
Railway Company

Essendon (#458), #459 and #488 2-4-0T (1861)

Melbourne & Hobson's Bay
United Railway Company
(incomplete list)

Toorak, Victoria, No.16 and No.19 - 2-4-0T (1865), later N Class
No.20–No.23, No.25–No.26 - 4-4-0WT (1871), later C Class

Deniliquin & Moama
Railway Company

T class 0-6-0 (1874)

Victorian Railways
steam locomotives
(incomplete list)

No.1 2-2-2, later 2-4-0 (1857)
No.19 and No.21
No.34-40 evens only
No.42 and No.44
No.100 2-4-0 (1872)
No.162 and No.164 4-4-0 (1876)
A^A 4-4-0 (1900)
A² 4-6-0 (1907)
B 2-4-0 (1861)
C - 4-4-0WT (1878)
C 2-8-0 (1918)
'Rodgers' D 4-4-0 (1876)
D 4-4-0 (1887)
D^D, D¹, D² and D³ 4-6-0 (1902)
$\mathrm {D_{E}^{D}}$ /D⁴ 4-6-2T (1908)
E 2-4-2T (1889) and E^E 0-6-2T (1893)
F 2-4-0 (1874), later 2-4-2T (1910)
G 4-4-0 (1877)
H 4-4-0 (1877)
H 4-8-4 (1941)
J 2-2-2, later 2-4-0 (1859)
J 2-8-0 (1954)
K 2-8-0 (1922)
L 2-4-0ST (1859)
M 4-4-0T (1879)
M^E 4-4-2T (1901)
N 2-4-0WT (1878)
N 2-8-2 (1925)
O 0-6-0 (1861)
P 0-6-0 (1859)
Q 0-6-0 (1873)
R 4-6-4 (1951)
S 4-6-2 (1928)
T 0-6-0 (1874)
V 0-6-0 (1857)
V 2-8-0 (1899)
X 0-6-0 (1886)
X 2-8-2 (1929)
Y 0-6-0 (1888)
Z 2-4-0T and 0-6-0T (1893)

Diesel-electric

A class Co-Co (1983)
B class Co-Co (1952)
C class Co-Co (1977)
F class 0-6-0 (1951)
G class Co-Co (1984)
H class Bo-Bo (1968)
N class Co-Co (1985)
P class Bo-Bo (1984)
S class Co-Co (1957)
T class Bo-Bo (1955)
V class Co-Co (2002)
VL class Co-Co (2006)
X class Co-Co (1966)
XR class Co-Co (2002)
XRB class Co-Co (2005)
Y class Bo-Bo (1963)

Diesel-hydraulic

M class 0-6-0 (1959)
V class 0-4-0 (1959)
W class 0-6-0 (1959)
CS class CargoSprinter (2002)

Rail tractor

Road transferable locomotives

RTL class

Electric

E class Bo-Bo (1923)
L class Co-Co (1953)

Railmotors and
diesel multiple units

Steam	Rowan (1883) N 2-4-0WT (1893) C 4-4-0WT (1904) H150 (1908) J4 & J6 (1908) F 2-4-2T (1910) Kerr Stuart (1912)
Petrol	McKeen (1911) AEC (1922) Leyland (1925) Brill (1928) PERM (1928) Trailers
Diesel	Walker (1948) 102hp & 153hp 280hp DERM (1951) DRC (1971) Sprinter (1993) VLocity (2004) Trailers

Electric multiple units

Tait (1919)
- Parcels (1921)
Swing Door (1919)
- Parcels (1955)
Harris (1956)
Hitachi (1972)
Comeng (1981)
Refurbished Harris (1982)
4D double deck (1992)
X'Trapolis 100 (2002)
Siemens Nexas (2003)
HCMT (2020)
X'Trapolis 2.0 (future)

Passenger carriages

By type

By class

Wooden	Early fixed-wheel Wooden bogie Early Bogie (1874) C & L (1899) E (1906) G (1961) P (1910) PL (1918) V (1897) Short W & U (1911) Long W (1926)
Steel	H (1984) N (1981) K (1973) R (proposed) S (1937) Z (1956)

Joint and shared stock

SAR	O (1886) E (1906) Steel Carriages (1936) Overland Carriages (1949) East-West Stock (1964)
NSWGR	RUB sets (1949) NSW Stainless Steel Cars (1961)

Other rolling stock

Goods vehicles by type

Vans

Exclusive guard's vans	Fixed wheel (D/Z vans) Bogie D^D/C DVE/CE, VHE DV/CV CW CO MHN CS, VHN
Partial guard's vans	Fixed wheel Bogie Early Bogie ESBV/BDSE, BCE ACP, BCP BCPL ACN BCH ACZ, BCZ
Other vans	Mail vans Fixed wheel DDMS, D EEB, EES/DS DS Power vans PH PCP PHN PCO, PCJ PZ Parcel vans